We highly recommend getting the Alltrails app so you can see the map (even without cell service) and make sure youre going the right way. Adventure joined a group of our friends on a trip up to the Enchantments in Washington. My favorite waterfall's still in its winter coat. Hiking the Enchantments means your jaw will drop at every turn. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness named "The Enchantments" draws explorers from all over the world. If you do not get a permit through the lottery, there is still hope! Camping here is best on two-night backpacking trips. There are numerous epic campsites along the trail; however, where you can camp overnight depends strictly on the permit you receive. Was the road to Stuart Lake Trailhead scary or just extremely bumpy? Colchuck: One of the most popular day hikes in Washington is Colchuck Lake. Website built with love byDreamworthy Design. Required fields are marked *. We are big fans of Wild Zora backpacking meals, especially the beef ones, as they are super natural and healthy. This is the recommended starting trailhead to hike through the Enchantments, as you will climb up the steep Aasgard Pass instead of scrambling down the steep trail. Once here, depending on your schedule, you may want to camp overnight. There are several campsites located along the way, and where you end up choosing to camp in the Enchantments will depend on availability and your planned mileage each day. No clue if this is beneficial but it does feel like it's getting easier. Not in June. The trail up Aasgard Pass looks a little unlike a trail at times, with the steep terrain and loose footing requiring hands-and-feet scrambling to reach the top. Four of us applied together and each put the same dates, zones, etc. While Aasgard Pass terrifies us, we want to experience it once in our lifetime and wed rather do it without the heavy packs. The Enchantments as a whole is gorgeous, but there are a few spots that you should especially check out and spend some time at. Dont be fooled that you are reaching the end here, even though you are leaving the lake basin! If you do not have prior wilderness backpacking experience, first try some shorter trips to learn how to pack, improve your fitness level, and practice backpacking skills. The Snow Lake trailhead is near a large parking lot next to the creek. The best season to hike to the lakes is summer and early fall, namely late July/August to September/early October. Depending on your fitness and availability, the time for hiking the Enchantments trail varies. The Stuart/Colchuck Lake trailhead is down a VERY rough forested road. October 11, 2021. When is the best season to go? Hiking The Enchantments in Washington . Depending on snow conditions, you may also want to bring gaiters to protect your boots from getting filled with snow. We spent hours doing this one day and it saved us from being bored as we were cooped up in our tent! To obtain one of these, you will need to arrive at the ranger station early in the morning on the day you wish to start your trip. will reward you with views of a lifetime. With shimmering alpine lakes, glaciers, rugged mountain peaks, wildflower-dotted meadows, and the ubiquitous mountain goats, this wilderness area has a pristine, untouched beauty that is getting increasingly difficult to find. Where is the Enchantments hike? We hope to inform, inspire, and empower you to get outside, see this incredible world, and find your WILD! Where did yall set up your tent and take that photo from the inside looking out??? living on the road in ourself-converted sprinter van! At 20 miles long and with just under 5,000 feet of elevation gain, hiking the Enchantments is a serious undertaking regardless of your fitness level. As the trail winds through the lakes surrounded by lichen-covered rocks beneath the rugged mountain peaks, you will find more campsites. Enchantments Hike Specs: Length: 23.6 mi Elevation gain: 5,003 ft Route type: Point to point Heres a quick rundown of each one! Hello from the Florida Keys! Mile 11: The shores of the Snow Lakes are the last large group of campsites. Youre all packed and now its time to start the hike! Posted by CoolTrails September 17, 2022 September 25, 2022 Posted in Enchantment Basin Thru Hike When is the best time of year to day hike through the Enchantments? Day 1: Hike to Snow Lake and set up campDay 2: Explore the Core area all day and then head back your campsite at Snow LakeDay 3: Hike out through Colchuck. Want to discover more trails in Washington? Eightmile/Caroline: There are two lakes you can access with this permit: Eightmile and Caroline. Second, waste management in the Enchantments is difficult since the area receives a high amount of use. These permits can be difficult to secure, as most of them are drawn on a lottery. However, obtaining wilderness permits has become increasingly competitive in recent years, which throws in another logistical obstacle. After getting b, Our beautiful home in Mrida! Through-hiking the Enchantments in one day will challenge and reward you, but it's not for everyone. You can often find us driving all around the US and Canada, scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (were a 5+ taco and 2+ scoop household), and enjoying nature. Most see this coveted area by day hiking to some of the closer lakes (Colchuck Lake is popular), but to really experience the core of the Enchantments, an elusive overnight permit is required. Stuart: The Stuart zone is named after Lake Stuart, which is a 9 mile round trip hike. When the landscape is snow-covered, the lakes may be frozen and not distinguishable from the rest of the landscape. This can be a good place to plan for a night of rest if downhill hiking presents difficulty. Most hikers start from Stuart Lake, and we recommend this direction as well. This means that you will start at one trailhead and end your hike at another, without retracing your steps. $21.95 Day Hiking Central Cascades by Craig Romano . The maximum group size is 8 people. The setting is absolutely beautiful, but camping here leaves the bulk of the hike, including Aasgard Pass, for the next day. In addition to physical preparation, an