North Central Washington
Updated October 3, 2026
North Central Washington runs from the east slope of the Cascades across the Columbia River to the coulees of Grant County, and north through the Methow and Okanogan valleys to the Canadian border. It is orchard country, lake country and the sunny side of the mountains.
4 counties: Chelan · Douglas · Grant · Okanogan
See all six regions on the map
Four counties make up the region on the state road map: Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan. That puts Wenatchee, Leavenworth and Moses Lake in the same region as Lake Chelan, the Methow Valley and Grand Coulee Dam.
Use this page as the index. If you know where you are headed, start with a town guide. If you are going somewhere smaller, scroll down to the towns without a guide of their own, where every coffee shop, market, museum, golf course and local business we list is filed under its town.
What North Central Washington is known for
Leavenworth
A Bavarian themed village in the Cascade foothills, busiest for Oktoberfest and the Christmas lights, with river trails and the Enchantments right outside town.
Leavenworth town guideLake Chelan and Stehekin
A long, deep glacier lake running into the North Cascades. Stehekin at the far end has no road in, so you arrive by boat, plane or on foot.
Visit StehekinThe Methow Valley
Winthrop’s western storefronts, Twisp’s galleries and one of the biggest cross country ski trail networks in the country.
Take a trip to TwispGrand Coulee Dam
The largest hydropower producer in the country, with a laser light show on the dam on summer nights.
Visit Grand Coulee DamDry Falls
The cliffs of what was once a giant waterfall, carved by the Ice Age floods. The visitor center sits right on the edge.
Sun Lakes Dry Falls State ParkWenatchee
The apple capital, on the Columbia with a riverfront trail loop and Ohme Gardens on the bluff above town.
Visit Ohme GardensThe Okanogan Highlands
Quiet high country east of Tonasket, with meadows, small lakes and long views north to Canada.
Hear about Bonaparte MeadowsWhen to go
Spring
Apple and cherry blossoms in the Wenatchee Valley and wildflowers on the hills above town.
Summer
Lake Chelan at its best, the Grand Coulee laser show and long dry days. Watch for smoke and fire closures late in the summer.
Fall
Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, harvest season in the orchards and larches turning gold in the high country.
Winter
Christmas lights in Leavenworth, cross country skiing in the Methow and downhill at Mission Ridge.
Getting around
- By car: US 2 crosses Stevens Pass to Leavenworth and Wenatchee. US 97 runs north through the Okanogan, I-90 crosses Grant County through George and Moses Lake, and SR 20 crosses the North Cascades to Winthrop when it is open.
- By air: Pangborn Memorial Airport in East Wenatchee has flights to Seattle.
- By train: Amtrak’s Empire Builder stops in Leavenworth, Wenatchee and Ephrata.
- By boat: The Lady of the Lake runs up Lake Chelan to Stehekin.
- Before you go: fire season, smoke and the winter closure of the North Cascades Highway change plans here. Check our conditions page first.
North Central Washington town guides
Lake Chelan
A 55-mile glacially carved lake, more than 30 wineries, and a boat ride to a roadless community in the North…
17 listings in our directories
Leavenworth
A former logging town that reinvented itself as a Bavarian village in the Cascades, Leavenworth draws…
28 listings in our directories
Moses Lake
Twenty-five miles of freshwater shoreline, sand dunes stretching more than 3,000 acres, and over 300 sunny…
2 listings in our directories
Twisp
Where the Methow and Twisp rivers meet, where Blue Star Coffee roasts, makers make, and smokejumpers train.
8 listings in our directories
Wenatchee
Wenatchee grows Washington's apples, launched the first transpacific flight, and built a riverside trail that…
17 listings in our directories
Winthrop
A western-themed town of 415 people that draws 200,000 visitors a year. The Methow Valley puts 200 kilometers…
13 listings in our directories
Locals on the podcast
Conversations from the Exploring Washington State Podcast with people who live here.
- Connor Gross’s Wenatchee: the valley from someone who grew up in it.
- Growing up in Leavenworth: what the village is like when you live there.
- Chris Voigt’s Moses Lake: the Columbia Basin from a local.
- Twisp and the Methow Valley with Juliet Kennedy: fire lookouts, art walks and more.
- Inside Lake Chelan State Park: a thousand campers a night.
- Brian Alley and the Winthrop folk festival: how a music festival happens in a small town.
Small towns in North Central Washington
These towns do not have a full guide yet. Everything we list in each one is right here, grouped by county.
