Kittitas County, Washington · North Central

Cle Elum

The I-90 mountain town where the Cascades open up and two hours from Seattle feels like a different state.

Plan Your Visit

Cle Elum sits at the eastern gateway to the Cascade Mountains on Interstate 90, a small city of around 2,000 people that punches above its weight in outdoor recreation, historic character, and geographic range. The Yakima River runs through town. Cle Elum Lake and Lake Kachess offer swimming and camping within 15 minutes of the main street. The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail gives cyclists and hikers a 113-mile converted rail trail stretching from North Bend to the Columbia River. Snoqualmie Pass is 20 miles west.

Roslyn, the historic coal mining town that stood in for Cicely, Alaska on the television series Northern Exposure, is two miles north. Suncadia Resort sits just outside town and draws visitors who want mountain access with lodge amenities. But Cle Elum also rewards independent travelers who simply pull off Interstate 90, walk into Owens Meats for a smoked sausage made the same way since 1887, and realize they have stumbled into something worth slowing down for.

Getting Here

Cle Elum is on Interstate 90 at Exit 85, about 85 miles east of Seattle. The drive takes roughly 90 minutes under normal conditions. No public transit serves Cle Elum directly. From the east, Ellensburg is 30 minutes down Interstate 90. Snoqualmie Pass (Exit 52) is 20 miles west and closes periodically in winter storms.

Things to Do

Hiking

Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail

The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail is a converted rail corridor stretching 113 miles across Washington, giving cyclists and hikers a traffic free route through tunnels, over trestles, and along the Yakima River. The most dramatic section near Cle Elum passes through a tunnel measuring 2,200 feet long, cut through solid granite in the 1880s.

Water

Cle Elum Lake

Four miles long and 4,200 acres, Cle Elum Lake is the closest swimming and camping destination to downtown. Wish Poosh Campground on the southern shore puts you directly on the water with boat access, fire rings, and mountain views in every direction.

Camping

Lake Kachess

A few miles north of Cle Elum Lake and sitting at a higher elevation, Lake Kachess has a more remote feel than its neighbor. Kachess Campground is one of the better Forest Service camps on the Interstate 90 corridor, with trail access up Kachess Ridge above the shoreline.

History

Roslyn

Two miles north of Cle Elum, Roslyn is a former coal mining town that served as the filming location for the television series Northern Exposure. The historic main street, 26 ethnic cemeteries on the hillside above town, and the Coal Mine Trail make it one of the most layered small towns in central Washington.

Mountain

Snoqualmie Pass

Twenty miles west on Interstate 90, Snoqualmie Pass is the closest ski destination to Seattle with four ski areas operating at the same summit. In summer the same access road becomes a trailhead for Mount Catherine, Twin Lakes, and the Pacific Crest Trail.

Scenic

Change Creek Trestle

One of the most photographed features on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail, the Change Creek trestle carries the trail over a deep canyon near Cle Elum. On a bike or on foot, crossing it gives a sense of the railroad engineering that opened up the eastern Cascades in the 1880s.

Resort

Suncadia Resort

A full service mountain resort on 6,300 acres just outside town, Suncadia offers two championship golf courses, a spa, multiple restaurants, and 40 miles of trails on the property. It draws visitors who want mountain access with lodge amenities and operates year round.

“The Iron Horse Trail passes through a tunnel measuring 2,200 feet long, cut through solid granite in the 1880s. You walk in one side and come out somewhere that feels completely different.”
Explore Washington State

Food & Drink

Owens Meats on East First Street has been smoking sausages and curing meats since 1887. The current owners maintain the same recipes, and the smoked pepperoni and beef jerky are what regulars drive across the state for. The Cle Elum Bakery, open since 1906, is the other mandatory stop. For a full meal, a cluster of restaurants along First Street serves the resort and recreation crowd with options from pizza to a proper sit-down dinner.

Day Trips

Ellensburg is 28 miles east on Interstate 90 and worth an afternoon for its restored downtown and Kittitas County Historical Museum. Leavenworth is about 45 miles northeast over Blewett Pass, an easier drive in summer than it looks on a map. Yakima is 60 miles southeast and opens up wine country on the return leg. Seattle is 85 miles west and reachable in 90 minutes under normal traffic conditions.

Planning Your Visit

Summer (June through September) is peak season for lake access and trail use. Cle Elum Lake opens for swimming in late June when snowmelt slows. The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail is best in late spring (May) and fall (September and October) when temperatures are cooler and crowds thinner. Winter transforms the area into a ski and snowshoe corridor with Snoqualmie Pass ski areas 20 miles west. Suncadia stays open year round. Roslyn is worth visiting any month.