Ellensburg: Cycling Routes, History and Rodeo

Ellensburg combines designated hiking and cycling routes with historic sites and the rodeo. If you’re looking for a hotel for a trip to Ellensburg, you can first choose a focus based on the purpose of your visit: Would you like to spend time outdoors, explore local history or travel for an event? The specific offerings vary in length, theme and character.

Routes by Distance, Course by Difficulty Level

The City of Ellensburg offers maps for several hiking and cycling routes; the listed distances range from 1.67 to 7.5 miles. This gives you a range of distances to guide your selection. One designated cycling loop is 4.8 miles long and includes N. Alder Park, the P2C Trail, CWU and the 7th Avenue Bike Boulevard. This loop offers specific features in addition to its distance, while the maps cover routes of several lengths. You can decide in advance whether to compare different routes by distance or choose the described loop and its named features.

The Mountain Bike Skills Course in Ellensburg covers 2.3 acres and offers different difficulty levels for everyone from beginners to experienced riders. Along with route distance, skill level is another factor to consider: You can assess routes by their distance and the course by the difficulty levels offered. This lets you choose between a route and a course as different cycling options.

Ellensburg’s History: From Museum to Historic Districts

The Kittitas County Historical Museum is located in historic downtown Ellensburg, and admission is free. If you’re planning a visit focused on local history, you can include the museum in your cultural itinerary at no admission cost.

The historical context extends beyond the museum. The Downtown Ellensburg Historic District was approved for listing on the National Register in 1977. The historic Northern Pacific Railway Passenger Depot is located in Ellensburg; the First Railroad Addition Historic District is a historic residential district in the city. These examples differ in type: the Downtown Ellensburg Historic District is a historic district, the depot is a railway building, and First Railroad Addition is a residential district. If you’re interested in local history, you can view districts and buildings as different aspects of the architectural heritage.

Tours and Events

At Olmstead Place Historical State Park, an indoor tour may include the log cabin built in 1875 and covers the history of the Olmstead-Smith family. Outdoor tours may cover historical, natural or cultural topics. The types of tours have different focuses: the indoor tour connects the family history with the possible inclusion of the log cabin, while outdoor tours may cover a range of topics.

The Ellensburg Rodeo hosts a stop on the PRCA Xtreme Bulls Tour. If the rodeo is the reason for your trip, check the specific event dates before booking a hotel.

Getting There and Finding a Hotel

For road access, Ellensburg is within reach of I-90, US Hwy 97 and I-82. This adds a practical travel consideration to the cycling and cultural themes. When searching for hotels in Ellensburg, you can then consider the focus of your trip: cycling routes and the Skills Course, local history or a rodeo date. Search for hotels in Ellensburg and compare the details of specific offerings based on your own needs.

Discover more destinations: Kittitas, Snoqualmie Pass, Ronald, Cle Elum

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