Where to Stay Near Stevens Pass, and How to Pick
Stevens Pass is close enough to Seattle that people underestimate it and end up booking the wrong side of the mountain. The corridor runs Gold Bar, Index, Skykomish, then the pass, then Leavenworth an hour beyond it. Where you stay changes the trip more than which room you get.
I own a cabin in Gold Bar, so this list is not neutral. It is honest, and these are all good at different things.
If it is two of you and you want the trip to feel like something
That PNW Cabin, Gold Bar
Mine, so weigh it accordingly. A restored A-frame in a gated neighbourhood backing onto National Forest, with a wood fired hot tub on the back deck facing the creek and its waterfalls, an infrared sauna inside, and a fire pit ringed with cut stumps out front.
It sleeps three, which is deliberate. I am a photographer and I furnished it piece by piece for a couples getaway: handmade pottery, vintage glassware, local books, games. It is about 90 minutes from SEA and halfway to the pass.
4.83 from 104 reviews. If you are coming with six people, book one of the river cabins below instead.
If you are a group and want bedrooms and a river
The Skykomish river cabins
Timberlane Village and the surrounding area have several cabins on or near the Skykomish and Tye rivers, most with multiple bedrooms, wood stoves and river access, about 15 minutes from the ski area. This is the practical choice for four to eight people who want to split a place.
If you want a communal property and a sauna
SkyCamp and the A-Frame at SkyCabin
An A-frame with access to a shared 1.3 acre property including a communal fire pit, picnic tables, hammocks, a sauna and a nature trail. About an hour from Seattle. Good if you like the idea of other guests around rather than total quiet.
If you want the cheapest bed closest to the lifts
Stevens Pass Motel, Gold Bar
Straightforward rooms, some with kitchenettes. No frills and no pretence. On a ski weekend where you will be out all day and asleep by nine, that is often exactly right.
If you want restaurants and a village
Leavenworth
An hour past the pass, with inns, hotels and a walkable centre full of places to eat. Further from Seattle and further from the west side trailheads, but the only option on this list where you can walk to dinner.
How to choose
Two people wanting a fire and a hot tub want a very different thing from six people splitting a ski house, and both want something different from a family that would like a restaurant within walking distance. Decide the shape of the trip first. The corridor has all three, just not in the same building.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I stay near Stevens Pass?
It depends what you are doing. For skiing on a budget, Gold Bar and Skykomish put you closest for the least money. For a group, the river cabins at Skykomish have the bedrooms. For two people wanting somewhere genuinely nice, a small A-frame in the Gold Bar area gets you a fire, a hot tub and a creek.
How far is Stevens Pass from Seattle?
Roughly 90 minutes to two hours depending on traffic and conditions. Gold Bar sits about halfway, which is why a lot of people base there and drive up for the day.
Is it better to stay in Leavenworth or on the west side of the pass?
Leavenworth has restaurants, shops and a village to walk around, and it is about an hour past the pass. The west side, Gold Bar, Index and Skykomish, is quieter, closer to Seattle and closer to the trailheads. Leavenworth for an evening out, the west side for an early start.
Can you stay near Stevens Pass in summer?
Yes, and it is the better season for many people. Wallace Falls, the Skykomish river and the Cascade trailheads are all right there, and lodging is easier to get than in ski season.
What is there to do near Gold Bar besides skiing?
Wallace Falls State Park, the Skykomish river, hiking in the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, and the drive over the pass itself. Plenty of people come out and do none of it, which is also a legitimate plan.
If the first one sounds like yours
You can read more about That PNW Cabin, or book it directly.
The cabin also hosts all inclusive elopements. If you are planning one, I wrote a guide to the best places to elope in Washington as well.
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