Washington State Route 821

State Route 821 (SR 821) is a state highway in central Washington state. It runs for 25 miles (40 km) 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).

State Route 821
Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway
SR 821 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-82
Defined by RCW 47.17.823
Maintained by WSDOT
Length25.21 mi[1] (40.57 km)
Existed1973–present
Major junctions
South end I-82 / US 97 near Selah
  SR 823 near Selah
North end I-82 / US 97 near Ellensburg
Location
CountiesYakima, Kittitas
Highway system
← US 730→ SR 823

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
A section of SR 821 in the Yakima River Canyon

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.[2][3] 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.[4] 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.[5][6]

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.[3] At its south end, the highway passes downhill from an earlier alignment that was tunneled under a section of the ridge.[7][8] 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.[5][9] It passes through 9,000 acres (3,600 ha) of land owned by the Bureau of Land Management, which includes several campgrounds, boat launches, and four recreational areas.[10][11][12] The area also has several cattle ranches and farms centered around the Burbank Valley.[13] 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.[14][15]

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.[11][16] 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.[17] From the junction, Canyon Road continues north along the railroad to an interchange with I-90 and into downtown Ellensburg.[5]

SR 821 is designated as the Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway by the state government, recognizing its natural beauty and recreational opportunities.[3] The byway is visited by 1.1 million drivers annually, of which a third visit recreational areas and campgrounds along the route.[7][18] The canyon was formed approximately 10 million years ago through the erosion of rocks formed by basalt lava flows.[7] 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.[7] 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.[19][20]

SR 821 is maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), which conducts an annual survey on the state's highways to measure traffic volume in terms of average annual daily traffic. The highway's daily vehicle counts range from a minimum of 1,100 vehicles at its northern terminus to a maximum of 5,100 at its southern terminus.[21] SR 821 generally consists of two lanes with a width of 11 feet (3.4 m), with occasional shoulders, and a posted speed limit of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h).[7] Sections of the highway are closed for day-long events that are held annually, including a cattle drive in January or February,[22] a marathon and bicycle tour in the spring, and a heritage tractor run in the summer.[7][23]

History
A photograph of the gravel-paved Canyon Highway, taken by Asahel Curtis in 1924

The Yakima River Canyon was historically avoided by Native Americans and later American settlers, who preferred wagon trails along nearby ridges and creeks.[7]:42 One of the main routes across the Umtanum Ridge was a toll road constructed in the 1880s by Jacob Durr through the Wenas Valley and Shushuskin Canyon, west of the canyon route. The toll road was bypassed by the Northern Pacific Railway in 1885, using a route along the west side of the river that was rejected for road construction due to a lack of space.[8][24]

A road link between Ellensburg and Yakima remained a priority for the state government, who appropriated funds in 1909 to survey the area for a potential state highway.[25] It was named as part of the planned Inland Empire Highway in 1913, forming a major trunk route through the Yakima Valley and Inland Northwest,[26] and a route along the east side of the river was surveyed in the early 1920s by state highway engineers.[8]

Construction on the graded highway, using a surface of crushed rocks, through the Yakima Canyon began in 1920 and was completed on September 12, 1924.[8][27] It cost approximately $1 million to construct (equivalent to $12 million in 2019 dollars)[28] and included several tunnels cut through the lava basalt cliffs using dynamite that were later abandoned.[29][30][31] The highway was signed as part of State Road 3 and incorporated into the Yellowstone Trail, a national auto trail,[32] and later the federal numbered highway system created in 1926. Under the federal system, the Ellensburg–Yakima section formed part of US 97, the main north–south route through central Washington and Oregon.[33] The highway was paved with concrete in 1932 and renumbered as Primary State Highway 3 (PSH 3) in 1937.[8][34] The canyon highway's tunnels were bypassed by a new alignment built closer to the river in 1963, after traffic volumes had outgrown the narrow tunnels.[7]

I-82 was completed east of the canyon over Manastash Ridge in November 1971, bypassing the congested highway through the Yakima River Canyon.[35][36] The canyon route had been designated as the state's first scenic byway in 1967, following the enactment of the system,[7][37] and was provisionally numbered and signed as State Route 821.[38][39] A lower speed limit of 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) was also set on the highway to discourage use by trucks and encourage scenic touring.[40] In 1973, US 97 was rerouted onto I-82 between Ellensburg and Yakima, while the old alignment through the canyon became SR 821.[41] Until the completion of the Thrall Road interchange in the 1980s, SR 821 continued further north to Tjossem Road, where it turned east and crossed I-82.[42] The encroachment of residential development from the north forced the Bureau of Land Management and The Nature Conservancy to buy additional properties in the canyon for preservation in the 1990s.[43]

Beginning in 1996, the state government embarked on a targeted anti-drunk driving campaign along SR 821, which had been the site of over 115 collisions between 1992 and 1995, of which 25 were alcohol-related.[44] The first year of the campaign was hailed as a success, with two consecutive summer months without a recorded collision and 2,200 police stops for driving violations.[45] Eight separate sections of the highway were closed for several weeks in July 1998 due to rockslides and washouts brought by 3 inches (7.6 cm) of rainfall on July 3.[46] The repair cost $750,000 and used funds from the Federal Highway Administration, acquired via an emergency proclamation signed by Governor Gary Locke.[47][48]

