Elbe, WA

Elbe, Washington

Elbe is one of the smallest towns in the state with only 5 streets and 29 people. The town was named after the valley of Elbe in Germany, which is where one of the first settlers of this town, Henry Lutkens, was originally from. Henry donated much of his property and materials to the town to help build the first school. The town is surrounded by a dense forest full of beautiful evergreen trees.

Mt. Rainier Railroad & Logging Museum

The Mt. Rainier Railroad & Museum offers visitors exciting 2-hour train rides in vintage locomotives as they pass through 14 miles of dense forests, lush meadows, and next to clear mountain streams before arriving at the Logging Museum. The museum provides guests with the opportunity to explore fascinating exhibits to learn the stories behind the first settlers of the railroad logging camps back in the early 1900’s.

Elbe Bar & Grill

This tavern is a hotspot among the locals with a big screen TV, a karaoke machine, live music, and delicious food and drinks including a plethora of different beers on tap!

Alder Lake

Alder Lake is a 7-mile-long lake that is part of the Nisqually River, and it was created when the Alder Dam was constructed in 1944. Elbe is located at the far eastern end of the lake. The lake was named after the town of Alder which was demolished back in 1945 by a flood from the nearby river before the dam was built.

The Nisqually River is quite extensive, as it spans between 3 different counties in the state. Alder Lake is open year-round for fishing, and some types of fish you can expect to find include rainbow trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie, and bullhead catfish.