Ellensburg, Washington

Internationally known for Hay

Ellensburg, Washington is where we traveled years ago to pick up our yellow Labrador when he was a pup. He was only 8 weeks old when we flew up to get him from the breeder, Tiger Mountain Pointing Labs, a great breeder if you are looking for a lab. The town is located east of Olympia and south of Leavenworth. We had a great weekend in the charming town and love to re-visit whenever the chance arises.

Ellensburg sits in a valley with the distant Cascade Mountains to the west and wide open fields with every imaginable type of barn you could dream of. The area is internationally known for hay and ships all over the world. The surrounding Kittitas Valley is internationally known for the timothy hay that it produces. There are several local hay brokering and processing operations that ship to Pacific Rim countries.

Historical Downtown Ellensburg

Downtown Ellensburg has many historic buildings, many of which were constructed in the late 19th century. The preserved buildings house a variety of shops, restaurants and galleries. In 2018, Ellensburg population was 20,977 so it has grown over the last few years. Central Washington University is located here, giving the town a young lively atmosphere full of events and activities throughout the year.

Rich in Art and history

Ellensburg downtown has museums and art rich in history – has the Clymer Museum of Art, Gallery One Visual Art Center, Museum for Cultural Environment and the County Historical Museum .John Clymer, a Ellensburg native, was world-known as an illustrator for the Saturday Evening Post. Gallery One provides exhibitions of visual arts for regional artists and hosts community events including Paint Ellensburg, Art About, Jazz in the Valley, Brewfest and more. Museum for Cultural Environment is located on campus of the Central Washington University is dedicated to creating an shared inclusive space where ideas, perspectives and research. Kittas County Historical Museum offers antique, native and military displays and more.

Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park

Outside of the town is an 117-acre park on the Yakima River – the Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park. This 117-acre park is nestled in a wide bend in the Yakima River. Here you can launch your boat, swim, hike, picnic, barbeque, and they even have a volleyball court.

Wildhouse Renewable Energy Center

It is usually VERY windy in this valley. Washington is one of the states that promotes renewable energy thru wind and solar power. The Wild Horse Renewable Energy Center is located in here where you can tour the facility with 45 minute walking tours and displays. Sitting high on hill, the facility has over 200 wind turbines with a 360 degrees view of the Columbia River Basin, Mount Hood, Mount Rainer and Mount Adams in the distance.

Suncadia Golf Resort

Suncadia Resort is located 35 miles in Cle Elum just north of Ellensburg on 6,000 acres and open year-round. There are 3 golf courses, two are public, with stunning views, surrounded by forests and views of the Cascades. The The Lodge at Suncadia is exceptional – views from the rooms are breathtaking and customer service fantastic. They are also pet friendly. We stayed there on our way back to Seattle and it was the best hotel stay on our trip.

Snoqualmie Pass

If you travel from Ellensburg towards Seattle, Washington, you will have to journey over the Snoqualmie Pass. At an elevation of 3,000 ft, Interstate 90 cuts through the Cascade Range. Snoqualmie Pass is the highest of the three east-west mountain routes across Washington State that are kept open year-round, along with Stevens Pass (US 2) to the north, and White Pass (US 12) to the south. I-90 is the primary commercial artery between Seattle traveling east, carrying an average of 27,087 vehicles through the pass per day.