Cle Elum Hiking Trails

The Cle Elum area has 90+ hiking trailheads across upper Kittitas County, from the Teanaway Community Forest and Salmon La Sac corridor to the Kachess Lake basin and Blewett Pass. Difficulty ranges from flat, family-friendly walks like the Coal Mines Trail and Cooper River Trail to strenuous alpine routes like Rachel Lake and Longs Pass in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

This directory covers hiking trailheads near Cle Elum, Roslyn, and Easton — organized by area to help you find the right trail.

Cle Elum, Roslyn & Coal Mines Trails

This section covers trails accessible directly from Cle Elum, Roslyn, and South Cle Elum, including the flat Coal Mines Trail connecting all three towns, the Roslyn Urban Forest trail network, the Palouse to Cascades rail-trail corridor, and Peoh Point for panoramic views of the Kittitas Valley.

Teanaway Area Trails

The Teanaway area holds 24 trailheads spread along the North, Middle, and West Fork Teanaway River valleys, ranging from easy valley walks and the Teanaway Community Forest to challenging ridge routes including Hex Mountain, Iron Bear, Beverly Turnpike, and Teanaway Peak.

  • Middle Fork Teanaway River Trail — Hiking Area
  • Stafford Creek Trailhead — Hiking Area
  • Iron Creek Trailhead — Hiking Area. Trail is in great shape
  • Teanaway Ridge Trail #1364 — Hiking Area
  • Teanaway Community Forest — National Forest. Many trails and service roads to explore
  • Bean Creek Trailhead — Hiking Area. The trail starts off pretty easy and gradually gets more difficult
  • DeRoux Trailhead — Hiking Area
  • Iron Bear Trail #1351 — Hiking Area
  • Blazed Ridge Trail #1333 — Hiking Area
  • Hex Mountain Trailhead — Hiking Area
  • Miller-Bear Trailhead — Hiking Area
  • Cheese Rock Trail — State Forest. Easy 3.2-mile trail in Teanaway Community Forest with views of Mount Stuart, Bible Rock, and the Enchantments
  • Beverly Turnpike — Hiking Area. Historic route through the Teanaway providing access to alpine terrain and sweeping ridge views
  • West Fork Teanaway River Trail — National Forest. Scenic valley trail along the West Fork of the Teanaway River through open meadows and forest
  • North Fork Teanaway River Trail — National Forest. Trail through the North Fork Teanaway valley with access to several high country routes and destinations
  • Mary’s Peak — Hiking Area. Teanaway ridgeline summit with broad views of the Stuart Range and surrounding high country
  • Baldy Mountain — Hiking Area. Open ridge walking in the Teanaway with mountain views and less foot traffic than neighboring trails
  • Lake Michael — Hiking Area. Quiet backcountry lake in the Teanaway area, less traveled than neighboring destinations
  • Teanaway Peak / Gene’s Peak — Hiking Area. Accessible ridgeline in the Teanaway with views of the Stuart Range and surrounding peaks
  • Fourth Creek Trail — National Forest. Less-traveled trail accessing upper Teanaway country above the main valley floor
  • Trail Creek Trail — National Forest. Moderate Teanaway connector trail linking valley floor routes to higher alpine terrain
  • Johnson Mountain — Hiking Area. Off-trail peak in the Teanaway with views across the upper Yakima Basin and surrounding ridges
  • Jack Creek Snowshoe — Hiking Area. Popular winter snowshoe route through the Teanaway valley; also accessible as a summer hike
  • Navaho Peak — Hiking Area. Less-traveled summit above the Navaho Pass area with open views across the Teanaway

Salmon La Sac & Upper Cle Elum River

The Salmon La Sac corridor, reached via Highway 903 north of Roslyn, holds the highest concentration of alpine trailheads in Kittitas County, including Rachel Lake, Cathedral Rock, Pete Lake, Jolly Mountain, and Hyas Lake, with multiple entry points into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

