Location: North Bend
Top Things to do in North Bend
Top 10 Things to do in North Bend, United States
North Bend is a city in King County, Washington, United States on the outskirts of the Seattle, Washington metropolitan area. The population was 6,739 in a 2016 census estimate.
Restaurants in North Bend
1. Snoqualmie Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Snoqualmie Falls is one of Washington state's most popular scenic attractions. More than 1.5 million visitors come to the Falls every year. At the falls, you will find a two-acre park, gift shop, observation deck, the Salish Lodge and the famous 270 foot waterfall.
Reviewed By David E - Honolulu, Hawaii
The drive from Seattle to Snoqualmie Falls on the 90-E is gorgeous. You see the Cascades throughout most of the drive. In March they were still covered in snow and it was just really a sight to see. It was also really cool driving on bridges over really large bodies of water. I mention these because they were my favorite things about my little detour to Snoqualmie Falls.
Reasons for the “Average” review:
1) The Parking Lot was not awesome. That I saw, there were 2 of them. One of them right next to the Gift shop was $5 and one of them across the street was FREE. The free one is accessible and not that far and really only shaves off like 3-5 mins of walking. Definitely worth doing to save the $5. The only problem is, the parking lot was large but was really still limited. It was surprising that it was that packed for a mediocre waterfall.
2) There is an upper viewpoint of the falls and it is pretty much right from the $5 parking lot. The falls are fine, but it is located literally right next to a hydroelectric plant. The plant is part of what makes Snoqualmie Falls unique but in both a good and a bad way. Yes, it’s neat that it was the first (I think) underground water powered plant (or something like that), BUT the appearance of the plant right next to the falls make it a little…ugly and not what nature intended.
3) There is a trail to the lower viewpoint of the falls. The trail is like 0.5 miles one-way and it is quite steep. Also, it is partially stroller friendly. I had a baby & stroller and the way down was a little challenging and I had to make sure I had good grip on the stroller. The trail is not paved, but gravelly which was ok. BUT, when you near the end of the trail, there are stairs. I had to abandon the stroller and carried my son to the end which was about another 5 minutes. The lookout point is closer to the water and a really similar view of the falls as the upper lookout. PLUS, the viewing area was REALLY small and crowded. The time this took up, the difficulty, and the crowd made this extra effort not worth it. I really regretted the extra walk (which I usually really love to do). Then, I had to deal with going back up the slope with the stroller. Not awesome.
4) And btw, the bottle of waters on sale at the gift shop were pricey. Decided not to get it. The water fountains there were not working at the time so just had to go without water which was unfortunate.
My advice, just do the upper lookout as the lower lookout really has nothing new or different to offer. And make sure you have a sufficient amount of water before you go to save some money. Oh yeah, and definitely go for the free parking.
2. Compass Outdoor Adventures
Overall Ratings
5 based on 61 reviews
*Bike Rentals * Corporate Events * Summer Camps Compass Outdoor Adventures was originally incorporated in 2006. The founder, Luke Talbott, was teaching fifth grade in the Snoqualmie Valley when he began to notice a trend in his students. Creative problem solving seemed to be taking a back seat to immediately quitting when something got difficult. Exploration and curiosity became secondary to playing it safe and relying on adults. He realized that to do something great, he would need to go outside the four walls of the classroom and get kids into an environment where they could truly learn what it is like to be alive. Starting in 2008, the first Compass summer camp began with a total of 12 kids. Campers hiked, biked, explored, and got dirty in the forested corridor of Interstate 90, all within 25 minutes of their homes. By 2016, over 400 summer campers, thousands of field trip participants, and hundreds of corporate folks were taken out into the wilderness and shown their true capacities were far more than they ever imagined. CREATE WORLD CLASS EXPERIENCES FOR BOTH ADULTS AND CHILDREN. ENCOURAGE CALCULATED RISK TAKING TO BUILD A SENSE OF ADVENTURE. INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO THE OUTDOORS AND THE FUN AVAILABLE.
