Carey Lake, also known as People’s Pond, is a popular hangout spot for Ellensburg locals. When the weather warms up, longboarding, inner tubing, barbecuing and beach volleyball are just a few of the activities the pond has to offer. The 20-acre swimming hole and historical site attracts families and college students because of its shallow water.

If you are a dog owner, it is a great spot to go and play fetch and to meet new friends.

Something that CWU students may not know is that Outdoor Pursuits and Rentals (OPR) has numerous people who can help you with information and equipment for a full day of entertainment at the pond.

Kayla Gallentine and Andrew McDonald, both shop attendants and trip guides for OPR,  had a great amount of information on the college hot spot.

OPR has a unique rental shop full of different floating devices and equipment. Inner tubes, kayaks, rafts and also stand-up paddle boards.

“The paddle boards are a blast,” Gallentine said.

OPR has other equipment available to rent for the day: Kayaks are around $20, inner tubes are $8, rafts are $40 and stand-up paddleboards are $30.  

“There is an added cost for additional equipment needed for the inflatable rafts and inner tubes,” Gallentine said. There is equipment needed for the rafts and tubes such as air pumps and backup patches if the tube becomes flat.

“All information regarding rentals can be found online,” McDonald said.

The park has other opportunities as well if you aren’t in the swimming mood. It has built-in BBQ grills and courts for beach volleyball.

“We also rent sport balls for a pretty cheap price,” Gallentine said.

There is also a short, mile-long trail wrapping around the pond called Iron Horse Trail. It is great for walking and riding bicycles.

Iron Horse Trail will show you a couple small creeks and you will also get a beautiful view of the Yakima River.

“Do not put our equipment into the river behind People’s Pond. It is very dangerous water and has a lot of snags that could damage the equipment,” McDonald said.

McDonald talked about how OPR will recommend good locations to put inner tubes or rafts into the river.

“The Yakima has some pretty scary spots and we actually lost a tube last year from a spot along that stretch,” McDonald said.