Fall is such a beautiful time in the Pacific Northwest! You’ll not only find typical varieties of deciduous trees with colorful leaves, but also vivid ground-cover plants, and the most famous of all: golden larches. 

So what are larches? Larches may look like pine trees, but they are actually deciduous, meaning that they lose their needles in late fall. People go crazy for these special trees because their needles change from green to vibrant yellow, which lasts for only a few short weeks. Spend much time in the Pacific Northwest and you’ll soon hear people chattering about “larch madness” or doing a “larch march.” 

There are some incredibly beautiful, but incredibly popular fall hikes with larches in the North Cascades area of Washington. While those are certainly bucket-list worthy (and easy to find on Google), we decided to check out some lesser-known areas of the state this season. Turns out, there are some beautiful fall hikes (including larches!) and fun nearby places to grab food and drinks in the Blewett Pass area!

Road trip from Seattle to Blewett Pass

We spent two days hiking, eating, and drinking around the gorgeous Blewett Pass area of Washington. We’re sharing our itinerary below, as well as some additional recommendations in case you want to extend your trip to do even more. 

About the route: This road trip is a big loop starting in the Seattle area and takes you on Interstate 90, U.S. Route 97 (Blewett Pass), and U.S. Route 2. The featured cities on this itinerary are Cle Elum, Roslyn, and Leavenworth. While you could do this route in either direction, we chose to do it counter-clockwise, heading east on Interstate 90 and returning home on U.S. Route 2. We loved doing it this way, because the beauty seemed to just build and build, saving the most intense fall colors for last. You may wish to change up the order of things depending on where you choose to stay for the night — but no matter what you decide, you’re sure to have a great time!

When should you do this road trip from Seattle to Blewett Pass? If you want to see peak fall color and golden larches, you should plan to take this trip around mid-late October, although timing can vary from year-to-year. Weather and conditions can change rapidly in the fall. Always be sure to check the forecast and recent trip reports before heading out.

This would also make for a nice spring or summer trip, and you might even see some wildflowers during that time of year! The area is also known for its winter recreation offerings, including snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Sample itinerary for your Seattle-to-Blewett Pass road trip

Day One: Fall hike near Blewett Pass and Explore Cle Elum

• Leave home bright and early and head to the trailhead for your hike of choice. We opted for Tronsen Ridge, which had beautiful mountain views in every direction and lots of Western larches. The listing on WTA mentions two different trailheads. We went to the north trailhead, which we would only recommend if you have a high-clearance vehicle that you don’t mind getting scratched up, and you should be comfortable navigating large ruts and potholes. Shane is a very experienced and brave forest road driver, and even he was sweating a bit! The south trailhead may be a better option if that doesn’t sound like something you’d be up for.
  
  This hike is rated moderate, and you can hike for as long or as short as you’d like. We ended up doing about 7.5 miles roundtrip, and opted to sit atop a cool rock formation for our ending point and perfect lunch spot! (2 hour drive from Seattle to Tronsen Ridge north trailhead).

• After the hike, head into Cle Elum for much-deserved drinks and food. We visited Mule & Elk Brewing, which had a fun, cozy feel with a great outdoor space and fires to sit around. We capped the night at Dru Bru, which has 20 beers on tap, offers a small food menu, and had a pizza foodtruck on site. They have a huge outdoor space and some jumbo sized games like Connect Four and Tic-Tac-Toe. (45 minute drive from Tronsen Ridge north trailhead to downtown Cle Elum).

• For the night, we camped at Teanaway Campground, which has 55 first-come-first-served sites and is free with a Washington State Discover Pass. We thought it was really nice with plenty of space and good bathrooms. We went to claim our spot in the morning before the hike, but that didn’t end up being necessary because there were still several open spots when we returned later that night. There are a lot of other campgrounds in the area too. If you don’t feel like camping, you could snag a hotel room in Cle Elum or Leavenworth, or an Airbnb in the surrounding areas. (20 minute drive from Cle Elum to Teanaway Campground).