  • Salmon La Sac Trailhead — Hiking Area. Lots of horses/riders on the trail
  • Rachel Lake Trailhead — Hiking Area. Trail with lots of roots and rocks
  • Navaho Pass Trailhead — Hiking Area. Great hiking trail
  • Iron Peak Trailhead — Hiking Area
  • Standup Lake Trailhead — Hiking Area
  • South Fork Meadow Trailhead — Hiking Area
  • Pete Lake Trailhead — Hiking Area. Stick to the eastern part of the state for trash free, uncrowded trails
  • Esmeralda Trailhead — Hiking Area. There are several different trail options and offshoots
  • Sasse Mountain Trail #1340 — Hiking Area
  • Camp Creek Trail #4w305 — Hiking Area
  • Jungle Creek Trail #1383.1 — Hiking Area
  • Johnson Medra Trailhead — Hiking Area. The trail is great!
  • Mirror Lake Trailhead — Hiking Area. Very nice trail to Mirror Lake, surrounded by pine trees.
  • Cathedral Rock Trailhead — Hiking Area
  • Rampart Ridge Backdoor — Hiking Area. Access to many lakes, ridges, summits
  • Jolly Mountain — Hiking Area. Vigorous climb to a panoramic ridgeline summit with views of the Enchantments, Alpine Lakes, Glacier Peak, and Mount Rainier
  • Hyas Lake — Hiking Area. Peaceful hike to a subalpine lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness near Salmon La Sac
  • Longs Pass — Hiking Area. Strenuous hike to an alpine pass with views of the Enchantments and Lake Ingalls
  • Cooper River Trail — Hiking Area. Easy walk through old-growth forest along the Cooper River near Salmon La Sac
  • Koppen Mountain — Hiking Area. Challenging hike with views of the Salmon La Sac basin and surrounding Alpine Lakes Wilderness
  • Davis Peak — Hiking Area. Strenuous hike to a rugged summit above the Cle Elum River drainage with wide Cascade views
  • Salmon Viewing Trail — Hiking Area. Short accessible trail along the Cle Elum River for watching spawning salmon during fall season
  • Middle Creek Trail — Hiking Area. Quiet trail near Salmon La Sac accessing the Middle Creek drainage, lightly trafficked
  • Silver Creek Tie Trail — National Forest. Connector trail in the Salmon La Sac region linking valley and high-country routes
  • French Cabin Creek Trail — Hiking Area. Forested trail along French Cabin Creek in the Salmon La Sac area
  • Wilson Creek Trail — Hiking Area. Remote trail in the upper Kittitas drainage, lightly trafficked with a quiet backcountry feel
  • Standup Creek Trail — Hiking Area. Trail into the Standup Creek drainage in the Salmon La Sac area, connecting to higher Teanaway routes

Red Top, Swauk & Blewett Pass

The Red Top and Blewett Pass area, along Highway 97 north of Cle Elum, offers volcanic rock formations, panoramic views from Red Top Lookout, and the Swauk Forest Discovery Trail — one of the most accessible snowshoe and winter hiking routes in upper Kittitas County.

Kachess Lake, Easton & Gold Creek

The Kachess Lake and Easton area, accessible via I-90, ranges from the flat Lake Easton State Park loop and the Gold Creek Snowshoe Trail in winter to the challenging Kachess Ridge, Lake Ingalls, and Thorp Mountain Lookout above the lake basin.

Taneum, Manastash & Naneum

South and east of Cle Elum, the Taneum, Manastash, and Naneum drainages offer less-trafficked trails through open ponderosa pine forest, including the Naneum Meadows Trail, Manastash Trailhead, and the Umtanum Creek Falls Trail near the Yakima River canyon.

Day Trips & Further Afield

These trails are within a day trip from Cle Elum and worth the drive for a change of scenery, including Rattlesnake Ledge and Twin Falls near North Bend, Icicle Gorge near Leavenworth, and the Ira Spring Trailhead in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Scroll to Top