State Route 821 (SR 821) is a state highway in central Washington state. It runs for through the Yakima Canyon, following the meandering Yakima River between Selah and Ellensburg. Both ends of the highway are at interchanges with Interstate 82 (I-82) and U.S. Route 97 (US 97).
SR 821 was established in 1973 on the old alignment of US 97, which usurped previous state roads that were part of the Inland Empire Highway. The Yakima Canyon road was constructed in 1924 by the state government to replace a gravel road over the mountains to the west and became popular with tourists. The highway was designated as the Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway by the state government in 1967 and bypassed five years later by a section of I-82 running uphill to the east.
Route description
SR 821 begins at an interchange with I-82, co-signed with US 97, northeast of Selah in northern Yakima County. The interchange also includes a connection to Firing Center Road, which continues east into the Yakima Training Center, a military installation that spans the mountainous area between Yakima and the Columbia River. SR 821 makes a 90-degree turn to the northeast and intersects the northern terminus of SR 823, a short highway that travels south into downtown Selah. The highway continues north through farms near the community of Pomona and passes the Sundown M Ranch substance abuse treatment center near the mouth of Selah Creek at the Yakima River. It then travels into the narrow Yakima River Canyon to the east of BNSF Railway's Yakima Valley Subdivision, which forms part of the main east–west railroad across south central Washington.
Near the south end of the Yakima River Canyon, which cuts across the Umtanum Ridge, SR 821 crosses into Kittitas County. The two-lane highway generally runs along the bottom of the canyon, to the east of the river and railroad and paralleled to the east by I-82. At its south end, the highway passes downhill from an earlier alignment that was tunneled under a section of the ridge. At Roza Dam, the railroad crosses over to the west side of the river while SR 821 stays uphill from the river, cutting through part of the ridge. The highway continues north, following the cliffs along the meandering river and opposite the railroad and the Wenas Wildlife Area to the west. It passes through of land owned by the Bureau of Land Management, which includes several campgrounds, boat launches, and four recreational areas. The area also has several cattle ranches and farms centered around the Burbank Valley. Midway through the valley, SR 821 passes the Canyon River Ranch, an isolated rest area with shops, restaurants, and cabins that is planned to grow into a resort.
Further north of the ranch is the parking lot for the Umtanum Creek Recreation Area, with a network of hiking trails connected via a footbridge over the Yakima River. After completing a series of hairpin turns along the narrowest section of the valley, SR 821 is rejoined by the railroad and enters the wide Kittitas Valley near several vineyards. The highway turns east at Helen McCabe State Park onto Thrall Road and crosses Wilson Creek before terminating at a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-82 and US 97. From the junction, Canyon Road continues north along the railroad to an interchange with I-90 and into downtown Ellensburg.
SR 821 is designated as the Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway by the state government, recognizing its natural beauty and recreational opportunities. The byway is visited by 1.1 million drivers annually, of which a third visit recreational areas and campgrounds along the route. The canyon was formed approximately 10 million years ago through the erosion of rocks formed by basalt lava flows. The byway passes through shrub-steppe habitats that are home to trout, bighorn sheep, mule deer, and a variety of visiting or permanent bird species. An interpretive center for the byway was planned to be constructed at Helen McCabe State Park at the north entrance of the byway, using funding from the county government and the Federal Highway Administration, but was cancelled in 2015.