Overview
North Bend is a city in the Puget Sound region of Washington. The city's mountain scenery was made famous as a filming location for the television series Twin Peaks.
2 sights · 7 things to do · 2 places to eat
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about North Bend
Historic McGrath Hotel
The McGrath Hotel is located on the site of the cabin of William Henry Taylor, who platted North Bend in 1889. In 1921, Jack McGrath and his wife Caroline purchased the site of their future venture, McGrath's Café; const…
Snoqualmie Valley Museum
A cozy museum which focuses on the history of the Snoqualmie Valley
Historic North Bend Theatre
The North Bend Theatre has operated as an independent movie theater since 1941. The movie house hosted the opening premier of the David Lynch movie, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
Valley Center Stage Community Theater
Has regular shows featuring classics and comedy.
Mailbox Peak Trailhead
9.4 miles roundtrip, 4,000 feet elevation gain. A steep workout to a rocky peak. At the summit, check the mail at the eponymous mailbox.
Mount Si Trailhead
8 miles roundtrip, 3,200 feet elevation gain. This is a favorite among area hikers, for a heavily-forested workout to an expansive view of Seattle and the Puget Sound region.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 78°F; winter lows dip to about 35°F. Wettest: Nov and Jan. (climate data from nearby Kent)
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.
- BFI King County International Airport - Boeing Field, Seattle — 24 mi away. Directions
- SEA Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Seattle — 25 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Snoqualmie Valley Museum, Historic North Bend Theatre, Valley Center Stage Community Theater
- Lunch Little Si Restaurant and Lounge
- Afternoon Rattlesnake Ledge Trailhead, Historic McGrath Hotel
- Dinner Twede's Cafe
Day 2
- Morning Mailbox Peak Trailhead, Olallie State Park - Twin Falls Trailhead
- Afternoon Mount Si Trailhead, Exit 38 Crags
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
The city was platted as "Snoqualmie" in 1889. The community later became known as Mountain View and finally, due to the location near the bend toward the North of the South Fork River, became the Town of "North Bend". The city was incorporated on March 12, 1909. It has since become a prosperous bedroom community for Seattle and Bellevue.
North Bend became famous in the early 1990s, as the filming location for David Lynch's cult-classic television series Twin Peaks. The steep and rocky Mount Si looms over the northeast edge of town (there is no "twin" peak), the most prominent of many popular hiking areas within several miles of town.
Local information
Get in
By car
- Interstate 90 (I-90) passes along the south edge of town. Exit 31 leads to downtown, and Exits 32 and 34 lead to residential areas and trail access.
By bus
Go King County Metro
Runs bus, streetcar and monorail routes within King County. Serves Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Mercer Island, North Bend, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Tukwila, Vashon Island, White Center, and Woodinville.
Go Trailhead Direct
King Country Metro also operates a bus service from Seattle to some trailheads in the Mount Si area, as well as the Issaquah Alps. This service operates on weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day (May 24th to September 1st for the 2025 season) and standard ORCA fares apply. Trailheads accessible with this route include Mount Si, Mount Teneriffe and Little Si.
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.
See
See Historic McGrath Hotel
The McGrath Hotel is located on the site of the cabin of William Henry Taylor, who platted North Bend in 1889. In 1921, Jack McGrath and his wife Caroline purchased the site of their future venture, McGrath's Café; construction was completed as a one-story restaurant in 1922. In early 1926 the building was expanded two window bays westward, creating the hotel lobby (now the restaurant bar), and a second story was added to the entire structure to accommodate the hotel rooms of the new McGrath Hotel. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first floor houses a popular restaurant, the Iron Duck Public House.
Do
Hiking
North Bend is the closest place from Seattle to access mountains higher than 3,000 feet. The town is surrounded by peaks with hiking trails, as well as lowland trails along the Middle Fork and South Fork Snoqualmie River.
Do Mailbox Peak Trailhead
9.4 miles roundtrip, 4,000 feet elevation gain. A steep workout to a rocky peak. At the summit, check the mail at the eponymous mailbox.
Do Mount Si Trailhead
8 miles roundtrip, 3,200 feet elevation gain. This is a favorite among area hikers, for a heavily-forested workout to an expansive view of Seattle and the Puget Sound region.
Do Olallie State Park - Twin Falls Trailhead
2.4 miles roundtrip, 940 feet elevation gain. A pleasant series of small waterfalls in the thick lowland forest.
Do Rattlesnake Ledge Trailhead (also called Rattlesnake Ridge)
4 miles roundtrip, 1,160 feet elevation gain. The best effort-to-reward hike for views of Seattle and Puget Sound.
Many of these trailheads are in Washington State Parks. State Parks require a pass to park at. The Discover Pass is $11,50 a day, or $50 a year. Order online, buy from an outdoors retailer, or pick up from a kiosk at the entrance to the more popular state parks.
Most other 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).
Climbing
Eat
Eat Little Si Restaurant and Lounge
Best known for gourmet pizzas and pastas, but also offer a variety of sandwiches, burgers, salads, and a wide selection of appetizers.
Eat Twede's Cafe
Filming location for the cult-classic Twin Peaks series, today serves up traditional diner fare.
Go next
- Snoqualmie — a neighbor with the impressive Snoqualmie Falls
- Issaquah — a nearby city with a historic main street and hiking opportunities
- Snoqualmie Pass — the closest ski resort to Seattle
North Bend is on the Mountains to Sound Greenway, connecting to some of the best outdoor recreation in Washington.
Nearby
Snoqualmie
City / town · 16 listings · 3 mi away
Issaquah
City / town · 20 listings · 12 mi away
Snoqualmie Valley
Rural area · 9 listings · 14 mi away
Renton
City / town · 47 listings · 19 mi away
Snoqualmie Pass
City / town · 20 listings · 19 mi away
Redmond
City / town · 31 listings · 20 mi away
Bellevue
City / town · 62 listings · 21 mi away
Mercer Island
City / town · 11 listings · 21 mi away
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