The White River drains the northeastern face of Mount Rainier and runs through the Enumclaw valley before joining the Puyallup River. The river corridor offers accessible hiking and fishing close to town, with several trail sections open for mountain biking as well. In summer the river runs milky green from glacier melt, in winter it can run heavy with rain.
The Enumclaw to Buckley section of the Foothills Trail follows the old interurban railway corridor and is one of the easier flat trail options in an area otherwise defined by mountain terrain. The trail passes through farmland and second-growth forest, with views of the Cascades on clear days.