North Bend, WA Road Trips

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. SnoValley Regional Chamber of Commerce website

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. A cozy museum which focuses on the history of the Snoqualmie Valley free. (updated Nov 2024)

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) 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).

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)

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. King County Metro, ☏ +1 206-553-3000. Runs bus, streetcar and monorail routes within King County. Serves 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. $3 for 2 hours ($1 seniors 65+, Free youth 0-18). (updated Sep 2025) Trailhead Direct. King Country Metro also operates a bus service from Seattle to some trailheads in the Mount Si area, as well as the Issaquah Alps. This service operates on weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day (May 24th to September 1st for the 2025 season) and standard ORCA fares apply. Trailheads accessible with this route include Mount Si, Mount Teneriffe and Little Si. (updated Aug 2025) 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)