Chelan Butte

Leave from the parking lot and head straight up the side of the butte on a jeep trail. There is a small sign about 1/4 mile along the wide dirt road that marks the beginning of this trail pointing you in the direction of the hiking trail.

As you climb higher and higher, the views of Lake Chelan become more expansive, with mountains in the distance. In the springtime, wildflowers dot the grass around you. Along the way to the first viewpoint — Elephant Head — you’ll encounter a couple of well-placed benches to take a load off as you take on the relentless, exposed climb. 

You’ll see another bench if you take the short, very steep side trail to Elephant Head before continuing to the top of Chelan Butte. It’s a worthwhile detour, as it provides panoramic views of the surrounding area, including your first view of Columbia River. All in all, Elephant Head makes for a great day hike in and of itself. 

That said, if your destination is the butte, head back down to where you turned off to get to Elephant Head and continue along the trail. From here, the trail gets even steeper, so you may want to mentally prepare yourself at Elephant Head before starting up again. Expect even taller, uninterrupted views of the lake and North Cascades on the second half of your hike. 

Keep hiking up and along the ridgeline. Just when you think you're there, you're not, but press on! You'll be rewarded with 360 degree views.

When you get close to the radio & TV towers, you can hike up to the road, then finish the last 100 feet on it. If you go up next to the towers, you can see down the backside of the butte and look South down the Columbia River. This is a popular spot for paragliders, so you are likely to see them in the parking lot below the towers.