East Wenatchee, WA

Travel Guide

Living in the middle of a rainforest for the last  three decades has made me a huge fan of -- the desert.  Actually, anywhere east of the Cascades where the predominant climate veers towards the dry and ascetic, and the colors come in ranges and not a single verdant hue.

Don't get me wrong, I do not think I could live without the mountains and the forests and the alpine meadows.  It's just that, come winter, the sponge-bath they provide can become a little wearisome.

If you want the colors of the desert and the high plains, head East from the mountains and you won't have far to travel.  The general demarcation point in Washington for that switch in climate is probably Wenatchee.  It's a pleasant town, with all the amenities, and East Wenatchee is its next-door neighbor.

As you can see from this view, the landscape has completely transformed from the wetter, greener, and more mountainous terrain in the West to the austere pattern you see here.

There are plenty of places to hike on this side of the Cascades, including a set of very respectable mountain peaks.  But the sun actually makes an appearnce from time to time in the winter months.  And a face full of sunshine can change your outlook almost in an instant.
Living in the middle of a rainforest for the last  three decades has made me a huge fan of -- the desert.  Actually, anywhere east of the Cascades where the predominant climate veers towards the dry and ascetic, and the colors come in ranges and not a single verdant hue.

Don't get me wrong, I do not think I could live without the mountains and the forests and the alpine meadows.  It's just that, come winter, the sponge-bath they provide can become a little wearisome.

If you want the colors of the desert and the high plains, head East from the mountains and you won't have far to travel.  The general demarcation point in Washington for that switch in climate is probably Wenatchee.  It's a pleasant town, with all the amenities, and East Wenatchee is its next-door neighbor.

As you can see from this view, the landscape has completely transformed from the wetter, greener, and more mountainous terrain in the West to the austere pattern you see here.

There are plenty of places to hike on this side of the Cascades, including a set of very respectable mountain peaks.  But the sun actually makes an appearnce from time to time in the winter months.  And a face full of sunshine can change your outlook almost in an instant.
Winter closes in on the head of Lake Chelan at Stehekin. The Lake level is 22 feet below summer time levels for electrical generation purposes.
Wenatchee - Lake Chelan showing a lake or waterhole, mountains and railway items
Wenatchee - Lake Chelan featuring railway items, mountains and a lake or waterhole
Cedars Inn

Cedars Inn

3 out of 5
80 Ninth Street NE East Wenatchee WA
The price is NT$2,194 per night from Feb 1 to Feb 2
NT$2,194
NT$2,464 total
Feb 1 - Feb 2
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in East Wenatchee. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the pool ...
9/10 Wonderful! (1,298 reviews)
Clerk was informed and said the right stuff that I needed to know. Room was clean and she recommended I park around back so I could load or unload through the sliding glass door to the parking lot. Very helpful.

Reviewed on 2026/1/26

Cedars Inn
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Wenatchee

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Wenatchee

2.5 out of 5
201 Valley Mall Parkway East Wenatchee WA
The price is NT$3,160 per night from Feb 8 to Feb 9
NT$3,160
NT$3,611 total
Feb 8 - Feb 9
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this golf hotel in East Wenatchee. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in ...
9/10 Wonderful! (1,000 reviews)
It’s clean, it’s convenient. It’s 10 minutes to the airport so it’s an excellent place to stay if you’ve got to catch a 5 AM plane out of paying born airport.

Reviewed on 2026/1/22

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Wenatchee
SureStay Hotel by Best Western Wenatchee

SureStay Hotel by Best Western Wenatchee

2.5 out of 5
580 Valley Mall Parkway East Wenatchee WA
The price is NT$1,949 per night from Feb 6 to Feb 7
NT$1,949
NT$2,189 total
Feb 6 - Feb 7
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this hotel in East Wenatchee. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular attractions ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (906 reviews)
It was amazing

Reviewed on 2026/1/24

SureStay Hotel by Best Western Wenatchee
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Bavarian Lodge Suites

Bavarian Lodge Suites

4 out of 5
827 Front St Leavenworth WA
Stay at this aparthotel in Leavenworth. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and in-room massages. Popular attractions Front Street Park and Leavenworth Nutcracker ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (13 reviews)
This was a "layover" for us, after a week long cruise and before a week long road trip back to California. We came in Sunday afternoon, as Oktoberfest was wrapping up, so we ended up having a very quiet stay! This was a perfect place to reset; do laundry, watch some Netflix, get good sleep and not ...

Reviewed on 2025/11/10

Bavarian Lodge Suites
Desert Canyon Golf Resort

Desert Canyon Golf Resort

4 out of 5
1030 Desert Canyon Blvd Orondo WA
Book a stay at this golf aparthotel in Orondo. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Popular attractions Desert Canyon Golf Resort and Daroga State ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (20 reviews)
The staff was amazing. Our room was ready early which meant a lot to us. We were photographing a wedding in Chelan and its always nice to leave our stuff in a room and not in the car. The grounds were beautiful and it was nice to come back after a long day and relax in a wonderful and quiet room. ...

Reviewed on 2025/9/8

Desert Canyon Golf Resort
Water Street Retreat

Water Street Retreat

2 out of 5
110 Water St Chelan WA
Stay at this apartment in Chelan. Enjoy free parking and laundry facilities. Popular attractions Slidewaters at Lake Chelan and McKellar Cabin Trail are located ...
10/10 Exceptional! (1 review)
Donna was great to work with. Quick reply and very accommodating. We love the location due to the little beach across the street!

Reviewed on 2025/7/27

Water Street Retreat
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Reviews of East Wenatchee

4.1
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
47
5 - Excellent 35%
4 - Good
63
4 - Good 46%
3 - Okay
23
3 - Okay 17%
2 - Disappointing
3
2 - Disappointing 2%
1 - Terrible
0
1 - Terrible 0%

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveler

Too hot

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

El Parton is AMAZING mexican food! Wowzers

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

As a tourist location it's great.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

The best area I love the scenery

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

I would stay hear again.

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveler

I cant really say, I was passing through and stay the night.

Cities near East Wenatchee