Overview
Cle Elum is a city in the North Central Cascades of Washington State. This sawmill and railroad town is a popular base for outdoor recreation. This article also includes the neighboring town of Roslyn, a coal-mining company town that retained enough charm through the years to become an occasional filming location. It was most prominently used for the 90's TV sitcom Northern Exposure.
1 sights · 4 things to do · 2 places to eat · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Cle Elum
Lake Easton State Park
In the eastern Cascade foothills with 24,000 ft of shoreline on Lake Easton. Park activities include picnicking, camping, hiking, mountain biking, boating, fishing, swimming, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, wildlife …
Cle Elum Telephone Museum
Located in the site of an old Northwest Bell manual switchboard, this tiny building contains exhibits of telephone technology from 1901 to 1975. A highlight is a section of the actual manual switchboard, with cords, plug…
Suncadia Resort
Golf.
Lake Ingalls Trailhead
9 miles roundtrip, 2,500 feet elevation gain. A rocky alpine lake beneath Ingalls Peak and Mount Stuart, the tallest peak in the region. Especially popular for fall larch colors.
Swauk Forest Discovery Trail
2.5 miles roundtrip, 660 feet elevation gain. Interpretive trail interspersed with signs describing the surrounding ecosystem.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 87°F; winter lows dip to about 19°F. Cold months (Jan, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Dec and Jan. (climate data from nearby Leavenworth)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- EAT Pangborn Memorial Airport, Wenatchee — 38 mi away. Directions
- YKM Yakima Air Terminal McAllister Field, Yakima — 49 mi away. Directions
- SEA Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Seattle — 65 mi away (major hub). Directions
Interstate 90 (I-90) passes through town. Seattle is 85 mi west, over Snoqualmie Pass. Without traffic, the drive can be made in about an hour and a half, though the highway can back up on busy weekends, and the pass can close during winter storms. Ellensburg is 20 mi east.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Cle Elum Telephone Museum, Lake Ingalls Trailhead, Swauk Forest Discovery Trail
- Lunch Mama Vallone's Steak House
- Afternoon Lake Easton State Park, Suncadia Resort
- Dinner Cottage Cafe
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Visitor information
Get in
By car
Interstate 90 (I-90) passes through town. Seattle is 85 mi west, over Snoqualmie Pass. Without traffic, the drive can be made in about an hour and a half, though the highway can back up on busy weekends, and the pass can close during winter storms. Ellensburg is 20 mi east.
State Route 970 (WA-970) connects to US-97, over Blewett Pass to Leavenworth and Wenatchee.
In the winter, there is usually snow on the ground. Having snow tires is the best, but chains are always a good thing to have in the mountains, and sometimes you need them to cross Snoqualmie Pass.
By public transit
Go Kittitas County Connector
Offers rides between Kittitas, Ellensburg, Cle Elum, Ronald and Roslyn.
By bike
Go Palouse to Cascades Trail
A popular gravel multi-use trail that starts just outside of North Bend, and follows a former railroad grade along the south side of I-90 east all the way to Idaho. The trail runs through South Cle Elum.
Get around
You really need a car. A small town of less than 1800, there is no public transportation and in the east end of town not even any sidewalks. A bike can work, but getting out of town there are lots of hills and the weather can change really quickly.
See
See Cle Elum Telephone Museum
Located in the site of an old Northwest Bell manual switchboard, this tiny building contains exhibits of telephone technology from 1901 to 1975. A highlight is a section of the actual manual switchboard, with cords, plugs, and operator headset. There is a working automated rotary switch in a glass case with a phone. You can dial a number and watch the switch connect. Plus some relics from early 20th century local industry, such as coal mining, insurance, and banking.
Do
Hiking
Cle Elum is well-situated between several popular hiking areas.
Most trailheads in the Cascades are regulated by the U.S. Forest Service. You're free to get out and look around for a few minutes, but if you plan to hike or camp, you need a federal parking pass on each vehicle. You can pick up a pass at any ranger station or National Park Service visitor center.
- United States Interagency Annual Pass ($80 online, valid for unlimited use at all United States National Parks, National Forests, and National Monuments for one year)
- Northwest Forest Pass ($30 online, valid for unlimited use at all United States National Forests in the states of Washington and Oregon for one year)
- National Forest Recreation Day Pass ($5 online and valid on one self-selected day only).
Salmon La Sac
WA-903 up through Roslyn, past Cle Elum Lake, and up the Salmon La Sac River is the furthest into the mountains from I-90 you can drive without a 4x4 vehicle. Trailheads towards the end of the road connect to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and the Pacific Crest Trail.
The Teanaway
Teanaway Road leads into the rolling hills behind Cle Elum, dominated by sandstones that are relatively uncommon elsewhere in the volcanic Cascades. The Teanaway Community Forest protects much of the streams and hills, and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness extends over the more rugged terrain to the north.
Do Lake Ingalls Trailhead
9 miles roundtrip, 2,500 feet elevation gain. A rocky alpine lake beneath Ingalls Peak and Mount Stuart, the tallest peak in the region. Especially popular for fall larch colors.
Blewett Pass
US-97 cuts through a geologically and ecologically diverse region, where three distinct formations - Teanaway, Alpine Lakes, Enchantments - all come to meet.
Do Swauk Forest Discovery Trail
2.5 miles roundtrip, 660 feet elevation gain. Interpretive trail interspersed with signs describing the surrounding ecosystem.
Buy
Eat
Eat Mama Vallone's Steak House
By far one of the best Italian restaurants in Washington. Also a wonderful steakhouse (prime rib to die for). The bagna cauda is one of the most amazing dishes. But be careful, as there is lots of olive oil and butter in the dish and so much garlic you will still smell it 2 days later.
Eat Cottage Cafe
24 hour truck stop. Good food, large portions, a little expensive for basic Americana, but great at midnight after a night out. Excellent homemade pies.
Sleep
Go next
- Ellensburg — a home for both college students and cowboys
- Leavenworth — the "Bavarian" village nestled in the mountains
- Snoqualmie Pass — a major ski resort and base for outdoor recreation
- Wenatchee — bills itself as the "Apple Capital of the World"
Cle Elum is on the Mountains to Sound Greenway.
Nearby
Snoqualmie Pass
City / town · 20 listings · 24 mi away
Ellensburg
City / town · 47 listings · 25 mi away
Leavenworth
City / town · 66 listings · 30 mi away
Cashmere
City / town · 4 listings · 31 mi away
Greenwater
City / town · 6 listings · 31 mi away
Wenatchee
City / town · 27 listings · 33 mi away
East Wenatchee
City / town · 5 listings · 35 mi away
Stevens Pass
City / town · 5 listings · 37 mi away
My experience
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