Quincy measured a picnic area near the river and made a scale drawing. He used the scale 1 inch : 10 yards. In the drawing, the picnic area is 17 inches long. What is the length of the actual picnic area?

If 1 inch on the scale drawing represents 10 yards, then 17 inches represents 17*10 = <<10*17=170>>170 yards. Answer: \boxed{170}.