Outside Seattle Is Washington's 'Heart Of The Cascades' City With Outdoor Adventures And Pacific Northwest Charm

Nestled in the Cascades in Central Washington is a town with the perfect mix of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) charm and outdoor activities often found throughout the region. Established in 1902 as a coal mining and logging town, Cle Elum (pronounced klee ehl-uhm) has a distinct look. As you meander down its main street, single and two-story buildings made of wood and brick line both sides, examples of the turn-of-the-century mountain frontier style found throughout Washington and the PNW. While you won't find coal miners and lumberjacks milling around anymore, the town today has top-rated restaurants, breweries, and tasting rooms.

The town is well worth a visit, but — as its motto, "The Heart of the Cascades," suggests — Cle Elum is best known for its access to outdoor activities and the forested landscapes found amongst the Cascades. Nearby, you can hike through forests of fir, pine, and hemlock with wildflowers in the spring, fall foliage, rolling hills, valleys, and lakes. There are also pathways for motorized vehicles and, in the winter, trails are groomed for snowmobiles and skiing. Thanks to its location along the eastern slopes of the Cascade mountain range, Cle Elum gets around 260 days of sunshine. Along with its incredible nature, this makes Cle Elum a great place to spend a few days in the great outdoors. At a little under a 90-minute drive from Seattle, Cle Elum is a solid option for a weekend getaway from the city, or for a rest on your way to the German-themed mountain town of Leavenworth to celebrate Oktoberfest.

According to the City of Cle Elum, the name means "swift water" in the language of the indigenous Kittitas peoples. So it's no surprise that the town sits adjacent to both a river and a lake that share the name. The Cle Elum River is great for rafting and kayaking, with guided trips offered by companies like Rill Adventures. Cle Elum Lake — a 30-minute drive from Kachess Lake, one of Washington's deepest lakes — is a great place to get out on the water. One of the best places to spend the day around the lake is Speelyi Beach, where you can lounge on the sandy shores. Just be aware, the beach can get quite crowded on summer weekends.

Perhaps the best thing to do in and around Cle Elum is hiking. With 400 miles of hiking trails to explore, you'll have no shortage of treks from which to choose. One of the most popular trails is the 4.6-mile Cle Elum Ridge hike via Rocky's Trail, a moderately difficult hike with intersecting trails and steep climbs, but it is not very crowded. Along your hike, you'll pass forests of skyward-reaching pines, and at the top of the ridge, you're rewarded with views of Washington's ethereal Teanaway Community Forest — an emerald green blanket that covers the valley below — as well as the dramatic spires of the Cascades in the distance.

If you're with family or hikers that prefer a slower pace, check out the Coal Mines Trail, an easy 6.3-mile, out-and-back route from Cle Elum to the town of Rosalyn (which stood in for the town of Cicely, Alaska in the 1990s TV drama "Northern Exposure"), so you can grab a coffee at either end of the trail. This trail is well-groomed and flat and takes you through gorgeous forests with wildflowers in the spring and vibrant red and orange foliage in the fall.

Once upon a time, Cle Elum was a mini boom town that was, and still is, a gateway to the West. There were plenty of reasons for pioneering individuals to halt their journey and set down roots, whether it was to become a coal miner, pick up a logging axe, or take a job at the local sawmill, which was once the largest in Eastern Washington. Today, you don't just see remnants of this not-so-distant past, but can easily imagine what life was like at the turn of the century in Washington. The town has preserved much of the architecture from this era, with 20 buildings belonging to the Cle Elum Register of Historic Places.

There is also the Telephone Museum, which is, according to the Mountains to Sound Greenway Heritage Area, "the oldest complete telephone museum west of the Mississippi." Cle Elum was actually one of the last cities in the country to use a manual telephone switchboard, a device operated by a person who physically plugged telephone circuits into specific holes to connect callers. You might even bring home a piece of Cle Elum history with you by visiting Tuckaway Antiques. Here you can easily spend the afternoon scouring the store for vintage clothing finds, treasured knick-knacks, and beautiful wooden furniture.

If you're feeling a bit peckish after a hike or walking around town, Cle Elum has great spots to eat and drink. There is the adorable sandwich shop, Stella's, which looks like a little log house and has plaid wallpaper decorating the interior walls. They have a great selection of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options, with the Roslyn Rider Turkey Club being a favorite among past visitors. For a good locally-made brew, Mule & Elk Brewing makes all your usual suspects, including IPAs, blond ales, stouts, and porters. If beer isn't your style, head to Upsidedown Wine, located in a beautiful brick building that was converted from a 1920s grocery store. The wines are made from grapes grown in the Candy Mountain AVA in the Yakima Valley, less than 100 miles from Cle Elum.