Day Two: More Fall Hiking and Explore Leavenworth

• Enjoy breakfast and coffee at camp, and then head to the Swauk Forest Discovery Trail, located just off Route 97 near the summit of Blewett Pass. This is a gentle 2.45-mile loop trail with about 600 feet of elevation gain throughout. This is a nice easy trail with lots of larch trees and several educational signs along the way. It’s a great option if you have kids, too! (30 minute drive from Teanaway Campground to Swauk Forest Discovery Trail).

• Wrap up your hike, then head to the Leavenworth area. Just because the hike is over, doesn’t mean the views end, though! The drive along Route 97 / Blewett Pass is absolutely stunning with vibrant fall colors around every bend.

• Our first stop before heading into town was Icicle Ridge Winery. The fall colors continued to amaze us up until the moment we arrived! They have a beautiful property with a lake and a large deck with firepit tables. If you want to keep the wine flowing, you could also check out Silvara Cellars, which is located just five minutes away. (28 minute drive from Swauk Forest Discovery Trail to Icicle Ridge Winery). 

• From here, downtown Leavenworth is less than ten minutes away. Spend as much or as little time as you like exploring — grab a bite to eat, visit a brewery or wine tasting room, or peruse the numerous little shops. One of our favorite spots for a quick lunch is Valley Cafe for great burgers and fries. Yodelin Broth is also a neat spot for a great patio with views! 

• After you’ve had your fill in Leavenworth (but hopefully not TOO much!), head five minutes west on Route 2 for your final, easy hike of the trip. The Tumwater Pipeline Trail is 2.4 miles roundtrip and nearly flat. It starts out by crossing a large iron bridge, and the fall colors were absolutely incredible every step of the way! You’ll continuously be wowed by all the vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange, plus the blue hue of the river rushing below. For such an easy hike, it truly packs a punch and was possibly our favorite of the trip! 

• From here, it’s time to head home. But don’t worry, you’ll enjoy even more fall colors all along the way! If you need a pit stop, we can vouch for the delicious milkshakes at 59’er Diner, and great coffee (with views of Bridal Veil Falls from around back) at Espresso Chalet (Harry and the Hendersons fans can’t miss this one!). (2 hour drive from Tumwater Pipeline Trail to Seattle).

Additional suggestions for things to do

Hikes:

Be sure to do your research and check recent trip reports before planning to do any of these hikes! Remember that snow can hit unexpectedly during the fall. Always carry the 10 Essentials and practice Leave No Trace principles. 

• Icicle Ridge – 6 miles roundtrip and 1,800′ elevation gain
• Icicle Gorge Nature Loop – 4.2 miles roundtrip and 150′ elevation gain
• Colchuck Lake – 8 miles roundtrip and 2,280′ elevation gain
• Minotaur Lake – 3.5 miles roundtrip and 1,905′ elevation gain
• Iron Bear – Teanaway Ridge – 6.5 miles roundtrip and 1,900′ elevation gain
• Red Top Lookout – 1.5 miles roundtrip and 350′ elevation gain
• Thorp Mountain Lookout – 7.4 miles roundtrip, 2,484′ elevation gain
• Peshastin Pinnacles State Park – 1.5 miles roundtrip, 400′ elevation gain (closed annually Nov. 1-March 15)
• Lake Ingalls – 9 miles roundtrip, 2,500′ elevation gain
• Clara and Marion Lakes – 3.2 miles roundtrip, 900′ elevation gain
• Carne Mountain – 7.3 miles roundtrip, 3,600′ elevation gain

Food and Drinks:

• Bushel & Bee Taproom (Leavenworth)
• Icicle Brewing Company (Leavenworth)
• Blewett Brewing Company (Leavenworth)
• Eagle Creek Winery (Leavenworth)
• Rhein Haus (Leavenworth)
• Stein (Leavenworth)
• Cle Elum Bakery (Cle Elum)
• Corks (Roslyn)
• Roslyn Brewing Company (Roslyn)
• Logan’s (Roslyn)

Other:

• Swiftwater Picnic Area – beautiful scenic spot to stretch your legs, use the restroom, and/or have a picnic along Tumwater Canyon on Route 2, between Lake Wenatchee State Park and Leavenworth.
• Liberty Ghost Town
• Basecamp Books and Bites (Roslyn)

If you’d like to explore nearby Wenatchee — check out this post for inspiration! There are tons of other fun things to do in that area as well, and it’s only about one hour southeast of Leavenworth.