Cle Elum
Discover Cle Elum
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. Interstate 90 (I-90) passes through town. Seattle is 85 mi (137 km) 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 (32 km) east.
What to Experience in Cle Elum
Taste of Cle Elum...
Not available
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsInterstate 90 (I-90) passes through town. Seattle is 85 mi (137 km) 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 (32 km) 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. 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. Cle Elum is well-situated between several popular hiking areas. Most trailheads in the Cascades are regulated by the U.S. Forest Service....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting 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. 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. 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.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Cle Elum
a wooden fence on a grassy hillside with mountains in the background
Cabin in the woods
brown rocky mountain under blue sky during daytime
Cabin in the woods
Sky and Pond
The sun setting over a smoke-filled sky in Washington
A truck driving down a highway with mountains in the background
Below the snow
Cold day in the mountains
flock of birds flying over brown mountain during daytime
a wooden fence on a grassy hillside with mountains in the background
Cabin in the woods
brown rocky mountain under blue sky during daytime