Reviewed By John D
Our team decided to get out of the office and into nature for an afternoon. We came to Compass Outdoor Adventures to help us make the most of it -and boy, did we make the right choice! We went snowshoeing throughout the stunning Snoqualmie pass...MoreCome out any time John! Looking forward to adventuring out with you all again!
3. Fall City Wallaby Ranch
Overall Ratings
5 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By BDPenman
Rex runs this place with unparalleled passion about his animals and teaching the world about them. Only a few minutes from Snoqualmie Falls, it's definitely worth a visit. We called to book a visit with our little family and paid $60 for the 3 of us. (It's $10 per person for a group of 6 but still $60 if you are fewer than 6.) Rex oozes love for his animals and is even got choked up talking about them. He spends the first part of the tour giving a slide show talk about how the babies grow and then introduces you to the animals. They trust him so completely that they are all gentle and calm when guests come into their enclosures. My 8 year old loved it and will be going back a second time with her cousins.
I asked the B&B manager a few minutes up the road from the ranch and our server in a nearby restaurant and neither had ever heard of it. I asked Rex why nobody knows about him and he said he does zero advertising. He's not there to make a business out of the tours, just to welcome people who track him down and want to learn about his beloved animals.
4. Northwest Railway Museum
Overall Ratings
4 based on 122 reviews
The largest and oldest continuously operating railway museum in Washington State welcomes over 88,000 visitors yearly to its historic depot and 7 ½ acre developing Railway History Center. The museum’s collection of railway artifacts and equipment is one of the most significant in the United States and includes over 70 examples of locomotives, passenger and freight cars, and specialized railway equipment. Antique train excursions operate on weekends, April - October.
Reviewed By lovethemouse p - H
We did not go into the museum. We toured the historic depot grounds because historic trains were in full display. In front of each train, there are plaques with there service information. This would be great for kids, seniors and anyone who loves trains and wants to read about their history from the early 1900's. Informative and educational to read about and see these mammoth sized trains of an era long ago. Highly recommend it! It was a bit sad to see them decaying, out in the elements.
5. Rattlesnake Mountain Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 107 reviews
Reviewed By loveDCA - Seattle, Washington
This is one of Seattle’s most popular trails because it’s close to the city, has a large parking lot, has well-maintained trails, and offers beautiful views of the cascades. It’s worth it but expect crowds, even on the weekdays. Also don’t take your safety for granted, the cliffs are steep and unfortunately every year has had unfortunate events
6. Snoqualmie Casino
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 274 reviews
Reviewed By Barry E - Lake Stevens, Washington
The Casino is located in a great location with natural beauty all around. The elevation means that it is more likely to have snow than nearer sea level. But there is a parking garage that is next to the Casino. The game floor is beautiful, but they have crammed a lot of games into the space and movement is tight in many areas. The shops and such are open and attractive. The games are pretty tight and we lost our limit in a very short time, but that is gambling.
7. Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 48 reviews
Reviewed By glitterbugs - Issaquah, Washington
Visited at the end of August for a day at the lake with 4 kids aged 2 thru 7 during a 90 degree sunny northwest day.
It was our first time visiting and this place was beautiful. The water was clear but cold...but after a while, you get used to it. The trees and views of the mountain was amazing. When you think of going to a lake in the northwest(without the hiking in part) ...this is it. There were a few people in kayaks, inner tubes, and paddle boards.
Typically we go to Lake Sammamish via the Issaquah entrance...and Lake Sammamish is warmer but you don't get views like this. And Lake Sammamish gets a lot more crowded.
There is no close shops around so make sure to bring everything you need...including snacks.
This will be our new regular summer hangout when the weather gets 90+.
Tips::There is a grassy area to sit but no sand...just rocks. Bring pail and bucket for the kids.
Bring flip flops or some kind of water shoes to make walking around easier.
Don't forget your inner tubes to float around.
8. DirtFish Rally School
Overall Ratings
5 based on 26 reviews
DirtFish Rally School is a premier driving school with top notch professional instructors who teach people from all around the world how to rally; with an age range from 15 to 85 and skill levels of professional stunt drivers to people who have never driven a manual before, we do it all! We also provide team-building and employee incentive events for all budgets! Come by and see what our showroom has to offer, including a variety of merchandise,an Xbox Simulator Lounge, and all day, every day rally spectating!
