Greenway a growing attraction in Yakima

Bicycling on the Yakima Greenway.

If you’ve lived in the Yakima area for any period of time, chances are you know something about the Yakima Greenway.
It’s common to see walkers, runners and bicyclists using the paved pathway, which is currently 10 miles long, running from Myron Lake near 40th Avenue all the way into Union Gap.
But, it’s also a great place for bird watching, fishing and a leisurely picnic with the family.
“The value (of the Greenway) is giving people a way to get outside and recreate,” said Al Brown,
Executive Director of the Greenway. “People are out there now and they’re using it. Walking and biking are the top outdoor activities and we need to give people a place to do that.”
Features of the Greenway (aside from the continuous pathway) include Rotary Lake, Sarg Hubbard Park and the McGuire Community Playground.
As great an asset as the Greenway already is for the community, the future of the pathway calls for more miles.
Eventually, the Greenway will run all the way to Naches. There’s an ongoing funding campaign to make that happen. It’s a $3 million,
10-mile project.
So far, 31/2 miles are paved from Naches to the east. Eventually, the goal is to connect the pathway to the existing Greenway at 40th Avenue.
Brown says the next phase will including paving the trail from Lowe Road to Mapleway Road, near Gleed.
For more information, visit
www.yakimagreenway.org.
— Scott Mayes