Prairie Ridge is a residential community on a plateau above the Puyallup and White River valleys, south of Bonney Lake in Pierce County. The ridge rises above the surrounding lowlands, and on clear days the view of Mount Rainier is spectacular, the great volcano filling the south-eastern sky with its glaciers and snowfields.
The area sits close to State Route 410, the road that leads east through Buckley and Enumclaw towards Mount Rainier National Park and Chinook Pass. This is one of the classic rides of the region, climbing through dense forest into the Cascades, with the mountain appearing and disappearing between the trees. Chinook Pass is closed in winter, usually from late autumn to late spring, so check conditions before planning a crossing.
The roads around Prairie Ridge itself are suburban and semi-rural, with some gentle bends and climbs as you come up from the valley floor. Traffic can be heavy on SR 410 at commuter times and on summer weekends when visitors head to the park. Watch for deer, especially at dawn and dusk, and for logging trucks on the routes further east.
Services are available in Bonney Lake, Buckley and Enumclaw, including fuel, food and coffee. Enumclaw is a pleasant small town and a good place to stop before heading into the mountains, where options become limited. From the high ground here, the whole range of the Cascades seems to beckon.