Cascade Mountains Vacation Rentals | Leavenworth, Snoqualmie Pass & Mountain Towns
Seven towns spread across five highways through the Cascades. They look close together on a map and they are not: there is no road between most of them that does not involve going back down to the lowlands first, and two of the routes over the crest shut for half the year.
Our Towns, by the Road That Serves Them
Seven towns spread across five highways. They look close together on a map and they are not: there is no road between most of them that does not involve going back down to the lowlands first.
US-12 · White Pass
The southern approach, running east from I-5 past Mount Rainier’s Ohanapecosh corner toward Yakima. White Pass ski area sits at the top.
SR-410 · Chinook Pass
The road to Mount Rainier’s northeast corner and Crystal Mountain. Both towns sit west of the gate and stay reachable from the Seattle side all year; what closes is the route through to Yakima.
I-90 · Snoqualmie Pass
The main east-west route across the state, kept open all winter. The Summit at Snoqualmie is on the pass itself.
US-2 · Stevens Pass
The route to Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee, with Stevens Pass ski area at the summit.
SR-20 · North Cascades Highway
The northernmost route, along the upper Skagit toward North Cascades National Park. Concrete sits well west of the seasonal gate, on the I-5 side, and is reachable all year.
Winter Driving
Two of the five routes close over the crest each winter. Neither closure cuts off a town — the gates are at the summits.
| Route | Seasonal closure | Typical dates |
|---|---|---|
| I-90 · Snoqualmie | No closure | Open year round |
| US-2 · Stevens | No closure | Open year round |
| US-12 · White Pass | No closure | Open year round |
| SR-410 · Chinook | Closes at the pass | Shuts late Oct–early Nov, opens mid–late May |
| SR-20 · North Cascades | High section closes | Shuts early Nov–early Dec, opens mid Apr–early May |
Do not plan on the averages
Last winter ran long
SR-20 closed on 4 December 2025, later than usual. Then storm damage and a rockslide kept it shut well past the normal spring reopening: the eastern portion came back on 30 April 2026 and the highway did not fully reopen until 14 June.
Check WSDOT for current status rather than a date from last year.
Traction and chains
What to have on the car
Approved traction tires carry a mountain-and-snowflake symbol and at least an eighth of an inch of tread. They are what you want on any of these roads through the winter.
From 1 November to 1 April, vehicles over 10,000 lb GVWR must carry chains at all times regardless of conditions. That catches larger RVs and trucks rather than an ordinary car — but every vehicle has to obey the signs when they go up, and ignoring one can cost up to $500.
FAQs
Packwood and Randle are on US-12 over White Pass. Greenwater and Enumclaw are on SR-410 toward Chinook Pass. Snoqualmie Pass is on I-90. Leavenworth is on US-2 over Stevens Pass. Concrete is on SR-20, the North Cascades Highway
Two of the five close over the crest. SR-410 shuts at Chinook Pass, usually from late October until mid-to-late May, and SR-123 over Cayuse Pass closes with it. SR-20 closes its high section between Diablo and Mazama, usually from early November or early December until mid-April or early May. I-90, US-2 and US-12 are not among the passes WSDOT closes for the season.
Yes. The closures are at the summits, not at the towns. Greenwater and Enumclaw sit west of the Chinook Pass gate and stay reachable from the Seattle side; Concrete is well west of the SR-20 gate and reachable from I-5. What a closure removes is the through-route over the mountains, so it changes your day trips and your drive from the east side rather than your ability to arrive.
Usually mid-April to early May, but do not plan on it. It closed on 4 December 2025, its eastern portion reopened on 30 April 2026, and storm damage and a rockslide kept the western section shut until the highway fully reopened on 14 June. Check WSDOT before relying on it.
Usually mid-to-late May, timed where possible for the Memorial Day weekend. Heavy snow years can push it later, and in some years a pass has stayed shut for the season.
Approved traction tires carry a mountain-and-snowflake symbol and at least an eighth of an inch of tread, and are what you want on any of these roads in winter. Watch the posted signs: ignoring a chain requirement can cost up to $500.
The blanket carry-chains rule from 1 November to 1 April applies to vehicles over 10,000 lb GVWR, which is larger RVs and trucks rather than a car or a small van. A car still has to obey posted traction and chain signs when they go up.
Each of the four year-round routes has a ski area near the top: the Summit at Snoqualmie on I-90, Stevens Pass above Leavenworth on US-2, White Pass east of Packwood on US-12, and Crystal Mountain up SR-410 from Greenwater.
Yes, and from three different sides. Packwood and Randle approach the southeast corner on US-12, Greenwater and Enumclaw the northeast on SR-410. Note that Chinook and Cayuse passes close in winter, which shuts the routes through the park itself even though the towns stay reachable.
No. Sunrise and the White River Road have been closed since 13 August 2026 because of the Grand Park 2 Fire, and remain closed until further notice. That is the approach from the SR-410 side, so guests staying at Greenwater or Enumclaw planning Sunrise need redirecting to the Nisqually entrance and Paradise.
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