Pierce County, Washington · Seattle & Puget Sound
Buckley
A White River logging town that still throws timber country’s loudest party every June, with Mount Rainier filling the windshield all the way up SR 410.
POPULATION
5,800
INCORPORATED
1890
FROM SEATTLE
About 1 hour
COUNTY
Pierce
KNOWN FOR
Buckley Log Show
GATEWAY TO
Chinook Scenic Byway
Buckley, Washington sits on the plateau above the White River where Puget Sound farmland starts its climb toward Mount Rainier. The town began in the 1870s as Perkins’ Prairie, became White River Siding when the Northern Pacific arrived, took the name of a railroad superintendent in 1888, and incorporated in May 1890. What built it was timber: shingle mills and logging camps fed by the forests that still ring the town. Buckley never forgot that. Every June the Buckley Log Show fills the grounds on River Avenue with ax throwing, log rolling, and tree climbing, two days of competition that double as the town’s family reunion.
The rest of the year, Buckley works as the last real town before SR 410 leaves the lowlands, which makes it the natural staging stop for the Chinook Scenic Byway, Crystal Mountain, and the Sunrise side of Mount Rainier National Park. The Foothills Trail now reaches the White River here, the Foothills Historical Museum keeps the logging era alive for free, and Wally’s Drive-In has been hand dipping shakes for highway travelers for more than two decades. It is the kind of stop on the way to the mountain that turns into the better part of a day.
Getting Here
Buckley sits at the junction of SR 410 and SR 165, about an hour southeast of Seattle. The fastest route from Seattle runs I-5 or SR 167 south to Auburn, then SR 164 through Enumclaw to SR 410. From Tacoma, SR 410 east through Sumner and Bonney Lake reaches Buckley in about 40 minutes. SR 410 continues east from town as the Chinook Scenic Byway toward Greenwater, Crystal Mountain, and Chinook Pass, which closes at the higher elevations each winter. Downtown parking on Main Street is free, and the Log Show grounds and Foothills Trail access sit a few blocks north on River Avenue.
Things to Do
Culture
Catch the Buckley Log Show
The last full weekend of June brings two days of ax throw, choker setting, log rolling, and tree climbing to the grounds on River Avenue, kicked off by a 9:30 am parade down Main Street. It has been the town’s signature event for generations; June 27 and 28 in 2026.
History
Foothills Historical Museum
Free admission and one of the best small logging collections in the state, from springboard axes to mill town photographs, at 130 N River Avenue. The research library opens Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12 to 4.
Outdoors
Hike Mud Mountain Dam’s River and Rim Trails
The Army Corps day use site off SR 410 stacks a zipline playground, wading pool, and picnic shelters above six miles of year round trail along the White River canyon. The main lot runs 9 to 4; park outside the gate for early starts.
Outdoors
Ride the Foothills Trail from the White River
Buckley anchors the eastern end of the Foothills Trail, including the trail bridge over the White River. Ride toward South Prairie and the Carbon River valley with Mount Rainier at your back the whole way home.
Family
Hometown Market on Main Street
Summer market days fill downtown with more than 40 vendors, live music, line dancing, and cornhole on Main. Check the Buckley Downtown Association calendar for this year’s dates.
Scenic
Drive the Chinook Scenic Byway
SR 410 east of Buckley is one of Washington’s great mountain roads, climbing through Greenwater and Federation Forest old growth toward Crystal Mountain and Chinook Pass. Clear days serve Rainier views from the first miles out of town.
History
Tour the IOOF Museum
Buckley is home to the Odd Fellows Grand Lodge of Washington, and its museum at 116 Cedar Street preserves lodge regalia, ceremonial costumes, and fraternal history from across the state. Open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 am to 2 pm; private tours can be arranged through the Grand Lodge office.
“Every June the whine of saws and the thud of axes carries across town, and Buckley remembers exactly what built it.”
Explore Washington State
Where to Stay
Econo Lodge Buckley Bonney Lake
Right on SR 410 east of town with a seasonal outdoor pool, free breakfast, and pet friendly rooms, the practical base for Log Show weekend and byway trips.
