Snow Mountain Ranch and Cowiche Mountain

Snow Mountain Ranch is a 2,000-acre Cowiche Canyon Conservancy property that packs surprising variety into one trailhead. The bottomlands along South Fork Cowiche Creek are flat and gentle, shaded by cottonwoods and oaks, while the upper trails climb through bunchgrass benchlands to the 2,970-foot summit of Cowiche Mountain. On a clear day from the top, you can pick out Adams, Rainier, and Hood lined up along the horizon.

The network runs about 14 miles total, so you can piece together anything from a quick creekside loop to a full summit push. Spring draws wildflower seekers and birders (125 species have been cataloged here), fall brings gold and crimson to the riparian corridor, and winter occasionally offers snowshoe conditions. Summer is the one season that requires planning. Shade and water are scarce on the upper trails, and midday heat in the Yakima hills can be punishing.

Keep an eye out for old ranch relics as you walk. Corrals, bathtub watering troughs, and the remains of alfalfa fields tell the story of the land before the conservancy restored it to native shrub-steppe. The trail system closes briefly in early spring when mud threatens the landscape, so check the conservancy website before driving out.