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ON THE WATER

Being out on the water in Central Washington is an experience many people wait all year to have. Central Washington is bursting with options of lakes, rivers, and streams! So whether you like to tube, swim, jetski, fly fish, angle fish, or relax near the water and catch some rays — Central Washington needs to be your next spot for an ESCAPE from the everyday.

Do you love being on the water? Show us some of your best shots from your last Central Washington adventure…

Parking Your Boat Trailer
Leave No Trace
Take the Plan to Play Pact

Lake Cle Elum

Wenatchee National Forest 803 West 2nd Street
Cle Elum, WA 98922
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Cle Elum Dam and Lake, of the Yakima Project, are on the Cle Elum River 8 miles northwest of Cle Elum, Washington. Cle Elum, Kachess, and Keechelus reservoirs are in the Wenatchee National Forest. Camping, swimming, boating, picnicking, and fishing are available at all three reservoirs especially in the streams below the dams. Available fish species are lake trout, kokanee, and rainbow trout. Take I-90 to Cle Elum and turn north on Highway 903.

Lake Easton Boat Ramp

Cle Elum, WA 98922

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The park has 95 tent spaces, 45 utility spaces, 1 dump station, 4 restrooms and 4 showers. All sites are in a wooded setting. Most tent sites are near the Yakima River, and most RV spaces are near Lake Easton. Year-round recreational opportunities abound in this beautiful park, which offers a swimmable beach and a boat launch.
The boat ramp is in fair shape with a few broken planks. There is a fee to use the boat ramp ($5.00). Canoe and paddle boat rentals are available. The swimming area is 200 yards from the boat ramp. Car and Trailer parking paved and striped.

From Snoqualmie Pass, go east on I-90 18 miles to Exit 70. The entrance to the park is on south side of I-90, next to a private campground. The boat ramp is on left .5 mile from park entrance

Mattoon Lake Boat Ramp

Ellensburg, WA 98926

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The boat ramp has a gentle grade, but algae growth on the ramp surface hinders traction. No designated disabled parking. Camping is limited to three days. A road and several parking areas surround most of the lake for bank fishing. This is a small body of water that may not be suitable for larger watercraft. Additional parking can be found along the roadway around the lake.

The boat ramp is concrete. Car and trailer parking available on gravel surface.

River Rafting at Rill

P.O. Box 102
Thorp, WA 98946
RiverRaftingatRill

Rill Adventures offers adventures on the Yakima, Cle Elum, and Wenatchee Rivers and have been helping families make memories since 1996. Whether you want to relax on a river as it meandering through gorgeous canyons, kayak through class II rapids in back-country hideaways, or get drenched blasting through whitewater wave trains, Rill Adventures has everything you need to explore the spectacular rivers of Central Washington.

Vantage Boat Launch

Boat Ramp Rd
Vantage, WA 98950
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Truly a hidden gem! There’s restrooms here that seem well cared for and a short trail that leads to a tiny marina. Lot’s of boat trailer parking and picnic tables. All looks brand new. Beautiful view of the Vantage Bridge.

Yakima River

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This beautiful river meanders from Lake Keechelus through Cle Elum and Ellensburg to Yakima. The river provides for a beautiful and scenic drive, or a serene place to enjoy a picnic, float a tube, raft, kayak, canoe or simply listen to the birds along the shore. It is also the only Blue Ribbon river in the state offering some of the best fly fishing in the west. The river is split into two sections by the Diversion Dam. Launch points exist in both regions. The lower section ends at Roza Dam, just south of Ellensburg. 
 
Two stretches of the river are considered dangerous and floating them is hazardous. Attempting to navigate over the diversion dam and floating from Irene Rinehart Park to the Ringer Road boat lunch should not attempted 
 
There are several launch points along the Yakima River: 
 
Upper Region: East Nelson WA St.; South Cle Elum Bridge; State Boat Launch (East Cle Elum Wildlife Launch); Rill Adventures. 
 
Lower Region: Diversion; KOA; Rinehart Park; Ringer Road; Big Horn; Umptanum; Red’s Fly Shop; Lmuma Creek; The Slab.