Check ratesLOGE Alta Crystal
Up SR 410 near Greenwater, the longtime favorite formerly known as Alta Crystal Resort, with suites and a year round hot tub for Crystal Mountain and Sunrise trips.
Check ratesPlateau vacation rentals
Rental homes around Buckley, Bonney Lake, and Enumclaw put you within a few minutes of SR 410 and the byway.
Browse rentalsFind a Cabin Near Buckley
Find a Cabin Near Buckley
Food & Drink
Wally’s Drive-In on SR 410 is the institution: a scratch kitchen drive in serving hand cut fries, locally sourced burgers, and hand dipped shakes for more than 20 years, open daily. Elk Head Brewing Company pours small batch beers in a taproom that has built one of the most loyal followings in the South Sound. Downtown Main Street keeps a rotating cast of cafes and coffee stops near the historic storefronts, and on summer market days the food vendors on Main are the move.
Festivals & Events
June
Buckley Log Show
Two days of logging sports, vendors, exhibits, and a Main Street parade on the last full weekend of June; June 27 and 28 in 2026. The signature event of the Plateau.
Summer
Buckley Hometown Market
Market days run all summer downtown with more than 40 vendors, live music, and community games hosted by the Buckley Downtown Association.
August
Cornhole on Main
A downtown tournament day that closes out the market season; August 29 in 2026.
December
Holiday Market
The Buckley Downtown Association’s indoor market and tree lighting season closer, typically held in early December.
Day Trips
Enumclaw is five minutes up SR 410 across the White River, with its own restaurant row and the Enumclaw Expo Center. Twenty minutes south on SR 165, the coal era towns of Wilkeson and Carbonado lead toward the Carbon River corner of Mount Rainier National Park; Wilkeson’s sandstone school and beehive coke ovens justify the detour on their own. East on SR 410, Federation Forest State Park protects a rare stand of low elevation old growth on the way to Greenwater, and the Chinook Scenic Byway continues to Crystal Mountain and the Sunrise entrance of the park, roughly an hour from Buckley in summer.
Planning Your Visit
Buckley works year round, but the calendar peaks in late June when the Log Show takes over the last full weekend of the month. Summer Saturdays bring the Hometown Market to Main Street, and July through September is the window for pairing Buckley with the high country up SR 410, when Chinook Pass and Sunrise are open. Winter visits are quieter: the museum, Wally’s, and the Mud Mountain Dam trails, which stay open all year and earn their name in the wet months, so bring boots. Most travelers give Buckley a half day on the way to or from the mountain; Log Show weekend deserves the full two days.
More Buckley on EWS
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Buckley, Washington known for?
Buckley is known for the Buckley Log Show, a June logging sports competition that has run for generations, and for its history as a White River logging and shingle mill town. Today it also serves as the gateway town for the Chinook Scenic Byway and the northeast corner of Mount Rainier National Park.
Is Buckley worth visiting?
Yes, especially as more than a highway stop. The Foothills Historical Museum is free, Mud Mountain Dam hides six miles of river canyon trail, Wally’s Drive-In earns its line, and Log Show weekend in late June is one of the most distinctive small town festivals in the state.
How do you get to Buckley, Washington?
Buckley sits at the junction of SR 410 and SR 165, about an hour from Seattle via Auburn and Enumclaw, and about 40 minutes from Tacoma on SR 410 through Sumner and Bonney Lake.
What is the Buckley Log Show?
A two day logging sports festival held the last full weekend of June, featuring ax throw, choker setting, log rolling, tree climbing, a parade, and vendors. It honors the timber industry that built the town and draws competitors from across the Northwest.
How many people live in Buckley?
About 5,800 people by recent estimates, up from 5,114 at the 2020 census, as the Plateau has become one of Pierce County’s steadier growth areas.
When is the best time to visit Buckley?
Late June for the Log Show, or July through September when the Hometown Market runs downtown and Chinook Pass and Sunrise are open for byway day trips. The museum and Mud Mountain Dam trails hold up year round.