10 Unique Things to Do in Union Gap, Washington

The small town of Union Gap, Washington is known for its James Beard award-winning tamales, Civil War Battle reenactments, and the Union Gap Mall.

For travelers looking for a day trip from Seattle or a small town Washington road trip, Union Gap makes for a unique and budget-friendly getaway in the heart of Yakima wine country that foodies, families, and outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy.

I’ve been learning about the sights and flavors of this small Eastern aWashington town. Along the way, I discovered there are plenty of reasons to visit Union Gap, including delicious places to eat, incredible wineries, historical treasures, hikes with sunset views, and much more.

Things to Do in Union Gap, WA

Taste the delicious local wines.

Wine lovers will appreciate that Union Gap is only an 11-minute drive to the wine tasting rooms in downtown Yakima.

Even better? It’s only a 6-minute drive from two of my favorite wineries, Treveri Cellars and Owen Roe.

As I mentioned earlier, Union Gap is a six-minute drive from Treveri Cellars and Owen Roe Winery. These two wineries are very close to each other, which makes visiting both in one day very easy.

Treveri Cellars makes delicious handcrafted sparkling wines. The tasting room features indoor and outdoor seating and light bites. One could easily spend the afternoon here sipping sparkling wine and relaxing in the sunshine.

If you plan to go to Owen Roe Winery call ahead to arrange for a vineyard tour in the Swiss Pinzgauer. As you cruise through vines you’ll learn about the Missoula Floods and why Washington soil is so good for growing grapes and how soils create different flavor profiles.

I suggest bringing along some snacks and spending the day enjoying a bottle of wine out on the lawn or at one of their picnic tables.

Owen Roe Winery barrel room.
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Visit for the quirky asparagus festival.

Asparagus is one of my favorite veggies, but when it comes to preparing it, I typically do a mix of grilling, sauteing, and baking.

In Union Gap, people know how to get creative with this stalky vegetable, and the best way to experience this is to come for Asparafest!

This event happens on one day in May and includes an Asparafest Cookoff Contest at The Vine Venue and an asparagus trail where you stop at local restaurants to sample their asparagus dishes.

Cool fact: The harvest season for asparagus is March to June. Every year, Washington State produces 53 million pounds of asparagus and is the second-largest producer in the United States (California is number one).

The Aspargest Cookoff Contest is a fun way to kick-off the love for all things asparagus. All are welcome to come and see the judging and the first 30 spectators get to take home 1 lb. of asparagus!

As a judge, I sampled amazing dishes. The top three included an asparagus and crab soup, an asparagus quiche, and soy-sesame asparagus. The winner was the soy-sesame asparagus!

After the cookoff, I headed out to taste more asparagus dishes. Pick up a tasting card at the cookoff which notes all of the locations.

Once you go to a stop, they’ll mark your card and at the end, you can enter to win a prize!

Travel tip: While a couple of locations are within walking distance of each other, you’ll want to drive from location to location.

Dine your way through the city’s best spots.

Nino’s Mexican Grill

Nino’s Mexican Grill serves up fresh Mexican food customized your way!

The set up reminded me of Chipotle, where you pick and choose everything you want to customize your order to your taste.

Menu items include dishes like carne asada, tacos and their famous monster burrito with sides of your choice like rice and beans and veggies as well as made-to-order crepes for dessert.

I hadn’t eaten much that day, so I opted for a large salad with pork and lots of fresh veggies.

A taco salad from Nino's Mexican Grill.

Old Town Station

Old Town Station is the place for a traditional American breakfast in Union Gap.

It has been family owned and operated since 1979. I arrived early and the place was hopping. I had an excellent breakfast and great service!

Breakfast at Old Town Station in Union Gap.

SeaGalley

As a child, I loved when our family would go to Red Lobster, and the atmosphere of SeaGalley with fishermen paintings, fishing nets, and fishing lamps accents brought back those fond memories.

