Over the years, we have visited the Silverwood Theme park many times. Coming from the Puget Sound area, we have a handful of favorite stops we like to make along the way. We are sharing those with you to hopefully make your planning process easier and make memories that will last your family a lifetime.
Seattle to Silverwood is around a 5-hour trip. These stops will add time to your trip, BUT they will turn the road trip into part of your vacation time too.
If you want to make it a two night trip (with an overnight stop), we recommend staying in either:
· Moses Lake – because lodging is affordable, and there is an affordable water park to enjoy for the day.
or
· Spokane – enjoy the Riverfront park and more that this area has to offer. You will be close to your destination here, but there is enough to do to make it worth an overnight stop.
In all honestly, the stretch of 1-90 from the Seattle area to Idaho is not the most scenic route you will ever travel. That being said, there are several fun spots that you can build into your road trip. We do not do all these stops in one trip, but you can pick and choose the ones that work best for your family and your timeline.
Our Favorite Stops for a Puget Sound to Silverwood Road Trip Itinerary:
First stop, Snoqualmie Falls, to stretch your legs.
There is a parking lot that you can cross the street and easily view the falls from, making this an easy stop if you love waterfalls.
You will also find the North Bend Outlet Malls in this area if you wanted to build some shopping into your trip. The mountain backdrop to this outdoor mall is gorgeous!
Mountain High Hamburgers for an affordable meal – or just a milkshake break!
We have been stopping here for burgers, shakes, and fries for years. It is effortless to get on and off the freeway; they have lots of milkshake flavors and delicious burgers. You can drive through, sit indoors, or our favorite – eat at one of their outdoor picnic tables.
Stop in Roslyn for a quick walk & lunch
Looking for a sit-down meal that is not burgers? The Roslyn Cafe is probably the most well-known restaurant in this area, from the filming of Northern Exposure. If you are a fan, this is your spot. Our favorite is Roslyns Mexican Grill. The food is amazing, and the ambiance lovely. If you want to feed a family on more of a budget, stop by Village Pizza next door.
Or, head into Cle Elum
There is a beautiful winery at the Suncadia Resort and other restaurant options (beautiful views over the Cle Elum River at Portals). Enjoy miles of walking trails if you want to stroll after eating, and before getting back into the car.
In downtown Cle Elum, our favorite spots is Beaus Pizza & Pasta. The ambiance is nice, and you can order delicious pasta dishes or save some money and share a pizza.
Just need a snack – check out the Thorp Fruit and Antique Mall
Before you hit Ellensburg, you will see the Thorp Fruit and Antique Mall. It makes a nice stop to get some healthy snacks on your road trip, as well as some gourmet items (like lots of different flavored jellies or hot sauces).
Pack your own food & enjoy a Picnic at the Irene Rhinehart Riverfront Park in Ellensburg
Ellensburg is around a halfway point. It offers lots of restaurants to pick from and is a great spot to grab gas or a cup of coffee.
We like to stop in Ellensburg if we have packed our lunch. The Irene Rhinehart Riverfront Park is easy to get to from the freeway, and you can enjoy a picnic with a riverfront view (and other activities to stretch your legs).
Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park
If you really want to move your legs, check out the Ginkgo Petrified Forest nearby. There are lots to see and do here, like Columbia River views, outdoor exhibits of petrified wood, and much more (you will need a Discover Pass).
Wild Horse Monument in Quincy, WA.
Shortly after you cross the Vantage bridge, up on the right, you will find the Wild Horse Monument. It is a short uphill hike to the iron horses and a great place to let kids stretch their legs (have them race to the top to get some wiggles out).
Moses Lake – A good spot to stay overnight
Moses Lake can be a pretty affordable overnight stop. Lodging in the area is reasonable, and The Surf & Slide Waterpark is here, making it a great overnight choice if you want to break your trip into two days. Plus, they have a Flo Rider!
Spokane Riverfront Park
If you are looking for an overnight stay, with plenty to do, consider this one. Check out our favorite Spokane hotels to stay in for families that provide you easy access to all the fun. Find the riverfront park, with gondola rides over the falls, roller skating, a carousel, miles of paved walking trails, and more! You can also access Silverwood from this area if you wanted to stay a night and easily make it to the park the next day.