Reviewed By ceibaforest - Ladysmith, Canada
My friends and I went to DirtFish for a half day rear wheel session. While the school is very professionally run and appointed (equipment, safety gear and cars etc), I was disappointed in how little driving we were able to do for the near $800 USD each for the half day.
10 people share 5 cars, taking turns. I didn't track exactly how many hours individuals spent driving but I figure it was less than 1/3 of the 4 hour afternoon session. Certainly there is a introductory session on safety and theory in the classroom which was good and necessary. But after that it seemed like lots of standing around waiting for your turn and waiting for the instructors to debrief or chat in between everyone's turn. All that ate into the time spent behind the wheel.
Another disappointment was the variability in the instructors. Some of my friends liked their instructor and some didn't. I found my instructor NEVER stopped talking and giving directions: "Do this, do that, do this" etc etc. I found I wasn't able to concentrate on driving but rather trying to figure out what the instructor wanted every half second. Since the instructor's voice is miked into your helmet/headset you couldn't hear the car engine or how the wheels where gripping/not gripping as feedback on how you where handling the car. I only could hear "Dothisdothatdothisdothat" the entire time. I didn't find it helpful after the first couple laps and it kind of became annoying as the afternoon went on. Everyone goes there to drive, not be drowned in instructions and not being able to hear yourself think and act.
One friend complained that his instructor wasn't very good period seeming unsure and contradictory in the instructing and driving department. I think most everyone else liked their instructors.
I feel that for the amount of money forked out for this session for 10 guys, we could have bought a beater car and driven to our hearts content in some field and do it again the next weekend and so on.
A lot of the guys I was with DID have a lot of fun but I didn't hear to much interest in coming back after it was all over. I don't think they had any regrets, but repeating the experience wasn't top of their list. The price ways heavy in making that decision.
Given the number of instructors, track maintainers, safety cone guys, and vehicle maintenance and wear and tear, and the well appointed building facilities, I don't think the price is unreasonable but the amount of fun for the dollar was an issue for me.
I wouldn't recommend the half day dirt fish session without raising the issues discussed above.
9. Mt Si
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 38 reviews
Reviewed By Katherine M
First: make sure you plan accordingly for a steep hike with some elevation gain-timing, weather, parking, etc.
The trailhead is well marked and maintained with some pit toilets and a trail map. Take a minute to check out the map or take a picture of it, because there are two or three points where the trail splits for Taulet Loop (or something close to that name).
There is quite a bit of parking, though it is a busy and popular hike. I arrived at 1:15pm and there were some open spots as most people had already started climbing or had returned.
There was some run off on the first parts of the trail, from the snow melt and two small creek passings that are easy to ford (thanks to trail maintenance!). About 40 minutes up there is a nice flat open area with two benches and then the switch backs continue.
About 2 miles in, there are some educational signs in the old growth forest with some wooden pathways-a great stopping point.
The switch backs continue and can be challenging. I was hiking alone and it can be mentally exhausting for a first timer, who doesn't have an idea about where you are or how much further. At 3.5 miles there is a mile marker post on the near side of the mountain-not sure if I missed the other ones, but it was good to see that one. At this point there was some snow and slush on the trail, some mud, but nothing too bad.
When you finally get to tree line and see the rocks, you will also see the people. There is plenty of room up there and I would recommend take a few minutes to go around the first rock scramble as there are some nice spots out of the wind with beautiful views of the sound and Mt. Rainier looks extremely close.
This is a great training hike for St. Helens and Rainier in terms of length and elevation gain, where some extra weight to get a good training run in.
10. Twin Falls
Overall Ratings
5 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By couplessPS - Snoqualmie, Washington
I have done this hike many times and take visitors who like to hike- just a wee bit out of North Bend- and then, immediately you are watching the full force of a great mountain river and two picturesque falls ( don't quite too early or you will miss the second one which is up close and personal). Its a great path in almost any weather but a downpour. Good parking too right at the start of the trail.
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