Scenic Drives from Leavenworth WA for Pacific Northwest Vacation Scenery

The number one most popular recreation use of the Wenatchee National Forest is driving for pleasure. There are hundreds of miles of roads, varying from paved highways to lumpy dirt wheel tracks for 4-wheel drives only. During heavy snow years some roads may not be drivable until late summer, and some may close on first snow, usually in October.

Check with the local Forest Service District office, and plan on a car wash after the gravel and dirt road trips. And please, drive carefully, obey the speed limits, respect private property and never forget the fire danger! Read carefully, as many of these drives can be connected.

Chumstick Valley, Plain, Lake Wenatchee and Tumwater Canyon - A longer easy drive. In Leavenworth at the middle traffic light on Hwy 2 (We have three traffic lights now!), turn north on Hwy 209 (Chumstick Hwy). Drive through the Chumstick Valley for 11 miles to the end of the canyon. Proceed another 1 mile up to Beaver Hill pass, where the road changes names to Beaver Valley Road. Drive another mile down Beaver Hill to the small community of Plain. Turn right staying on Beaver Valley Road, drive .5 miles to mile marker 14 and the signs for Seattle and Lake Wenatchee. Turn left staying on Beaver Valley Road, drive 5 miles to Hwy 207/Lake Wenatchee Road. Turn left (you could turn right to go to the north end of Lake Wenatchee and White River Canyon, see below) and drive 3.5 miles to Coles Corner/Hwy 2. You can turn left on Hwy 2 back to Leavenworth, or take a 2 mile diversion through Winton by crossing Hwy 2 and proceeding on Winton Road, which returns to Hwy 2. Winton is a very small community centered around the Longview Fiber wood mill and its one-room school house; a small red school house 1.2 miles on the right on the other side of the railroad tracks. From Coles Corner, it is 5.3 miles to the green Wenatchee River bridge and the start of the Tumwater Canyon. Proceed through Tumwater Canyon to return to Leavenworth, about 5 miles.

Icicle River Valley and Icicle Gorge Loop Hiking Trail - A nice drive, with the added attraction of a 3.5 mile easy hiking loop. From Hwy 2, turn south on Icicle Road. At 1.8 miles you will pass the turnoff for East Leavenworth Road (don't turn), and at 2.3 miles the Sleeping Lady Conference Center. Continue through the S-curves another 1.7 miles to the Snow Lakes Trail Head, the gateway to the Enchantments (Permits required, contact the Leavenworth Ranger Station.). The road is closed to cars just past this point during the winter. Drive another 8 miles to the pavement end, and the road changes to Forest Service road 7600. Proceed another 2.3 miles to the Chatter Creek Ranger Station where you can stop for information. Another .5 miles takes you to the Icicle Gorge Trail Head parking area, where you can enjoy an easy 3.5 mile loop hiking trail. Drive another mile and you are at Bridge Creek camping area. The north end of the 3.5 mile loop hiking trail crosses the Icicle River here, so you can start the hike at this point. Return to Leavenworth by the same route.

Leavenworth Valley Loop - A short, easy drive around the valley. From the intersection of Hwy 2 and Icicle Road, drive east .5 miles to Crystals Restaurant and turn left (north) on Ski Hill Drive. Drive 2.7 miles, which takes you to the top of Ski Hill Drive Loop, and a great view of the Leavenworth Valley. The road changes names to Titus Road and loops back south, and drive another .9 miles back toward Leavenworth. Turn left on Pine Street and drive .1 miles, right on Fir Road, an immediate left on Cedar Street and right on Chumstick Hwy to the traffic light on Hwy 2 (all this within about .2 miles). Turn left on Hwy 2 and drive east across the Wenatchee River bridge. Immediately after the bridge, turn right on East Leavenworth Road. Drive 3.7 miles through East Leavenworth Valley to Icicle road. Turn right on Icicle Road and drive 1.8 miles back to Hwy 2.