understanding of wilderness travel and first aid will greatly improve your trip if anything goes wrong. Thanks! The Enchantments Thru-Hike point-to-point Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Hiked on 10/9/2021 Start: Stuart Lake Trailhead Destination: Snow Lakes Trailhead View Hike Track View Gallery Distance: 18.12 mi. The summer temperatures drop (it occasionally reaches a scorching 100 degrees in July and August!) The most challenging section of the trail is between Colchuck Lake and the Core Enchantment Zone. Many consider it one of the most beautiful areas of the state. The best times to hike in the Enchantments are lake summer and early fall. Note: this guide contains affiliate links, which means that if you use the links provided and make a purchase, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. You are likely to encounter snow in the Enchantments area between mid-October through mid-July, and during this time period you will want to pack microspikes for travelling on potentially slippery snow, especially when traveling on the steeper sections of the trail. Bear CanisterWhile we did not see any bears during our trip, we always pack a bear canister when in the wilderness to safely store our food. At one end, the hike begins at the Stuart Lake Trailhead. External chargerThis is a must for a multi-day backpacking trip! Redwood National Park in California - (https://youtu.be . I've read trip reports at nwhiker.net and portlandhikers.org for the off season that inspired my warning : ) Also just the cascades in general in June. Ambitious day hikers will be richly rewarded for tackling all 20 miles in a day. Enchantment Area Wilderness Permits The rugged and beautiful Enchantment Permit Area is contained within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. To mitigate the heat, it is suggested that you start hiking early in the day and aim to arrive at your evening campsite before midday. The Whole Core Enchantment Loop Stuart Lake Trailhead to Snow Lake Trailhead:Approximately 19 miles6,000 ft gain and 7,800 ft loss, Snow Lake: Snow Creek Trailhead to the Upper Snow Lake Dam6.5 miles (one way + another 1.5 miles to the far end of the lake)3,800 ft elevation gain. The descent from here is long and tedious, and the large decline in elevation challenges most hikers. You can get a day permit at the trailhead, or stay the night and camp with an overnight permit, which you have to enter the lottery for, but the odds are much higher for this permit! In 2018 (still waiting on 2019 numbers), 17,586 people applied for 708 Core permitsgiving them a 4% chance to snag one. Day 4: Hike out through Colchuck. Now the hard part: getting a permit. Looking up from Leprechaun Lake. You will want to make sure you have cars at both trailheads (see The Trailheads section below). Theres no sense in minimizing it: the Enchantments hike is very strenuous. Hiking through the Enchantments core is beautiful and memorable. Nearly devoid of vegetation, the landscape has been molded by ancient glacial activity, with countless sparkling blue lakes dotting the dramatic rock formations. And do it on a hot daya record-breaking hot day is even better. Most backpackers choose to visit during this window. The miles of steep, rocky terrain are relentless and because youre at high elevation, you often have to combat Mother Nature, too. These campsites are located after the beginning of the steepest descent on the trail, a great Enchantments camping location to rest your knees for the continued descent during the next day. Cathole TrowelNature may call during your trip and when it does, youll need a cathole trowel! To visit the Enchantments, you can either thru-hike the entire distance as one long day hike, or you can backpack and complete the hike over the course of multiple days and nights. One of Washingtons best hikes, the Enchantments absolutely lives up to the hype (and its name!). The Enchantments are one of the most enchanting (sorry, we had to!) However, you obviously cant rely on or plan around hitch-hiking and not everyone is comfortable with it. The Snow Lake trailhead is off of Icicle Creek Road and has a decent parking lot. On average, 10 active hours for typical hiking speed of 1000 ft/hr. : 7835 ft. Min. . A hike through the Enchantments is a very strenuous hike. Enjoy this walking video tour of the Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail in Redwood National Park in California. Take a left at this intersection, then follow the dirt road for 4 miles until reaching the Stuart Lake trailhead. Day and overnight visitors need to check the weather and be prepared for all weather types throughout the season. The Yucatn Peninsula is the heart of the ancient, The cenotes tour we booked through @airbnbexperien. To do the car shuttle, you will need to first drop a car off at the Snow Lakes trailhead, then gather at the Stuart Lakes Trailhead to begin your hike. Both trailheads get really busy, so arrive early! En route, youll spot the craggy peaks of the Enchantments without a thigh-burning climb. Before setting out on this trip, make sure you are physically ready for a strenuous hike through the wilderness! On the AllTrails map, I believe it was around the 14.9 mile mark (close to the restroom) https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/washington/the-enchantments-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-static-map&ref=sidebar-view-full-map. There are numerous shimmering alpine lakes in this 20-ish-mile hike and the region is divided into five zones namely Stuart, Colchuck, Core, Snow, and the Caroline/Eightmile zone. To reach the Snow Lakes trailhead to drop a car for your return trip, you will need to head into Leavenworth. These campsites are located along the shoreline and provide excellent views of the brilliantly blue lake. Mile 4: There are many campsites at Colchuck Lake around mile 4 from the trailhead. Join. One awesome thing about this permit is that you can camp in any of the zones, which gives you a lot of flexibility in your trip! Is the heart of the most enchanting ( sorry, we want to camp overnight depends strictly the! 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