About Lester
Lester is a ghost town in King County, Washington, situated near Stampede Pass just south of Snoqualmie Pass. The Northern Pacific Railway established the settlement in 1892, giving it its origins as a railroad community. Today the land is owned by Tacoma Water, a division of Tacoma Public Utilities, and the site is reached via National Forest Development Road 54.
Visitors come primarily out of historical curiosity. Because the land is under utility ownership rather than public park management, there are no developed visitor facilities, and what remains is modest at best. It is a quiet, remote stop suited to those interested in railroad history and the early settlement of the Cascades corridor.
Know before you go
12:40 PM
Sunrise
8:13 PM
Solar Noon
3:46 AM
Sunset
Golden Hour AM → 1:25 PM
Golden Hour PM ← 3:01 AM
🌔
Waxing Gibbous
99% illuminated
Peak Season End
Closes in 64 days
July — July conditions