North Bend (Washington)

Aerial view of North Bend with Mount Si

North Bend is a city in the Puget Sound region of Washington. The city's mountain scenery was made famous as a filming location for the television series Twin Peaks.

Understand

The city was platted as "Snoqualmie" in 1889. The community later became known as Mountain View and finally, due to the location near the bend toward the North of the South Fork River, became the Town of "North Bend". The city was incorporated on March 12, 1909. It has since become a prosperous bedroom community for Seattle and Bellevue.

North Bend became famous in the early 1990s, as the filming location for David Lynch's cult-classic television series Twin Peaks. The steep and rocky Mount Si looms over the northeast edge of town (there is no "twin" peak), the most prominent of many popular hiking areas within several miles of town.

Local information

SnoValley Regional Chamber of Commerce website

Get in

By car

• Interstate 90 (I-90) passes along the south edge of town. Exit 31 leads to downtown, and Exits 32 and 34 lead to residential areas and trail access.

By bus

• King County Metro, ☏ +1 206-553-3000. Operates bus, streetcar, and monorail routes in King County. Communities within the county served by this operator's routes include Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Mercer Island, North Bend, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Tukwila, Vashon Island, White Center, and Woodinville. (updated Jun 2023)

By bike

• Palouse to Cascades Trail. A popular gravel multi-use trail that starts just outside of North Bend, and follows a former railroad grade along the south side of I-90 east all the way to Idaho. (updated Nov 2024)

See

• 1 Historic McGrath Hotel, 101 W. North Bend Way. The McGrath Hotel is located on the site of the cabin of William Henry Taylor, who platted North Bend in 1889. In 1921, Jack McGrath and his wife Caroline purchased the site of their future venture, McGrath's Café; construction was completed as a one-story restaurant in 1922. In early 1926 the building was expanded two window bays westward, creating the hotel lobby (now the restaurant bar), and a second story was added to the entire structure to accommodate the hotel rooms of the new McGrath Hotel. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first floor houses a popular restaurant, the Iron Duck Public House.  
• 2 Snoqualmie Valley Museum, 320 Bendigo Blvd S. Focuses on the history of the Snoqualmie Valley (updated Nov 2024)

Do

• 1 Historic North Bend Theatre, 125 Bendigo Blvd N. The North Bend Theatre has operated as an independent movie theater since 1941. The movie house hosted the opening premier of the David Lynch movie, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. (updated Sep 2024)
• 2 Valley Center Stage Community Theater, 1060 Stilson Ave SE. Has regular shows featuring classics and comedy. (updated Nov 2024)

Hiking

North Bend is the closest place from Seattle to access mountains higher than 3,000 feet. The town is surrounded by peaks with hiking trails, as well as lowland trails along the Middle Fork and South Fork Snoqualmie River.

• 3 Mailbox Peak Trailhead (Exit 34. North on 468th Ave SE for 0.5 miles. Turn right onto Middle Fork Rd, follow 2.2 miles to the stop sign. Turn right onto SE Dorothy Lake Rd, look for turnoff to parking on your right). 9.4 miles roundtrip, 4,000 feet elevation gain. A steep workout to a rocky peak. At the summit, check the mail at the eponymous mailbox. Discover Pass required for vehicles. (updated Nov 2024)
• 4 Mount Si Trailhead (Exit 32. North on 436th, left onto North Bend Way, then a quick right onto Mount Si Rd. Continue 2.5 miles to a large gravel parking lot). 8 miles roundtrip, 3,200 feet elevation gain. This is a favorite among area hikers, for a heavily-forested workout to an expansive view of Seattle and the Puget Sound region. Discover Pass required for vehicles. (updated Oct 2024)
• 5 Olallie State Park - Twin Falls Trailhead (Exit 32. South on 468th Ave SE, 0.5 mile to SE 159th St. Turn left and continue another 0.5 mile to parking lot). 2.4 miles roundtrip, 940 feet elevation gain. A pleasant series of small waterfalls in the thick lowland forest. Discover Pass required for vehicles. (updated Oct 2024)
• 6 Rattlesnake Ledge Trailhead (also called Rattlesnake Ridge) (Exit 32. South to Cedar Falls Rd. Continue 4 miles to parking lot). 4 miles roundtrip, 1,160 feet elevation gain. The best effort-to-reward hike for views of Seattle and Puget Sound. Discover Pass required for vehicles. (updated Oct 2024)

Many of these trailheads are in Washington State Parks. State Parks require a pass to park at. The Discover Pass is $10 a day, or $30 a year. Order online, buy from an outdoors retailer, or pick up from a kiosk at the entrance to the more popular state parks.

Most other trailheads in the Cascades are regulated by the U.S. Forest Service. You're free to get out and look around for a few minutes, but if you plan to hike or camp, you need a federal parking pass on each vehicle. You can pick up a pass at any ranger station or National Park Service visitor center.

• United States Interagency Annual Pass ($80 online, valid for unlimited use at all United States National Parks, National Forests, and National Monuments for one year)
• Northwest Forest Pass ($30 online, valid for unlimited use at all United States National Forests in the states of Washington and Oregon for one year)
• National Forest Recreation Day Pass ($5 online and valid on one self-selected day only).
• 1 Snoqualmie Ranger District - North Bend Office, 902 SE North Bend Way. Purchase federal parking passes here, or ask a ranger for any advice or recommendations on outdoor recreation. (updated Nov 2024)

Climbing

• Exit 38 Crags (Exit 38. South side routes start from Olallie State Park, Far Side routes start from Homestead Valley Rd). The closest large sport climbing crags to Seattle. Mostly single-pitch. Discover Pass required for vehicles. (updated Nov 2024)

Eat

• 1 Little Si Restaurant and Lounge, 456 SW Mt Si Blvd, ☏ +1 425 888-5501. Su-Th 9AM-9PM, F Sa 9AM-10PM. Best known for gourmet pizzas and pastas, but also offer a variety of sandwiches, burgers, salads, and a wide selection of appetizers. (updated Sep 2024)
• 2 Twede's Cafe, 137 W North Bend Way (At the intersection of Bendigo Blvd and North Bend Way). 9AM-7PM. Filming location for the cult-classic Twin Peaks series, today serves up traditional diner fare. (updated Nov 2024)

Go next

• Snoqualmie — a neighbor with the impressive Snoqualmie Falls
• Issaquah — a nearby city with a historic main street and hiking opportunities
• Snoqualmie Pass — the closest ski resort to Seattle

North Bend is on the Mountains to Sound Greenway, connecting to some of the best outdoor recreation in Washington.

Routes through North Bend

Seattle ← Issaquah ←

W  E

→ Snoqualmie Pass → Spokane