Chelan Lakeshore Trail
Last modified
Oct 29, 2009 08:03 AM
Hike along Washington's dramatic fjord-like Lake Chelan, traversing sun-kissed ledges and blossom-bursting hillsides and weaving through cool forested ravines cut by cascading creeks. Stand high above the sparkling waters of America's third-deepest lake, which catches striking reflections of frosted pointy peaks. Feel rushes of wind funnel down the deep lake-cradling gorge. Listen to aspen leaves rustle, a lone loon cry, waves lap against lakeside ledges, and perhaps a rattling warning. Recent Trip Reports
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Overnight
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Overgrown
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Our group of seven hopped off the Lady of the Lake at Prince Creek for a quick, one-night trip ending...
Our group of seven hopped off the Lady of the Lake at Prince Creek for a quick, one-night trip ending in Stehekin. If there was one overriding negative - it was the HEAT - holy moly it was hot, in the low 90's. Add to it that at least 80% of the trail is on a wide-open south face and it made for a dusty and thirsty hike.
None-the-less, we were prepared for the heat and managed to enjoy ourselves at every shade-giving tree stand or creek side along the way. It really is a beautiful and peaceful trek - very little traffic (in fact, just us and a black bear) and not an "easy" hike, with undulating ups and downs for the duration of the trail that will engage any cardiovascular system. We camped at Moore Point, which is a lovely place. We were a bit concerned that we might encounter some boat-in competition but it was nearly empty - just one small boat some distance up. The next day, we hit the trail early in order to avoid the worst of the sun and to get into town in time for a frosty barley pop before the boat took up down lake for good. Something not emphasized much in previous posts was the "openness" of the trail. The whole area was burned several years ago, leaving virtually the whole trail open to the scorching sun. Knowing that - I would recommend this trail for a Spring or Autumn hike when the weather is more inviting. Overnight
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
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My friend Jerry and I hiked the entire Lakeshore Trail from Prince Creek to Stehekin. I was returning to this...
My friend Jerry and I hiked the entire Lakeshore Trail from Prince Creek to Stehekin. I was returning to this hike for the first time since 1986. Things have changed quite a bit since my last visit. Two changes really stood out.
First of all, the forest along the entire trail had burned at some point in the last 10-15 years. With a few exceptions, there is very little shade along the trail due to lack of any forest canopy. The silver lining was that the openness makes for grand vistas of the lake and the mountains on the south side of the lake. The other change that stood out in my mind was the proliferation of luxury vacation homes on private inholdings along the lakeshore next to the trail. These are homes that are only reachable by boat or float plane and must have been quite expensive to build with the difficulty of getting building materials and crews onsite. I imagine many of these homes were built by Microsoft millionaires or their equivalents looking for an east-side escape from the Puget Sound rat race. We were dropped off by the very competent Lady of the Lake crew on the gravel beach at Prince Creek about 11:15 in the morning. After having some lunch and getting packs squared away, we were on the trail by noon. Immediately we had to cross the raging with snowmelt Prince Creek on a somewhat precarious log. Once across we were on our way for a very warm afternoon of hiking. A brisk downlake breeze kept the temperature tolerable for hiking. Late afternoon brought us to Cascade Creek camp where were happy to drop our packs and make camp. The second day started with an uphill grunt back to the Lakeshore Trail and then off to Fish Creek and Moore Point where we had lunch and a siesta. We decided to keep going and proceeded uplake over Hunts Bluff and down to Flick Creek. We hung out at the Flick Creek camp for awhile dipping our feet off of the dock into the cold lake water. Not content to stop yet, we were back on the trail and went all the way into Stehekin dreaming of having a burger and beer at the end of the day. Lo and behold, at this time of the year Stehekin closes up tight after the last boat leaves downlake at 2 PM. So we meandered down to Purple Point Campground and ate our backpacking dinner. The next morning we poked around Stehekin and caught the noon boat downlake. A great hike and wonderful way to spend a few spring days east of the crest. Multi-night backpack
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
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A WTA work crew cleared 7 miles of the Chelan Lakeshore trail from Prince Creek north. Lots of blowdowns...
A WTA work crew cleared 7 miles of the Chelan Lakeshore trail from Prince Creek north. Lots of blowdowns removed but still some brushing and drainage remains to be done. The trail starts at Prince Creek campground and crosses the rocky delta to a sparsely wooded plateau. A sign there directs hikers up to the Prince Creek trail or forward along the Chelan Lakeshore trail. The trail winds along the shore sometimes climbing as high as 500 feet above the water. Beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains beyond for the entire length.
Multi-night backpack
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Blowdowns
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We managed to find the best three consecutive days of weather, and the trail is in great shape. There...
We managed to find the best three consecutive days of weather, and the trail is in great shape. There were about 30 blowdowns between Prince Creek and Cascade Creek, but I'm sure the WTA crew that landed at Prince Creek the day after we did has reduced that number, possibly to zero.
This has to be one of the best spring backpacks in Washington, yet the hikers we met were few in quantity (yet high in quality!). The balsamroots headlined a glorious variety of wildflowers in bloom, the mountains had plenty of snow on them, and there were no mosquitoes. It has a surprising, but not overwhelming, amount of elevation gain, and using camps at Cascade Creek and near Flick Creek, it makes a great 3-day opening trip of the season. We didn't see or hear any rattlesnakes, but did see a rubber boa on the trail. Day hike
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We did a 3-day, 2-night backpack on the Lake Chelan Lakeshore trail (#1247) (Sat 6-14 to Mon 6-16). We had...
We did a 3-day, 2-night backpack on the Lake Chelan Lakeshore trail (#1247) (Sat 6-14 to Mon 6-16). We had beautiful weather, no bugs, and not too hot. Hiking through the burned-out forests was quite interesting. The big-leaf maple seem to be thriving, as were the aspens and fireweed. One or two of the burned groves were a little spooky when thinking of the possibility of wind or gravity bringing them down. The contrast between the blackened trees and the thriving green was remarkable. The opening of the forest canopy also provided near-continuous views of the lake and mountains. The winds on the lake came up stiffly in the afternoon, blowing down the lake and helping to keep the heat tolerable. |
Driving Directions
Travel north from Wenatchee on US 97A for 38 miles to the Lake Chelan Boat Company in Chelan, located about 1 mile west of the city center. Or drive to Field's Point Landing, located about 17 miles northwest of Chelan via State Route 971 and the South Lakeshore Road. Take the Lady of the Lake to Stehekin. Disembark at Stehekin Landing and walk 0.25 mile to the Golden West Visitor Center. The trail begins just to the right of the center (elev. 1150 ft). Privy available. |
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