Enumclaw weather--Current forecast

Outdoors & River

Trails, river conditions, parks, foothills, weather-adjacent recreation, and getting outside.

A black-tailed deer buck with velvet-covered antlers walks through a wildflower meadow in front of a stand of conifers along the Myrtle Falls Trail in Mount Rainier National Park, with two more deer out of focus in the grass behind it.

Outdoors & River/October 16, 2026

Hunting season in Washington, the dates hikers should know

Hunting season in Washington, 2026: rifle deer Oct. 17 to Nov. 1 near Enumclaw, rifle elk Nov. 7 to 18 on the plateau. Where hunting is barred, what to wear.

A broad band of green aurora, with pink and violet rays rising above it, arcs across a starry sky over a dark mountain ridgeline with patches of snow.

Outdoors & River/October 16, 2026

Northern lights in Washington, when and where to look

Northern lights in Washington: the Kp to watch, the hours and season that count, how to read the forecast, and where near Enumclaw you may be after dark.

A chairlift runs down through snowy firs toward the Stevens Pass base area, with lodges, parking lots and a curving highway in the valley below and snow-streaked forested ridges under a pale sky.

Outdoors & River/October 15, 2026

Ski areas near Tacoma and Enumclaw, with winter road miles

Ski areas near Tacoma and Enumclaw by winter road miles: Crystal 40 from Enumclaw, White Pass 119 once Cayuse closes, 2026 opening dates and night skiing.

The three rust-red steel arches of the Foothills Trail bridge over the White River at Buckley, Washington, seen from one approach in May 2025, with driftwood on the riverbank below.

Outdoors & River/October 14, 2026

Foothills Trail from Enumclaw to Puyallup, every trailhead

Foothills Trail from Enumclaw to Puyallup: about 24 paved miles, every trailhead and its parking, the rules, and the bridge work scheduled for late 2026.

The Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier buried in snow to its dormer windows, with the Tatoosh Range behind it under a clear sky.

Outdoors & River/October 13, 2026

Is Mount Rainier open in winter? Yes, by one road

Is Mount Rainier open in winter? Yes, by car through one entrance. The Enumclaw route, Longmire gate hours, the chain rule, what is open at Paradise, and fees.

Cars parked in a plowed Sno-Park lot between deep snow berms and snow-covered fir trees at Crystal Springs Sno-Park, under a gray sky crossed by a power line.

Outdoors & River/October 13, 2026

Sno-Park permit in Washington, $25 a day or $50 a season

Sno-Park permit in Washington: $25 a day or $50 a season, $3 more at vendors. Where to buy it, the $70 sticker, the three lots east of Enumclaw and the fine.

Golden chanterelle mushrooms, picked and laid on weathered wooden boards, with the ridged undersides of their caps toward the camera.

Outdoors & River/October 12, 2026

Mushroom picking permits in Washington, land by land

Need a mushroom picking permit in Washington? Near Enumclaw: a free forest permit, a gallon a day at Mount Rainier, two in state parks, a 5-gallon state line.

Skiers spread down a wide groomed run on Crystal Mountain under low cloud, with red gondola cabins and a lift tower in the middle distance and snow-covered ridges beyond.

Outdoors & River/October 12, 2026

When does Crystal Mountain open? Most years, in November

When does Crystal Mountain open? Most seasons in November; by our count the median is Nov. 22. The resort has set Nov. 27, 2026, pending conditions.

Clear blue water of Mowich Lake under a cloudless sky, with a forested ridge and gray cliffs rising behind it and a drift log at the right edge of the shore.

Outdoors & River/October 9, 2026

How to get to Mowich Lake with the Fairfax Bridge closed

How to get to Mowich Lake with the Fairfax Bridge closed: no road, no public detour, and a walk of about 27 miles each way. Tolmie Peak is farther still.

Snow lies heavy on the drooping branches of tall evergreen trees beside a snowy slope, with low sunlight showing between the trunks.

Outdoors & River/October 9, 2026

Christmas tree permit near Enumclaw, $10 for up to 15 feet

A Christmas tree permit near Enumclaw costs $10 a tree at Recreation.gov, plus a fee. Sales open Nov. 12, 2026; the season runs Nov. 14 to Dec. 31.

A two-lane mountain highway under fresh snow, marked by tire tracks and a double yellow centerline, curves between snow-laden evergreens and a rocky bank under a gray sky.

Outdoors & River/October 9, 2026

When does Chinook Pass close? As early as October 24

When does Chinook Pass close? Usually in November: the median since 1935 is Nov. 16, but it has closed for winter as early as Oct. 24. How to check today.

A weathered wooden sign reading Kanaskat Palmer State Park and Welcome, with the Washington State Parks shield, stands behind boulders and fallen leaves at the edge of a forest road.

Outdoors & River/October 9, 2026

Which pass do I need near Enumclaw? Park by park

Which pass do I need near Enumclaw? Discover Pass, Northwest Forest Pass or none: it depends on who runs the lot, and two parks near town list no fee at all.

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