Things to Do in Cle Elum, WA: The Town You’ve Been Driving Past
You have driven past the Cle Elum exit on I-90 more times than you can count. Most people have. It is 80 miles east of Seattle, just past Snoqualmie Pass, and it looks from the highway like a gas station and a Dairy Queen.
It is not.
Here is what is actually worth your time a complete guide to things to do in Cle Elum WA and its neighbor Roslyn, two miles up the road.
✏️ Scott’s Note: The best pepperoni I have ever had is in Cle Elum. I stop by Owens Meats every time I drive through Cle Elum.
The Saturday Verdict: Cle Elum plus Roslyn together make a full day worth giving up. Good food, real hiking, a brewery that relocated here for a reason, and a historic coal mining town that most Washington residents have never actually walked around. Go.
Start With This: Cle Elum and Roslyn Are One Destination
Two miles apart. Different enough that they feel like separate towns, similar enough that you should plan to see both.
Cle Elum is the larger of the two. It has most of the restaurants, the coffee, the brewery, the services. It sits right off I-90 and serves as the practical base.
Roslyn is two miles up the road and a different world. Founded in the 1880s as a coal mining camp, it spent decades producing coal for the Northern Pacific Railroad. The mines are closed. The town is not. The historic downtown is intact. Brick buildings, a cemetery with 26 sections representing the nationalities of the miners who came from across Europe, and The Brick, a tavern established in 1889 that claims to be the oldest operating saloon in Washington State.
Most people know Roslyn from Northern Exposure, the early 90s TV show that filmed here. Roslyn played Cicely, Alaska. The facade shots on First Street are still recognizable if you watched the show. That is interesting for five minutes. What actually makes Roslyn worth your time is the town itself, which has been preserved better than most former mining towns have any right to expect.
Things to Do in Cle Elum WA and Roslyn
Walk the Coal Mines Trail
One thing most visitors don’t know: you can walk between Cle Elum and Roslyn on a flat 3-mile trail that follows the old railroad grade through former coal mining land.
The Coal Mines Trail is easy. No serious elevation, no technical terrain. It passes remnants of the old mining operations along the way. Interpretive signs explain what you are looking at. It is a good way to connect the two towns without moving the car, and it is the kind of low-key infrastructure that the area does better than it gets credit for.
The Roslyn end puts you near downtown, which is worth walking. First Street has the original storefronts. The Roslyn Museum is small but well-curated on the mining history. The 26-section cemetery on the edge of town is genuinely unusual. The separate sections for Welsh, Italian, Slovak, and other nationalities reflect the immigration patterns of the late 1800s railroad coal boom. Not grim. Interesting.
Eat at MaMa Vallone’s
MaMa Vallone’s has been in Cle Elum since 1937. It is not a tourist restaurant. It is an Italian-American family place that has outlasted everything around it by being consistently good.
Order the Bagna Cauda. A cast iron skillet arrives at the table with bubbling olive oil, butter, garlic, and anchovy. You drag vegetables and bread through it. It is not subtle. It is the kind of appetizer that justifies a 90-minute drive on its own. The pasta and steaks are solid. The wine list is not complicated.
Friday and Saturday nights fill up. Go early or make a reservation.
Have a Beer at Dru Bru
Dru Bru relocated their flagship brewery from Snoqualmie Pass to Cle Elum proper. The taproom is large, all-ages, and well-designed without trying too hard. The beer is good. They brew on-site and rotate the selection. There is outdoor space with lawn games.
This is a legitimate stop, not a make-do option while you are passing through. Plan to spend an hour.
Walk the Palouse to Cascades Trail into South Cle Elum
The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail runs 289 miles across Washington State on the old Milwaukee Road rail bed, from Cedar Falls near North Bend all the way to the Idaho border. The section through South Cle Elum is flat, easy, and passes directly alongside the old rail corridor.
The South Cle Elum Depot is worth the short detour. The Cascade Rail Foundation restored the original Milwaukee Road station, and the depot houses a museum on the history of the electrified railroad that once connected the region. The agent’s office has a working telegraph display. Tours are available. Call ahead to confirm access. The exhibit area in the depot is typically open from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays from May through September. Cascade Rail Foundation contact: (509) 856-4121.
If you have done the Coal Mines Trail and want more mileage, the Palouse to Cascades section here pairs naturally with it. Both are flat, both are rail-trail conversions, and they connect the area’s industrial history with something you can actually walk.
Visit the Telephone Museum
One thing most people driving through Cle Elum have no idea exists: the oldest complete telephone museum west of the Mississippi is at 221 E 1st Street, one block from Owens Meats.
Cle Elum was one of the last cities in the country to operate a manual telephone switchboard. The museum covers the history of telephone technology from 1876 through 1970, which is a longer and stranger story than you expect. Open Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend noon to 4 PM. Recommended Donation: $4 per person, children 12 & under free. Takes about 45 minutes. The kind of stop that is easy to skip and ends up being the thing you tell people about when you get home.