SeaGalley used to be a chain restaurant, in fact! If you grew up along the West Coast, you might remember their slogan: “We’ve got crab legs!”

Today, Union Gap, Washington has the only SeaGalley left, and visiting is a must to take in a bit of fisherman-inspired nostalgia.

I ordered a side salad, crab and shrimp stuffed mushrooms and fish tacos. I would recommend everything. (I really liked the stuffed mushrooms.)

Crab and shrimp stuffed mushrooms at Sea Galley in Union Gap, Washington.

Learn history at the Ag Museum.

Union Gap has two places of interest for history lovers. The first is the Ag Museum, which is the largest agricultural museum in the entire PNW.

The Ag Museum has 15 acres of exhibits with over 1,000 pieces of historic machinery that highlight farming culture over the past century.

It also has early pioneer exhibits like Amos Cabin, a replica of the Keys 1908 Homestead, and the Lindeman Building with its vintage gas station.

The museum features educational tours for young and old and holds small town events such as the Old Steel Car Show.

You can walk the grounds and sign up to drive through. However, there is so much to see, I highly recommend signing up for a tour (suggested donation is $5 per person) as you’ll learn so much more about the machinery and exhibits. Learn more about tours here. The museum is open from April to October. Review their hours here.

Pay a fascinating visit to the Pioneer Graveyard.

I’ve loved cemeteries since I was a young girl and was thrilled to discover that Union Gap has a historic cemetery.

The graveyard is the final resting place for many of Yakima’s founding settlers and since it was only used from 1865 to 1891, it is small.

The people of Union Gap have restored the graveyard, and you can easily read many of the headstones.

As you enter the graveyard, read the information on Priscilla Goodwin, who was the first person to be buried here. She traveled to the Yakima Valley in a wagon with her husband and died during childbirth. You can also read how a flood washed away some of the graves in the 1930s.

Many of the headstones have ornate engravings and unique sayings. Be sure to pay attention to the details as you walk through.

Priscilla Goodwin's headstone at Pioneer Graveyard in Union Gap, Washington.

Shop til you drop in Union Gap.

The Valley Mall in Union Gap has over 80 stores (Macy’s, Kohl’s, American Eagle Outfitters, and much more) and if you like to shop till you drop, you’ll be pleased!

Union Gap is also home to a number of thrift stores and vintage shops like That 70s Shop: Somewhere In Time.

This store is a treasure trove of goodies, so give yourself plenty of time to wander around!

Hike Ahtanum Ridge for incredible views.

For views of the entire valley including “the gap” which Union Gap is named for, hike Ahtanum Ridge.

This trail begins behind the Ag Museum and while it is known to locals, it is not so familiar with travelers.

Once on the trail, you have two decisions. Take the short and very steep path (to the left) or the trail with switchbacks up the side of the hill (to the right). No matter which way you choose, the views are breathtaking and worth every ounce of sweat!

Keep in mind, there are no signs so keep track of where you are if you decide to get off the path. I suggest hiking close to sunset and bringing a headlamp if you do so.

The trail is exposed so you’ll want to carefully plan your hike and go early in the morning or in the evening. Hiking gear should include a hat and water. Wear sunscreen and since this is Eastern Washington, be snake aware.

Take a stroll on the scenic Greenbelt Trail.

For travelers searching for a more leisurely stroll, head to the Yakima Greenbelt trailhead in Union Gap.

Take the gravel nature trail to the main 20-mile paved trail that wanders along the Yakima river.

If you want to make a day of it there are playgrounds, picnic areas and fishing ponds along the way. The trail is a mix of shaded and exposed spots.

Learn aviation history at the McCallister Museum of Aviation.

This cool museum is dedicated to Charlie McAllister, a pioneer in aviation who started a flight school in the Yakima Valley. He also had the first licensed glider in Washington State!

The McCallister Museum of Aviation has lots of interesting displays about aviation, wars, and astronauts.

