Interstate 90 East - Snoqualmie Pass to Cle Elum

I-90 navigates through a series of S-curves south from Exit 53 and Snoqualmie Pass toward Mount Catherine (elevation 4,961 feet) and Mount Hyak (elevation 3,737 feet) before turning east by Keechelus Lake.

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SR 906 passes by the Summit at Snoqualmie ski area to Hyak where the state road ends at a parclo interchange (Exit 54) with Interstate 90.

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Exit 54 departs Interstate 90 east for SR 906 west and Hyak Drive south to Hyak, National Forest Road 9090 north and N.F. Road 4832 east to Gold Creek Valley. SR 906 follows a portion of old U.S. 10 through the Snoqualmie Pass area.

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Speed limits are variable throughout the Snoqualmie Pass area of Interstate 90. The limits are adjusted during periods of inclement weather and displayed on dynamic message boards such as the one at Coal Creek.

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Interstate 90 turns southward along the western slope of Rampart Ridge from Hyak along Keechelus Lake. The freeway reaches Cle Elum in 30 miles and Ellensburg in 55 miles.

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Mount Catherine rises to the west of Keechehlus Lake.

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Cold Creek flows through a valley between Mount Catherine and Roaring Ridge to the west of the Keechelus Lake.

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Interstate 90 along Keechelus Lake was reconstructed and widened to six lanes as part of three phase project by WSDOT. Commencing in Spring 2019, the first phase extended southeast from Exit 54 to the former Price Creek Sno-Park.

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The Mountains to Sound Greenway spreads across 1.5 million acres of forest land and mountains surrounding Interstate 90 from Seattle through the Cascade Range. The greenway initiative protects lands in the mountains east of the Emerald City from development while showcasing parks and public forests.¹

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The source of the Yakima River, Keechelus Lake is a natural body of water that doubles as a reservoir. An earthened dam constructed in 1917 regulates the lake's capacity and discharge rate.²

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Protecting the roadway from avalanches, a snowshed originally built for U.S. 10 in 1950 covered the westbound lanes along I-90 beside Keechelus Ridge. The structure was removed in 2013.³

08/31/06

The I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project removed the snowshed and replaced it with a pair of bridges built over a series of engineered avalanche paths that allow the passage of sliding snow and rock debris between its supports.³

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Interstate 90 rounds another steep hillside before turning eastward.

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The Yakima River commences a 214 mile long course to the Columbia River at the Tri-Cities from the southeast end of Keechelus Lake.

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Nearing the east end of Keechelus Lake, where the Yakima River begins its 214 mile course to the Columbia River at the Tri-Cities.

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Westward view of Roaring Ridge to the north. The valley at center conceals Lost Lake from view.

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Iron Horse Trail lines the west side of Keechelus Lake as a rail trail over the former Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad. The trail is accessible from Interstate 90 at Easton.

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Leaving Keechelus Lake, the earthened dam that contains the lake appears to the south. Interstate 90 parallels the Yakima River eastward into Kittitas Valley.

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The Price Creek Sno-Park took the place of former rest areas just east of Keechelus Lake. The construction of the Keechelus Lake Wildlife Overcrossing replaced the parking area.

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The succeeding exit along Interstate 90 east is for Kachess Lake Road north and Stampede Pass Road west.

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Stampede Pass Road ascends westward through Stampede Pass (elevation 3,700 feet) to become National Forest Road 54 west en route to Stampede and Lester. Kachess Lake Road meanders north from the diamond interchange at Exit 62 to a campground near Box Canyon.

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Interstate 90 continues one mile from Stampede Pass Road to a diamond interchange (Exit 63) with Cabin Creek Road.

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Cabin Creek Road connects Interstate 90 with N.F. Road 4823 south to the Cabin Creek Cultural Center and N.F. Road 4826 north to Kachess Lake Road.

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Southeast from Cabin Creek Road, Interstate 90 travels 22 miles to Cle Elum, 47 miles to Ellensburg and 217 to Spokane.

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Interstate 90 encircles Amabilis Mountain (elevation 4,554 feet) ahead of a roadway split south of Kachess Lake.

06/28/15

I-90 leaves Wenatchee National Forest south of Amabilis Mountain. Part of the $335 million I-90 - Snoqualmie Pass East - Cabin Creek Interchange to West Easton Interchange (Phase 3) project, eastbound traffic shifted to a side by side configuration with the westbound roadway between mileposts 68 and 70. This temporary configuration was made while work builds a new eastbound roadway.⁴

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The succeeding exit on I-90 east is for the unincorporated community of Easton and Lake Easton State Park.

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The diamond interchange (Exit 70) joining I-90 with Lake Easton Road lies adjacent to Lake Easton. Lake Easton Road parallels the freeway southeast into Easton, while Sparks Road follows the east side of I-90 near Kachess Dam to N.F. Road 4828.

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The second exit for Easton is one mile to the southeast for Cabin Creek Road near the community center and Tree Farm Road by the Easton Ponds.

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Interstate 90 runs east along Lake Easton State Park by this confirming marker posted after Exit 70.

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Cabin Creek Road connects Interstate 90 with Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, a 285 mile long trail system following the former Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad line from the western Cascades to the Idaho border.⁵

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Interstate 90 spans the Yakima River for the first time at Exit 71 to Cabin Creek Road in Easton.

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Tree Farm Road ties into Exit 71 as a north side frontage road from the Sun Island community.

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Railroad Street (old U.S. 10) and the BNSF Railroad parallel Interstate 90 to the south.

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The city of Cle Elum, a community of 2,114 per the 2020 census, is next on Interstate 90 east in 13 miles. Spokane is three hours away.

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Forthcoming W Nelson Siding Road loops south from Cresto Road, Lavender Road and the diamond interchange at Exit 74.

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Lavender Lake lies just north of Exit 74 while W Nelson Siding Road extends east to Golf Course Road at the settlement of Nelson.

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Golf Course Road arcs 0.9 miles northeast from Westside Road along Sun Country Golf & RV Park to Hundley Road adjacent to Interstate 90 at Exit 76.

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A diamond interchange joins Interstate 90 with Golf Course Road at Exit 78. Hundley Road runs along the north side of the freeway west to Ensign Ranch and east to few homes adjacent to the Yakima River.

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Closed by 2021, a rest area was located along I-90 eastbound following the second crossing of the Yakima River.

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Diverging from the adjacent BNSF Railroad, I-90 advances a half mile east from the former weigh station to the diamond interchange (Exit 80) with Bullfrog Road.

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Bullfrog Road meanders northeast to Washington State Horse Park at west Cle Elum to a roundabout with SR 903, just south of the city of Roslyn.

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Just east of Exit 80, Interstate 90 crosses the Cle Elum River along a pair of steel through truss bridges.

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The westbound span for Interstate 90 across the Cle Elum River was added in 1962.

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The eastbound span along Interstate 90 over the Cle Elum River was built in 1949 for U.S. 10.

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Interstate 90 continues east along the Cle Elum city line to the city center in three miles. Ellensburg is 27 miles further.

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Old U.S. 10 branches east from I-90 along 1st Street through Cle Elum at upcoming Exit 84. 1st Street was also a former Business Loop for Interstate 90.

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A wye interchange (Exit 80) connects I-90 with 1st Street east to SR 903 and the Cle Elum city center. Cle Elum Way passes south under I-90 to the town of South Cle Elum from nearby.

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