Hike Red Top Lookout
Red Top is a fire lookout on a ridge above the Teanaway Valley, about 25 miles north of Cle Elum on Forest Road 9738. The trail is about a mile each way with a few hundred feet of gain. Views from the top cover Mount Stuart, Mount Rainier, the Entiat Mountains, and on a clear day Mount Adams.
It is one of the better short-hike-to-big-view ratios in Central Washington. Go on a weekday if you can. The parking area is small and the weekend crowds reflect that.
Hike Cooper River Trail
From the Cooper Lake trailhead, the Cooper River Trail follows its namesake river through old-growth forest for about 4 miles before reaching Cooper Lake. Flat terrain, well-maintained. Good for families. The river section is nice in early summer when snowmelt is running.
Cooper Lake itself is worth the walk. Clear water, mountain backdrop, relatively few people compared to the more-advertised trails off I-90.
Gold Creek Pond
Off exit 54 on I-90, 15 minutes from Cle Elum. Flat, paved loop around a turquoise pond with Kendall Ridge in the background. Genuinely easy. Stroller-friendly, no elevation. The color of the water comes from glacial flour still suspended from the Gold Creek drainage. It looks almost artificial. It is not.
Worth an hour. Not worth a special trip if hiking is your primary goal, but an easy add if you are heading east on I-90 anyway.
The Honest Suncadia Verdict
Suncadia is a full-service resort on the Cle Elum River with golf courses, a spa, lodge accommodations, and access to miles of maintained trails. It is well-run and genuinely nice.
It is also priced like a resort. Rooms run significantly higher than anything in Cle Elum proper. The golf courses require resort access. If you want to stay in the area, have the budget, and want the amenities, Suncadia is a real option. If you are day-tripping or keeping costs reasonable, the public trails in Wenatchee National Forest give you the same hiking without the resort rate. You do not need to book Suncadia to enjoy what makes this area worth visiting.
Where to Eat, Drink, and Shop on E 1st Street
Most of what you want in Cle Elum is on E 1st Street or within a block of it. If you park once and walk, you can cover the bakery, the butcher, the winery, the telephone museum, and lunch without moving the car. That concentration is not an accident. 1st Street is the original commercial core and it has held together better than most small-town main streets have.
MaMa Vallone’s. The anchor. Italian American, family run since 1937. Bagna Cauda first: a cast iron skillet of bubbling olive oil, butter, garlic, and anchovy with vegetables and bread for dragging. Then pasta or steak. This is the meal that justifies the drive. Reservations recommended on weekends.
Orchard. Chef Alex previously ran the kitchen at Portals at Suncadia, Salish Lodge, and Fairmont Olympic. He opened a scratch kitchen on 1st Street in Cle Elum instead. That decision tells you something about where the food is going. Locally sourced American. Hand-made pasta, aged New York strip, seared cod with green curry, hand-crafted sourdough. Dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Brunch on Sunday. Closed Wednesday. Reservations through Exploretock, recommended on weekends.
Upsidedown Wine. A tasting room in a restored 1920s grocery store at 205 E 1st Street. Seth and Audrey Kitzke specialize in Rhône varietals. Low-intervention, made here. Dog-friendly, family-friendly, and 20% of net proceeds go to nonprofit partners. This is not a weekend pop-up; it is a legitimate winery that chose Cle Elum deliberately. Worth an hour on a Saturday afternoon. Open daily. Call ahead for current hours.
Dru Bru. The brewery relocated their flagship from Snoqualmie Pass to Cle Elum proper. Large all-ages taproom, outdoor space, beers brewed on-site. Good if you want a beer before or after dinner without leaving downtown.
Owens Meats. Open since 1887. Two years before Washington was a state, which makes it the oldest continuously operating business in Kittitas County. Beef jerky, smoked sausages, pepperoni sticks, fresh-cut meat. At 502 E 1st Street. Worth stopping in even if you are not stocking a cooler. The jerky and pepperoni sticks travel well.
Cle Elum Bakery. In operation since 1906. The original brick oven has never cooled. It has been running continuously for over 100 years. French bread baked fresh. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 7 AM until they sell out (typically by early afternoon on weekends). Come before 10 AM to be safe. Closed Monday and Tuesday. This is not the kind of thing you want to miss because you showed up at 2 PM.
509 Bake House. Custom cakes and weekend breakfast at 207 E 1st Street. Cupcakes, savory breads, gluten free options. Different product from the Cle Elum Bakery. This is where you go for coffee and something in the morning or for a pastry between stops.
Pioneer Coffee Roasting Company. They roast their own beans. They have their own bakery. Good coffee, good space. Your morning stop before the trail.
Stella’s. Sandwiches, salads, smoothies. In Roslyn near the Coal Mines Trail trailhead. The right call if you are walking between the towns and want lunch on the Roslyn end.
The Brick. Roslyn’s 1889 tavern. The bar came from England. A real working bar, not a museum piece. Have a beer.
When to Go
The best time to find things to do in Cle Elum WA depends on what you’re after.
