⛰️+ ☀️ Enjoying the Mountains East of Seattle
A guidebook to a classic PNW summer weekend
This week’s post is a break from our career & product making stories - instead, you are getting a passion post! One of the things that keeps our family firmly rooted in the Pacific Northwest is how close nature is to the urban core. South is Mt. Rainer. North is the mountains of Canada. West is the Olympic Peninsula and the San Juan Islands. And to the east is our personal favorite - the Cascade Mountains, the Wenatchee Valley, and the Columbia River.
We are lucky enough to have a cabin in this area of the world and have spent 10 years exploring the area. Whether you are visiting Seattle and looking to experience the forest and natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) or if you are a local just looking for a long weekend plan for the summer, here’s some hidden gems and top tips.
US-2: The Drive Out
There are two East/West corridors between Seattle and the Cascades - the I-90 and the US-2. The US-2 goes through Stevens Pass (a winter ski resort that offers summer mountain biking) and is the focus of the tips here.
Favorite hikes: Lake Serene and Heybrook Lookout. There are dozens of state parks and hiking trails on the US-2, but these two give the best taste of what the PNW has to offer. Lake Serene is a serious half-day/full-day hike to an alpine lake (bring a swimsuit!) with one of the state’s largest waterfalls along the way. Heybrook is a short 1.9-mile hike to a classic fire watch tower (which you can climb for an even better view!).
Favorite coffee stop: Fun fact - the classic 80’s movie about Bigfoot Harry and the Hendersons was filmed in the Cascade mountains and this fun and quirky coffee stand in Index, WA pays homage to it. I recommend the home-made cookies in the shape of bigfoot’s footprint (with M&M’s for toenails). You can see the waterfall that is part of the Lake Serene hike from here.
Favorite drive-ins: 59’er Diner is our family favorite for roadside burgers, fries, and shakes. The place burned down about five years ago (grease fire!) but they are back up and running again.
Favorite kids-stretch-their-legs: The Great Northern & Cascade Railway operates free model train rides on weekends during the summer from 10-4. A ride takes about 5 minutes.
Favorite river access spots: As various rivers snake underneath the roadway, you’ll be tempted to want to get out and see them. The safest place to do so is Big Eddy Public Access. The most popular is Eagle Falls, with some unique rock formations to explore (and a rope swing into the river). But parking is dicey and roadside-dangerous at Eagle Falls, so it’s discouraged. In general, be careful around any water access - people die every year, not being aware of just how cold and swift the water is.
Home Base: Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee
For a long weekend trip, staying in Leavenworth or 20 minutes closer to Seattle in or near Lake Wenatchee/Plain is a good base of operations. Leavenworth is a Bavarian-themed village with plenty of shops, restaurants, and hotels dedicated to tourists. Staying near Plain/North Shore of Lake Wenatchee/Chiwawa Pines areas is more of a forest-feel and is less touristy (but with less infrastructure - the Safeway grocery store is 30 minutes away). If looking to stay at a resort, the Post hotel is first-class for non-families and the Sleeping Lady is your typical PNW resort (and although it was sold recently, the previous owners were big time sponsors of the entire community).
More hiking: Hidden Lake is the most popular short-course trail and often called “the perfect hike for young kids.” However, Dirty Face Peak is an alternative option. The path to the summit is intense and a full day (4K elevation gain), but for a good family friendly 2-hr hike, start on the trail and turn around at the first waterfall.
Beach day: Lake Wenatchee State Park provides a taste of what a beach day at a lake in the PNW can be like. During the summer, they provide paddleboard and kayak rentals and a dedicated area for swimming. Avoid going on a windy day and know that parking on the weekend can be hard.
Best view: If you have a 4-wheel drive or AWD vehicle, you can drive 90% of the way to another famous fire watch tower called Sugar Loaf Peak. Take the route from the south that turns off Eagle Creek Rd (I tried once from the northern route and had to turn around). After about a dozen miles of forest service roads, you can park at a gate and walk the remaining half a mile to the lookout.
Other things to do: Tubing or light rafting is a favorite of our family. If you are new to the area, the official outfits in Leavenworth are your best bet and they will provide full service transport for tubing or, if rafting, the boats and guides. If you are comfortable tubing yourself, try the State Hatchery put-in on Icicle Creek to downtown Leavenworth. Or, if you have a local to take you, consider the ride from the headwaters of Lake Wenatchee to Plain’s main bridge - which is our family favorite.
Places to eat: Leavenworth has many tourist-focused restaurants and too many to name here. Perfect for a family meal or if you are looking for a nice German sausage. If you are looking for higher end food, the best farm-to-table in town is called Watershed. Also, Prusik recently opened and is a step ahead of the typical town fair. For dessert, the Gingerbread Factory is our favorite.
Keep Going: Wenatchee and Chelan
It’s worth doing a day trip or an overnight farther afield than just the Cascade foothills. The drive, an hour from Leavenworth, to Lake Chelan for instance gets you exposed to the Wenatchee Valley (apple orchards abound) and a very pretty view up the Columbia River. You can stop along the way at Rocky Reach Dam to stretch your legs and take in various exhibitions on hydro power and see the salmon ladder. Three destinations and activities in this direction:
Water park: Slidewaters is a classic small-town American waterpark and a favorite of our family from ages 4-10+.
Boat on the lake: About once a year, we rent a pontoon boat from Chelan Parasail and Watersport - and it’s always a great way to explore the lake. While too slow for water skiing, it’s perfect to tow a tube behind for lots of family fun. Rent during the morning - the lake gets windy and choppy in the afternoon.
Garden walk: For a view of the Wenatchee city/valley and a bit of a quirky pit stop, try a walk through Ohme Gardens. Our kids like looking for the hidden garden fairies.
Heading Home
Consider taking the I-90 homeward to make the drive home different than the drive there - and watch out for Sunday afternoon traffic (ideally head home on a weekday).
There aren’t many places in the world that offer this much great alpine nature this close to a major population center and it’s become an incredibly special place for our family. Enjoy!