Red Top Mountain Lookout - An unmanned fire lookout, this day-use area about one hour from Leavenworth includes a picnic grounds. Check with the Leavenworth Ranger Station. From Leavenworth take Hwy 2 east about five miles to the 'Y', Hwy 97. Turn west on Hwy 97 and drive about 28 miles over Blewett Pass to the Mineral Springs area. Just before Mineral Springs watch for the signs for Blue Creek and Forest Service Road #9738. Turn right onto this gravel road, drive 2.6 miles to #9702. Turn left following the sign to Red Top Mt. and drive 3.6 miles to #115. From here you have a choice. Proceed another mile to the parking and picnic area, then hike about 1/2 mile to the lookout. Alternately, turn left onto #115 and drive about one 1/2 mile, then turn right onto #117. Road #117 is no more than two tire tracks that lead about 1/2 mile to a bald knob over a sheer drop to the valley below. Incredible views! The south side of the Stewart Range to the north, which encloses the Enchantments, and an almost surreal view of 14,410 ft Mt. Rainier to the southwest, behind the west end of the Ellensburg Valley and Hwy 90.

Smithbrook-Rainy Creek - About four miles east of Stevens Pass on Hwy 2, turn north onto Forest Service Road #6700. This is about 45 minutes from Leavenworth. Winding through old growth forest, this steep gravel road rapidly gains elevation and crests, then drops into Rainy Creek drainage. This is some great Huckleberry picking in the fall! The road drops to the Little Wenatchee River and the north end of Lake Wenatchee (you can pickup the White River Valley drive from here, see below), then rejoins Hwy 2 at Coles Corner, about 18 miles from Leavenworth. Turn left onto Hwy 2 to return to Leavenworth.

Sugarloaf Lookout - One of the few operating fire lookouts remaining in the Northwest. The lookout is perched on Entiat Ridge, can be seen from Leavenworth, and is manned from June to first snow in October. It is about one hour from Leavenworth. Take Hwy 209 (Chumstick Hwy, turn north at the middle stoplight) from town about two miles north and turn right on Eagle Creek Road. Drive about eight miles on paved road to Van Creek Road #7520. Turn left on this gravel road and drive about five miles to Entiat Ridge Road #5200 on the top of Entiat Ridge. Turn left and drive about four miles to the lookout. Enjoy the reader boards and chat with the lookout. The view is outstanding, with the wheat fields and plains to the east, the Leavenworth Valley and Stewart Range to the southwest, and Lake Wenatchee and Glacier Peak to the northwest!

Tumwater Canyon - Highway 2 leaves the Leavenworth valley westbound, and immediately enters this beautiful, steep and rugged canyon containing the Wenatchee River. Sheer granite cliffs and spectacular fall colors abound. You'll see the old rusty flue bridge and power generation dam previously used by the Great Northern Railroad to power trains up the canyon - Hwy 2 from Wenatchee to Stevens Pass was built on the old railroad bed. Just west of mile marker 94 and The Alps, look up on the south side of the canyon walls for Drury Falls. This unmarked waterfall can be racing in the spring, gone in the fall, and an ice column all winter.

White River Valley - This is a two-views-for-one trip 45 minutes from town. Leave Leavenworth on Highway 2 west through Tumwater Canyon about 18 miles to Coles Corner/Hwy 2/Hwy 207. Turn right on Highway 207, and drive around Lake Wenatchee about 8.5 miles to the Lake Wenatchee Ranger Station. You can stop here for maps and information, as well as a White River Valley tour map. Continue another mile to the former location of Cougar Inn on the left at the head of the lake (progress isn't all good), and another .7 miles to White River Valley Road. Turn right and drive another 2.7 miles to Forest Service Road #6403. Turn right on this dirt road, and drive .8 miles to the first picture point looking into the White River Valley, with the high Cascades in the distance. Drive another 1.4 miles to the "Stop 2 White River Tour" sign (the road is gated past this point), and enjoy the view ... from the top of 600 ft cliffs looking across the north end of Lake Wenatchee.

Leavenworth Washington Area Drives

Home of the Bavarian Village and Alpen Rose Inn

Leavenworth WA USA