June through August. Best conditions for hiking. The Cooper River is running well through early summer. Red Top Lookout is reliable. Evenings in Cle Elum are cooler than the Yakima Valley, which is useful if you are escaping summer heat.
Early October. Larch season. The Swauk area and Blewett Pass, about 20 miles north of Cle Elum on Highway 97, have some of the better accessible larch stands in Central Washington. The Swauk Forest Discovery Trail is a 2.5-mile loop with good larch coverage and interpretive signs. Peak color typically runs the first two weeks of October but varies year to year.
Winter. Cle Elum is a practical base for Snoqualmie Pass skiing, 25 minutes west. The town has lodging at significantly lower rates than anything at the pass. If you are doing a ski weekend and want to stay somewhere with actual restaurants, Cle Elum works.
What to skip. Spring mud season. March and April make the forest roads messy and the trails unpredictable. Nothing is closed, but it is not the area at its best.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cle Elum
Is Cle Elum worth visiting?
Yes. Cle Elum plus Roslyn together make a legitimate Saturday. Good food, real hiking, a brewery worth stopping for, and a historic coal mining town that most people in Washington have never actually walked around. It is 90 minutes from Seattle on I-90.
How far is Cle Elum from Seattle?
About 80 miles east on I-90. Drive time is roughly 90 minutes depending on pass traffic.
What is Cle Elum known for?
Coal mining history, access to Wenatchee National Forest trails, and its neighbor Roslyn, which served as the filming location for the TV show Northern Exposure. Also MaMa Vallone’s, which has been feeding people in this valley since 1937.
What is the difference between Cle Elum and Roslyn?
They’re adjacent towns two miles apart. Cle Elum has most of the services and restaurants. Roslyn is the preserved historic coal mining town with the 1889 downtown, The Brick tavern, and the Northern Exposure filming locations. Visit both on the same day.
Is Suncadia Resort worth it?
If you want to stay in the area and have the budget, yes. If you are day-tripping or watching costs, the public trails in Wenatchee National Forest give you the same hiking without the resort rate. You do not need Suncadia to have a good day in Cle Elum.
When is the best time to visit Cle Elum?
Summer for hiking and the river. Early October for larches on Blewett Pass and the Swauk area. Winter if you are using it as a base for Snoqualmie Pass skiing.
What are the best restaurants in Cle Elum?
Orchard for dinner. MaMa Vallone’s for Italian (order the Bagna Cauda, family-run since 1937). Upsidedown Wine for a tasting room afternoon. Cle Elum Bakery for bread from an oven that has never cooled since 1906. Owens Meats for jerky and smoked sausage from the oldest business in Kittitas County.
Can you walk between Cle Elum and Roslyn?
Yes. The Coal Mines Trail is a flat, 3-mile path between the two towns that follows the old railroad grade through former mining land. Easy walk, interesting route.
Most people in Washington State have never stopped in Cle Elum. They drive past it twice a year on the way to somewhere else. That is the kind of place EWS exists for.
Take the exit. Walk the Coal Mines Trail. Order the Bagna Cauda. Go to Roslyn.
It is worth the afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cle Elum WA
Is Cle Elum worth a day trip from Seattle?
Yes. Cle Elum and neighboring Roslyn together make a full day. You have hiking on the Coal Mines Trail and the Palouse to Cascades Trail, craft beer at Dru Bru, some of the best Italian food in Eastern Washington at MaMa Vallone’s, and a historic coal mining town two miles up the road in Roslyn. It is 80 miles east of Seattle and easy to do without an overnight stay.
What is Cle Elum Washington known for?
Cle Elum is known for its coal mining history, access to outdoor recreation along the I-90 corridor, and a food scene that surprises most visitors. Owens Meats is a regional institution for pepperoni and smoked meats. The Cle Elum Bakery has been operating since 1906. Dru Bru Brewery relocated here specifically for the surrounding trails and mountains.
How far is Cle Elum from Seattle?
Cle Elum is about 80 miles east of Seattle on I-90, roughly 80 to 90 minutes depending on traffic over Snoqualmie Pass. It is one of the closest Eastern Washington destinations from the Seattle metro area and requires no ferry or mountain highway detour.
Is Roslyn WA worth visiting?
Absolutely, and it is only two miles from Cle Elum. Roslyn is a former coal mining town best known as the filming location for the TV show Northern Exposure. The Brick Tavern, built in 1889, is one of the oldest continuously operating taverns in Washington State. It is a 10 minute detour most visitors are glad they made.
When is the best time to visit Cle Elum?
Summer and early fall are ideal. The Coal Mines Trail and Palouse to Cascades Trail are fully accessible, the weather east of the Cascades is reliably sunny, and local businesses are running full hours. Winter brings skiers passing through on the way to Snoqualmie Pass but some smaller spots reduce hours. Spring can mean muddy trails but far fewer crowds.
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Founder and editor of Explore Washington State since 2017. A lifelong Washington resident who has lived across Tacoma, Ellensburg, the west side, and now Wenatchee, Scott curates the most comprehensive guide to experiencing Washington State. He also hosts the Exploring Washington State podcast.
