Enumclaw Travel Guide

    The self-termed "Gateway to Mt. Ranier," Enumclaw, Washington boasts delights galore for the interested enthusiast of the Pacific Northwest and it's natural treasures and cultural wonders.  Known historically by Native Americans as "Home of Evil Spirits" and a logging town,  today Enumclaw is a bedroom community, a ten-mile dairy cow farm buffer separate from the sprawls of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area.

    While recent years have seen Enumclaw lose its rural personality, a small group of farmers and lumbermen continues to give the city a quaint feeling. Highway 410 leaves civilization in Enumclaw, leading to Crystal Mountain, Washington's premier skiing destination, and Mt. Ranier National Park beyond. Travelling outward into the hills which surround Enumclaw, the interested backpacker finds a smorgusboard of hiking and camping opportunities. In Summer, those who prefer relaxing evening in town can enjoy the King County Fair in July or a drink with locals in the classic dive bar, the Ski Inn.

    Notorious nation-wide for a heavily publicized beastality-related death, Enumclaw offers two hotels, having lost downtown historic Ridge Motel late in 2002.  Wary travellers will find comfort in a Burger King, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and any number of other ubiquitous American restaurants. Locals flock to Oriental Gardens or Ranchito Mexican restaurant.

    Enumclaw can be reached from Seattle via Auburn and highway 164, Tacoma via  Puyallup and highway 410 or Bellevue via Renton and highway 169.  While in Southeast King County, also stop by Enumclaw's Pierce County Twin, Buckley that lies just South of the White River. Bukcley boasts that it lies "above the fog and below the snow" and is home to Ranier State School, Washington State's largest repository for the mentally retarded.  The Institution is not to be missed for architecture enthusiasts, embodying a unique 1950's brick style.