Trail Opportunities:
North Cascades National Park Service Complex
The Stehekin Valley is in the heart of the North Cascades and is in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, part of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex. It is a major entryway into the mountains, providing access to some of the best hiking and backpacking in the world. Trails range from short one-mile hikes to major treks including the Pacific Crest Trail which extends from Canada to Mexico. Ask about trail listings from the Visitor Information Center in Chelan, the Chelan Ranger Station in Chelan, or the Golden West Visitor Center at Stehekin Landing. Check the website ComeToThe Lake.com for detailed Stehekin area trail information.
Free backcountry permits are needed for overnight stays at all North Cascades National Park Service Complex camps and they are available at ranger stations on a first-come first-serve basis up to a day in advance. Lakeside camps do not require a backcountry permit, but do require a $5/day or $40/season (May 1 to October 1) Lake Chelan Federal Dock Site permit.
Camping is only permitted in designated campsites and established cross-county zones. Party size is limited to 12 (6 in cross-country zones) and campfires are allowed only in provided fire rings and prohibited in subalpine areas. You can hike with your dog on a leash on trails in the Lake Chelan National Recreation area (the area around Stehekin) but not in the National Park except on the Pacific Crest Trail.
In case you forgot anything, you can find hiking and backcountry items as well as gift items at the House that Jack Built, and the Stehekin Landing Resort General Store, all located at Stehekin Landing. For power food and goodies, stop in at the Stehekin Pastry Company!
Many trailheads are near cabins and lodging in Stehekin.
North Cascades National Park
Golden West Visitor Center in Stehekin
(360) 854-7365 x 14
Chelan Ranger District (509) 682-4900
http://www.nps.gov/noca
Trail Opportunities:
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Chelan Ranger District
The Chelan Ranger District contains 422,000 acres surrounding the middle and upper lake reaches of Lake Chelan. Fourteen major trailheads provide starting points for 250 miles of maintained summer trails. Trails in the back-country include over 60 miles of varied terrain north and south of Lake Chelan open to motorcycles, as well as horses, mountain bikers and hikers. The remaining 190 miles of summer trails are non-motorized. Within the Glacier Peak and Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness Areas, trails are open to hikers and most sections are also open to horses and similar stock animals. Within the Glacier Peak Wilderness the group size for hiking, riding and camping is limited to 12 heartbeats including stock animals. Within the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness the group size is limited to 12 people and up to 18 head of stock.
Trail opportunities are many. They range from short day hikes near Chelan, Lucerne Landing and Holden Village areas, to overnight trips across the high elevation Summit Trail with its pristine alpine lakes and cirques sprinkled over the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Mountain Range. South of Lake Chelan and beginning from Lucerne or Holden Village, the Rail Road Creek Trail system is filled with breathtaking viewpoints including cascading falls and lakes within this lush, verdant, glacier scoured U-shaped valley. The Pacific Crest Trail travels down the Agnes Creek Trail’s old growth alley and also serves the connection between the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the North Cascades National Park’s Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Motorcycle enthusiasts love both riding to the high alpine lakes to the north of the lake, and the exciting terrain of the Devil’s Backbone Trail.
For more information on finding the right trail for your next adventure, call the Chelan Ranger District at (509) 682-4900.
