North Bend

Located at the foot of Mt. Si [1], the settlement of North Bend (pop. 4,000) is the last Snoqualmie River town before I-90 climbs into the Cascade Range. This sleepy little burg provides many people with bottled water, gas, and beef jerky before they tackle nearby trails.

The Snoqualmie Valley Museum (320 Bendigo Blvd. South, 425/888-3200, www.snoqualmievalleymuseum.org [2], Thurs.–Sun. 1–5 p.m. April–Oct., and the first two weeks of December, donation) has permanent displays of Native American artifacts and pioneer and logging history, and a small gift shop.

Getting to North Bend

Seattle’s [3] Metro buses (206/447-4800 or 800/542-7876) serve North Bend and surrounding communities. Greyhound (800/231-2222, www.greyhound.com [4]) stops in North Bend at the corner of 219 Main Ave. S, with connections throughout the nation.