Chinook Pass Scenic Byway (261 km)

Enumclaw to Naches · one way, about 261 km back to the start

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Why this ride

From Enumclaw it runs 261 km to Tieton; allow about 3 h 31 of riding. The stops in between: Mount Rainier Sunrise junction and Chinook Pass. The highest point is about 1,650 m. Chinook Pass is subject to seasonal closure - check it is open before you set off. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.

Roadbook

1. Enumclaw start

   Enumclaw sits on the plateau east of Seattle where the suburbs thin out into horse paddocks, hay fields and dairy farms, with Mount Rainier standing on the horizon on any clear day. The mountain, at about 4,390 metres, is an active volcano and the highest in the Cascade range, covered in more glacier ice than any other peak in the lower forty-eight states. It looks very close from here, and it is, which is a large part of why so many riders begin the day in this town.

   The road from Enumclaw to the mountain is State Route 410, which follows the White River upstream into the national forest, through tall Douglas fir and cedar. After the village of Greenwater the road climbs, the corners get longer and the trees come right to the verge. Crystal Mountain ski area lies to one side, and beyond it the road rises to Chinook Pass, at roughly 1,650 metres, where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the highway. The pass is closed by snow through the winter, usually from November until late spring, so check the state transportation website before setting out. From the pass the road drops toward Yakima country, and the forest gives way to dry pine and rock.

   In summer the Sunrise road, which climbs from the northeast entrance of Mount Rainier National Park to the highest point reachable by road on the mountain, is the usual objective, and a park entry fee applies. The weather on Rainier makes its own rules. A clear dawn can be shut in with cloud by midday, and it can be cold and wet at the top even in July. Traffic is heavy on weekends in summer, so aim for an early start. Deer and the occasional bear cross the roads, especially at dusk.

   For practical reasons, Enumclaw is the last sizeable place for fuel, groceries and repairs before the mountains, and nearby Buckley has more. The town also has bakeries and diners that suit riders heading out early. Once you pass Greenwater, services are scarce, so top up the tank and carry water, snacks and a warm layer.

2. Mount Rainier Sunrise junction scenic

   This is the place where Highway 410 and the road to Sunrise part company, and it is worth knowing about because the turning leads to the highest point you can reach by road on Mount Rainier. The junction lies near the White River entrance on the park's north-east side, in a valley of old-growth fir and cedar, with the White River running cold and milky beside the road, and the mountain hidden behind the ridges until you climb out of the trees.

   The Sunrise road is a spectacular, tidy piece of mountain engineering. It climbs about fifteen miles in a series of switchbacks and gentle bends to a height of around 6,400 feet, where Rainier stands directly in front of you, 4,392 metres of ice and rock. The Emmons Glacier, the largest in the lower forty-eight by area, is spread across the mountain's north-east face. The road is generally open only from early July until September or October, and snow can fall at any time at the top. Wildflower season in late July and August brings meadows full of lupin and paintbrush, and marmots whistle from the rocks.

   Highway 410 itself, the Chinook Pass Scenic Byway, is a joy. It leads south-east from Enumclaw along the Greenwater and White rivers, climbing toward Chinook Pass at 5,430 feet, with a sequence of flowing bends under big timber. The road is closed in winter, normally from about November until late May, and the pass often sees cloud and drizzle even in July. There are few places to stop or turn, so be wary of traffic behind you, and be aware of the cold wetness of the forest roads, where moss and shade keep the surface damp.

   There is a park entry fee payable at the White River entrance, and a limited timed-entry system has sometimes been in place for Sunrise in recent summers, so check ahead. Enumclaw, to the west, is the last big town with petrol, and the small communities on Highway 410 have limited and sometimes seasonal supplies, so fill up before you leave. Bring warm clothing even in August, because Sunrise can feel like early spring.

3. Chinook Pass scenic · 1656 m

   At 1,656 metres, Chinook Pass is a gate into Mount Rainier country, and the mountain makes itself known well before you arrive. State Route 410 climbs from the Enumclaw plateau through dark Douglas fir and hemlock, past the little settlements of Greenwater and the access road to Crystal Mountain, and then breaks out into subalpine meadows where the great white cone appears over the shoulder of the road. Rainier stands 14,410 feet, and on a clear morning it looks close enough to touch.

   The pass was a trade and travel route long before cars, used by Native peoples crossing the Cascades between the coast and the interior, and the modern road was carved out in the 1930s. At the summit the Pacific Crest Trail crosses over the highway on a planted land bridge, so you may see backpackers in the middle of their months-long walk from Mexico to Canada, blinking at the traffic. Tipsoo Lake, just beside the road, is a small, still tarn framed by firs and flowers, and has the best easy photograph of the whole crossing.

   The riding is lovely, with long, easy bends rather than hairpins, wide enough for a relaxed rhythm and with a smooth surface. Weather swings fast. A sunny afternoon in Enumclaw can turn to cold drizzle at the pass, and in spring and autumn snow comes down onto the tarmac. The road is shut in winter once snow builds up, usually from late autumn until late spring, so check the state transport page before planning. Late July to September is the safe window, and early autumn adds red huckleberry and mountain ash on the slopes.

   Fuel is the thing to plan for. Nothing on the pass sells it, and the last dependable stations are in Enumclaw to the west or in Naches and Yakima to the east. Bring water, expect cool air, and treat the summit as the place to pull over and listen. You will hear marmots whistle among the rocks, and ravens, and perhaps nothing at all.

4. Naches finish

   Naches is a very small orchard town in the Yakima valley, at the place where the Naches River comes down out of the Cascades, and it is the dry-side end of the Chinook Pass road. The change from west to east is dramatic. On the Seattle side the slopes are wrapped in dripping fir and cedar, and over the crest the forest thins into ponderosa pine and then sagebrush, with sun, orchards and irrigated fields. Naches is where the green gives way to gold.

   The valley produces much of America's apple crop, and also pears, cherries, hops and wine grapes, thanks to water from the mountains and a dry, sunny climate. Fruit stands appear along the road in late summer, selling peaches, apricots and cider, and in autumn the air smells of apples and wood smoke. The cascades act as a barrier to rain, so the east side gets only a fraction of the precipitation that falls on the west. The change in climate is something you can feel in a single afternoon.

   Chinook Pass Scenic Byway, State Route 410, climbs along the river and crosses the Cascade crest at about fifty-four hundred feet, running along the edge of Mount Rainier National Park. Rainier itself, at over fourteen thousand feet, dominates the western horizon, a huge, glacier-covered volcano. The road is good, with smooth bends, forest and big views, and the descent east follows the river past cliffs of basalt. The pass is closed in winter, usually from November to late May, because of heavy snow, so check conditions.

   You can find basic services in Naches, though the larger town of Selah, about fifteen kilometres away, or Yakima, offers more fuel and food. Fill the tank before the climb, since stations are scarce on the pass. A roadside fruit stand is a great reward after a day's ride. Weather in the mountains can change quickly, with cold rain or even snow in summer, so bring a waterproof. In September and October, golden larch and red vine maple add colour to the slopes, and the light is warm.

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