Coeur d’Alene Idaho
This is usually the last stop on our road trip prior to heading to Silverwood. There is lots to do here, from a castle-themed park, lake with boat rides and a beach, restaurants, shops, hikes and more!
And this was just the warm-up…now your ready for the real fun at your final destination – Silverwood!
Meet The Conductor
Sia Hi
lls has been blogging professionally for over 10 years, and currently co-owns Thrifty Northwest Mom with her business partner, Jen Dotson. Thrifty Northwest Mom is a lifestyle blog, sharing money saving tips for travel, online shopping, DIY and more. She currently lives in the South Puget Sound area of Washington, and loves the Pacific Northwest. Sia’s favorite thing to do is to spend time with her family, whether at home or out exploring the world together, and enjoys sharing tips to help other families do that too.
Don’t Forget To Enter To Win 2 Tickets To The Park!
Comments (35)
love this place
Great places to visit. Snoqualmie falls is so beautiful i love going there with the fam.
Haven’t been out yet this year. Would love to take the family!
Great info on places to visit! 🙂
We always stop at the outlet malls and Ellensburg for lunch on our way across the state.
We live in Sandpoint, so I might have to do a reverse road trip!
Thank you for this! We are headed there from Seattle next month!
It’s been years since we’ve been to Silverwood. We drove straight through to Idaho though. Thanks for the ideas on places to stop along the way.
Loved hearing about your road trips to silverwood! Sounds like you stopped at a loy of great places
Loved hearing about your road trips to silverwood! Sounds like you stopped at a lot of great places
Very good blog
We love silverwood and the staff is nice and it so clean out there
Cannot wait to stop at some of these places on the way!
Cannot wait to stop at some of these places
Many great things to enjoy in the NW but especially Silverwood!
From Seattle, we drove along the 2 and stopped by Leavenworth, Dry Falls, and Coulee Dam. It was definitely longer but there were very beautiful water areas, gorges, and agriculture land along the way!
We are heading to Silverwood next week – can’t wait!
Thank you! We are headed to Spokane Valley from the Portland area on Sunday, and our first Silverwood trip starts Monday. Can’t wait!
Used to make that trip all the time when we lived in Seattle. Thanks for that walk down memory lane!
Silverwood is such a fun place to go with family and friends! I wish they would make it more affordable for families though so we could all actually go as a family.!
Heading there August 1st!! This was EVERYTHING I needed!
Some of my favorite places! Can’t wait to go to Silverwood sometime.
I have many fond memories coming here as a kid, and now I am looking forward to bringing children here to create more memories!
My favorite spot is the Spokane Riverfront Park.
I look forward to checking out the other locations.
Planning our first ever trip in a few weeks! Excited to take the family.
Looking forward to trying out some of these stops on our next drive to Silverwood. Thanks for the ideas.
We come from Oregon so our favorite place to stop is the Country Mercantile in Pasco Washington. I’ve been going there for 20+ years and it’s changed so much. They’ve always had great fruit but now they have awesome chocolate, candy, sandwiches and their salsa is amazing! Can’t wait for our next trip!
Shopping makes every trip extra fun haha
I took a road trip from Renton, Washington to silverwood last year, and didn’t think about any of these stops! We mostly straight-shotted the trip because we were way too excited LOL! We also left renton at 7pm and it was a 4.5 hour trip, so we didn’t get to Idaho until almost 1:30. However, I am definitely going to plan to leave super early the day of so I can go to all of these beautiful stops along the way!!!
Oh this was perfect timing! My family is going for the first time and I was trying to figuring out other stops for our trip. Leaving from Puyallup!👍👏 thank you so much for this!!
I can’t wait to make this trip next weekend!
Thanks for the info Last time we were there we came from Oregon. This time we are coming from WA. Great things are going to happen in our trip this time. Our family is in need for a good time. We will be on our way soon! Can’t wait! Our grandchildren are going to squeel really loud when they find out where they are going! Grandpa & Grammie are excited too! ☀️💦⛲
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