Enumclaw

Enumclaw is a town in King County, Washington, surrounded by farmland and residential streets at 232 meters elevation near Mount Rainier National Park. The community includes a regional hospital and several schools operated by the local district serving families across the area.

The Northern Pacific Railroad reached this area in 1885, turning Frank and Mary Stevenson's homestead into a settlement that grew around the rail line. Dairy farming gradually replaced hop cultivation in the late 1800s and shaped the economy for generations that followed.

The town's name derives from a Sahaptin word meaning "he who makes noise," rooted in indigenous language. Local life today revolves around farming families and small businesses that maintain a rural character distinct from nearby urban centers.

The Virginia Mason St. Elizabeth Hospital sits near the center and provides basic medical services for residents and visitors. Grocery stores and fuel stations along Cole Street cover everyday needs, while Mount Rainier National Park begins about 19 miles (31 kilometers) to the southeast.

Dairy farms still dot the outskirts, continuing a tradition that took root after hop fields disappeared more than a century ago. Visitors often notice the contrast between residential streets and open pastures that begin right at the town edge.