Chelan County
Cashmere
- Anjou Bakery Local business
- Brassbound Collective Local business
- Colchuck Consignment Local business
- Gaucho Coffee Co. Local business
- HoneyHour Market Local business
- Yonder Cider Co. Yonder East Taproom Local business
- Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village Museum
- Cashmere Community Farmers Market Farmers market
Entiat
- Entiat Historical Museum Museum
Douglas County
Bridgeport
- Bridgeport City Hall Museum
Coulee Dam
East Wenatchee
- Roy Tedford Park Disc Golf Disc golf course
- Wenatchee Golf and Country Club Golf course
Mansfield
- Mansfield Museum Museum
Rock Island
- Rock Island Golf Course Golf course
Waterville
- Douglas County Museum Museum
Grant County
Beverly
Coulee City
- Dry Falls Visitor Center Museum
Desert Aire
- Desert Aire Golf Club Golf course
Electric City
- Coulee Pioneer Museum Museum
Ephrata
Marine View
- The Legacy Golf Course Golf course
Mattawa
- Wanapum Heritage Center Museum
Quincy
- Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum Museum
- Colockum Ridge Golf Course Golf course
Royal City
- Royal City Golf Course and RV Park Golf course
Soap Lake
- Lakeview Golf & Country Club Golf course
- Lava Links Executive Golf Course Golf course
Okanogan County
Brewster
Conconully
- Conconully Museum Museum
Molson
- Molson School House Museum Museum
Okanogan
- Okanogan County Historical Museum Museum
- Okanogan Fire Hall Museum Museum
- Okanogan Valley Farmers Market Farmers market
- Omak Farmers Market Farmers market
Oroville
- Okanogan Borderlands Historical Society Museum
- Oroville Farmers Market Farmers market
Pateros
- Pateros Museum Museum
Tonasket
- Tonasket Farmers Market Farmers market
Coffee roasters in North Central Washington
Shops in our coffee directory that roast their own beans.
North Central Washington state parks and rest areas
Parking at a Washington State Park needs a Discover Pass: $45 a year or $10 a day. How the Discover Pass works and where to buy it.
State parks (16)
- Alta Lake State Park
- Beebe Bridge State Park
- Bridgeport State Park
- Conconully State Park
- Daroga State Park
- Lake Chelan State Park
- Lake Wenatchee State Park
- Lincoln Rock State Park
- Pearrygin Lake State Park
- Peshastin Pinnacles State Park
- Potholes State Park
- Squilchuck State Park
- Steamboat Rock State Park
- Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park
- Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park
- Wenatchee Confluence State Park
Rest areas (5)
- Blue Lake Rest Area SR 17 Multidirectional
- Nason Creek Rest Area US 2 Multidirectional
- Quincy Valley Rest Area SR 28 Multidirectional
- Winchester Rest Area I-90 Eastbound
- Winchester Rest Area I-90 Westbound
Everything we list in North Central Washington
- 73 local businesses
- 3 coffee shops
- 29 museums
- 19 golf courses
- 9 farmers markets
- 16 state parks
- 5 rest areas
Read next
A Girls Trip To Leavenworth
A Fall Weekend in Lake Chelan
Fishing Patterson Lake In Methow Valley
Winter in the Wild West
Hiking Saddle Rock in Wenatchee
Big Treasure at Coulee City Community ParkQuestions people ask
What counties are in North Central Washington?
Four: Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan. That is the state road map, which every listing on Explore Washington State uses to find its region.
What are the biggest cities in North Central Washington?
Wenatchee is the largest, with Moses Lake and East Wenatchee next. Leavenworth, Chelan and Omak are smaller but draw a lot of visitors.
Is Leavenworth in North Central Washington?
Yes. Leavenworth is in Chelan County, about half an hour from Wenatchee.
Is Ellensburg in North Central Washington?
No. Ellensburg is in Kittitas County, which the state map puts in South Central Washington along with Yakima and the Tri-Cities.
Which small towns in North Central Washington are worth a stop?
Cashmere, Twisp, Pateros, Coulee City and Soap Lake are good places to start. The small towns section above lists every town we cover that does not have its own guide yet.
Do I need a pass to visit the parks here?
Washington State Parks need a Discover Pass. Trailheads on national forest land often need a federal pass instead.
Counties
Chelan County · Douglas County · Grant County · Okanogan County
Explore Washington's other regions
- Northwest Washington
- Olympic Peninsula and South Sound
- Southwest Washington
- South Central Washington
- Eastern Washington
Region boundaries come from the Washington State Department of Transportation, and every listing gets its region from its county. See how the six regions work.
- About the Author
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Explore Washington State has been covering the real Washington for more than a decade. State parks, small towns, back roads, rest stops, and the people who make this place worth exploring. What started as a hyperlocal project covering individual communities grew into a full media project with more than 340 podcast episodes, a weekly newsletter with over 5,700 subscribers, and coverage of all 146 Washington State Parks. The content here comes from people who have actually been to these places: locals, regulars, and lifelong Washington residents who care more about getting it right than getting clicks.