The museum is only open Thursday to Saturday and is FREE. Find out more about the museum here. Give yourself at least an hour — this is one of the coolest things to do in Union Gap, WA!

The McAllister Museum in Union Gap, Washington.

Cool fact: Guess who signed Charlie’s pilot’s license? Orville Wright!

Take in some greenery at the Yakima Area Arboretum.

The Yakima Area Arboretum covers 46 acres and has over 1,000 species of trees, display gardens, and natural habitat.

I only had about 15 minutes to spend here, but I easily could have spent a couple of hours.

The Arboretum is open every day. Dogs are welcome on a leash. Find out more information here.

A trail through the Yakima Area Arboretum.

Where to Stay in Union Gap

My Pick: Quality Inn

The Quality Inn hosted me during my visit. For a budget hotel, I was impressed with my renovated room and comfortable bed. Plus, since I had leftovers from my day of tasting all things asparagus, I appreciated the larger sized refrigerator.

Amenities travelers will love include an outdoor pool, a breakfast with hot items and at the nearby restaurant Shari’s you can show them your room key you get a free slice of pie.

Other Union Gap hotels of interest include the Best Western PLUS Ahtanum Inn, Holiday Inn Express & Suites and Super 8 By Wyndham.

20 thoughts on “10 Unique Things to Do in Union Gap, Washington”

  1. I would go for the hiking in Union Gap, I love the sweeping views over the valley! Also, I like the idea of an asparagus festival. This may sound weird but I once picked asparagus from someone’s garden and they tasted so much better than whatever I can find in the shops. I might have a go at the Red Neck Quiche!

    • Delphine, I’ve never picked asparagus. I’d love to do that! I bet the fresh-picked garden asparagus tasted amazing!

  2. Love the sound of this place – especially the Mexican restaurant. How many toppings do you think would be too many toppings???? Also loving Asparafest – and the fact that such a simple recipe was the winner. Going to give that a try now.

    • Helen, Ha! Your topping comment made me laugh. Soaking the asparagus overnight really gave them an amazing sesame flavor. I have that on my list of things to make this summer!

  3. The food, the vintage loop and the hiking…the whole package is very appealing to me. This is the first time I have heard of an asparagus fest. Its a great idea to have a specific vegetable theme…so much scope for innovation.

    • Punita, I really enjoyed trying all the ways people were cooking with asparagus. I didn’t realize it had so much versatility.

    • Tania, Asparagus is so good! I wished I had more time to explore the Arboretum. Next time!

  4. My husband who lived int he state of Washington for 30 years remembers Union Gap during his time in Tri-Cities. He describes it as the retail hub of the Yakima Valley. I would surely love to visit the thrift stores and the cellars and wineries.

    • Carol, Before I spent a few days there I had no idea how big shopping was there. A shopping lovers dream for sure!

  5. You had me at wineries and James Beard award-winning tamales. I had no idea that Washington State was such a big asparagus producer and Asparafest sounds fun. However, I think you’ll find me at the Treveri winery sipping sparkling wine.

  6. What a lovely and quaint town to visit. I love to have a look around thrift stores and especially in historic towns like there where you are sure to find something really interesting. We both love asparagus too so the festival would be heaps of fun, it would be nice to try some out cooked in all those different ways.

  7. A nice little town that you imagine us. Ok, I’m not an asparagus fan and I’m sure I would not enjoy the festival, but there’s more to discover. I would definitely like to go hiking there and drink wine. Best as a combination.

    • Susanne, Asparagus is one of those veggies that you either love it or don’t. 🙂 There are so many wineries in the Yakima Valley. You’ll have a ton to choose from!

  8. I just love reading and learning about little towns like Union Gap! The Asparafest sounds like so much fun and that asparagus burger looks delicious! The cemetery is also really interesting, and that’s cool that they’ve restored it so you can read the graves. I’ll have to check out Union Gap the next time I’m back in the PNW 🙂

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