Major intersections
CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Yakima​0.000.00 I-82 / US 97 – Ellensburg, Yakima
​0.290.47 SR 823 south (Harrison Road) – Selah
Kittitas​25.2140.57 I-82 / US 97 – Ellensburg, Yakima
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References
  1. Multimodal Planning Division (January 3, 2018). State Highway Log Planning Report 2017, SR 2 to SR 971 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. pp. 1674–1676. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  2. "Yakima County Community Wildfire Protection Plan" (PDF). Washington State Department of Natural Resources. July 2015. pp. 82–83. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  3. "Corridor Sketch Summary – SR 821: I-82 Jct (Selah) to I-82 Jct (Ellensburg)" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. March 29, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  4. Ferolito, Phil (February 27, 2018). "For 50 years, Sundown M Ranch has been helping people battle addictions". Yakima Herald-Republic. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  5. Google (August 12, 2018). "State Route 821" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  6. "Statewide Rail Capacity and System Needs Study: Task 1.1.A – Washington State's Freight Rail System" (PDF). Washington State Transportation Commission. May 2006. p. 8. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  7. "Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  8. Meyers, Donald W. (August 11, 2017). "Road cut through Yakima River Canyon improves travel". Yakima Herald-Republic. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  9. Wenas Cooperative Road Management Area Map (PDF) (Map). Washington State Department of Natural Resources. May 1, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  10. "Yakima River Canyon Campgrounds". Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  11. Engstrom, Tim (May 25, 2004). "The Bridges of Kittitas County: Umtanum footbridge". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  12. "Washington State's Scenic Byways & Road Trips" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. July 2018. pp. 86–87. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  13. Johnston, Mike (January 30, 2012). "Eaton family cattle drive offers glimpse into Old West". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  14. Gallagher, Michael (June 12, 2014). "Canyon River Ranch providing scenery, meals and music". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  15. Holappa, Karl (May 10, 2018). "Developers continue plans for resort in Yakima River Canyon". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  16. "Yakima River Canyon" (PDF). Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  17. "SR 82 – Exit 3: Junction SR 821/Thrall Road" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. October 25, 2007. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  18. Moreno, Julia (August 20, 2016). "Tourism in Yakima River Canyon increased". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  19. Klauss, Nicole (February 21, 2014). "Funding for interpretive center at Helen McCabe State Park reviewed". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  20. "Kittitas County cancels Yakima River Canyon Center project, returns funds". Yakima Herald-Republic. March 18, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  21. 2016 Annual Traffic Report (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. 2017. p. 214. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  22. Bemis, Shanai (February 12, 2018). "Annual cattle drive moves cows through Yakima Canyon". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  23. Johnston, Mike (September 11, 2008). "Old farming ways come to life this weekend in Ellensburg". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  24. "Washington" (Map). Cram's Standard American Railway System Atlas of the World. George F. Cram Company. 1901. pp. 410–411. OCLC 58932862. Retrieved August 13, 2018 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
  25. "Chapter 51: Providing for Survey of Certain State Roads" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1909. Washington State Legislature. March 4, 1909. pp. 94–96. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  26. "Good Roads Association Outlines Great Highways". Kennewick Courier. May 31, 1912. p. 3. Retrieved July 3, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. "Yakima Canyon Road Is Nearly Completed". The Seattle Times. August 15, 1924. p. 13.
  28. Thomas, Ryland; Williamson, Samuel H. (2020). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved September 22, 2020. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
  29. "Yakima Highway Is Wonder". The Seattle Times. January 6, 1924. p. 4.
  30. Tenth Biennial Report of the State Highway Engineer. Washington State Highway Commission. October 1924. p. 18. Retrieved August 16, 2018 – via Google Books.
  31. "A Century in Yakima—Remembering 100 Years". Yakima Herald-Republic. January 1, 2000. p. A1.
  32. Rand McNally Official 1925 Auto Trails Map of Washington and Oregon (Map). 1:1,077,120. Rand McNally. 1925. Retrieved August 13, 2018 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
  33. American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Public Roads. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved August 13, 2018 – via University of North Texas Libraries.
  34. Kershner, Jim (October 9, 2013). "Inland Empire Highway". HistoryLink. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  35. Foster, Barbara W. (November 21, 1971). "A new route to Yakima". The Seattle Times. p. 12.
  36. Olds, Virginia (May 27, 1970). "I-82 crosses virgin country southward from Ellensburg". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. p. 1. Retrieved August 13, 2018 – via Google News Archive.
  37. Garrett, Harold (November 1971). "Joint Development of the Yakima Canyon". Washington Highway News. Washington State Department of Highways. pp. 6–7. OCLC 29654162. Retrieved September 7, 2018 – via WSDOT Library Digital Collections.
  38. Johnston, Mike (March 26, 2011). "Sense of place: Yakima River Canyon". The Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  39. "Yakima Canyon Route Becomes Quiet, Scenic". Tri-City Herald. December 8, 1971. p. 35.
  40. "New Name, Speed Limit For U.S. 97". The Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. October 19, 1971. p. 15. Retrieved August 13, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. "Chapter 151: State Highways—Route Designations" (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington, 1973 1st extraordinary session. Washington State Legislature. April 25, 1973. pp. 1095–1098. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  42. Ellensburg South Quadrangle, Washington—Kittitas Co (Map). 1:24,000. United States Geological Survey. 1978. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  43. Herrington, Gregg (January 26, 1996). "Keeping a scenic byway looking good". The Columbian. Vancouver, Washington. p. A2. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018 – via HighBeam.
  44. Brandt, Aviva L. (May 26, 1996). "Crackdown on 'killer' highway". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. p. B1. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  45. "Dateline Washington". The Columbian. Vancouver, Washington. Associated Press. September 24, 1996. p. A3.
  46. Rose, Joseph; Wasson, David (July 4, 1998). "Wild weather wreaks havoc". Yakima Herald-Republic. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018 – via HighBeam.
  47. Lester, David (July 16, 1998). "Gov. Gary Locke signs emergency measure for road repair". Yakima Herald-Republic. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018 – via HighBeam.
  48. "Yakima River Canyon beckons recreationalists". Yakima Herald-Republic. July 31, 1998. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018 – via HighBeam.
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