14 days ago. Want to discover more trails in Washington? McClellan Peak, Little Annapurna, Dragontail Peak, and Pusik Pass are all accessible from the Core. In October, unpredictable snowstorms start to roll into the higher elevations, making the trail dangerous. Not sure where to start? Located in Central Washington near the small town of Leavenworth, this piece of the Cascade Mountain range is as spectacular as the name implies. The way I prepared for the Enchantments was to hike twice a week for about two months. If you are cooking in the alpine, research proper techniques for cleaning pots and pans. The challenging 20-mile trail requires advanced planning, so weve broken it down in a comprehensive hiking guide. At one end, the hike begins at the Stuart Lake Trailhead. This is a great campsite if you are planning a short first day of hiking. Hi yall! See our topo map of the route. Last year, I did the hike up to the summit of Mt. When the landscape is snow-covered, the lakes may be frozen and not distinguishable from the rest of the landscape. I did this as a thru hike in September, the trail was harder than I anticipated. Day Hike: As we mentioned above, if you do not get a permit to backpack, you can dayhike it! Before embarking on your adventure, please review theLeave No Trace principlesto ensure you leave every place better than you found it, so that others can enjoy these beautiful places for many years to come!These seven principles include planning ahead and preparing, hiking and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly (pack out what you pack in! Clothing itemsLayers are a great idea any time of the year while hiking the Enchantments. A lot of people were doing this and it is allowed. 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. Website built with love byDreamworthy Design. And the quote about toilet paper is directly from the LNT website, but we agree that you should pack everything out and we carry ziplocs and trash bags to do so. Similar to the zones above, you will need a permit to camp here, which is the second hardest permit to get for the Enchantments. The main reason to day-hike the Enchantments is that doing so means you dont need a hard-to-get camping permit. The odds are even lower if youre applying for a permit in July or August. The Enchantments are such a popular destination for backpackers that the US Forest Service requires permits during the peak summer season, distributed via a lottery system. The most popular day hike in the Enchantments leads to a breathtaking blue glacial lake right underneath Aasgard Pass. These make for the best overnight spots in the Enchantments overall. The below table is the monthly average temperatures for Leavenworth. The trail down to Inspiration Lake is steep the first taste of the downhill you will encounter on the remaining trail. Perfect for swimming and relaxing, the lake is accessed via a steady climb, mostly through shady forest. This Pacific Northwest travel blog is dedicated to exploring the best of the region, with a special emphasis on Washingtons small towns, national parks, and many incredible weekend getaways. After doing the hike, seeing what others have done, and researching the options, here are four of the best options (in our opinion) if you receive a Core or Snow permit. The zone is named after Snow Lake, the final lake before you climb up into the Core zone. https://linktr.ee/kraig00:00 Hiking Aasgard Pass in the Enchantments4:29 Leavenworth Bavarian Village5:46 Hiking Guide and Behind the Scenes You can either start and end at the same trailhead or start and end at different trailheads depending on the route youre going to take. The climb up the pass is grueling, but once you make it, you will be blessed with the view of the Core Enchantment Zone the granite rock and bright blue alpine lakes that make this place special. The Enchantments don't come easy. Your email address will not be published. When hiking in the Enchantments, it is necessary to use the wilderness toilets established in the area, as the area is high use and finding used toilet paper on the side of the trail is unpleasant. . 1. Some route-finding is also necessary, as the hike becomes more of a boulder scramble with hands and feet required for balance. It should either be thoroughly buried in a cat hole or placed in plastic bags and packed out. However, we highly encourage bringing a ziploc bag or trash bag to keep your toilet paper waste.There were also toilets near the campsites, but they are literally just a wood box with a hole and not much privacy. - Stock Photos provided by our partner Depositphotos, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Hi yall! $21.95 Day Hiking Central Cascades by Craig Romano . This day-hike only shares a couple of miles of the Enchantments Trail, bypassing most of the crowds for solitude in a stunning valley. I had done no training barring weekly hikes in LA and it took me 20 hours to complete it. So on September 14, with fully loaded packs, we headed into the Enchantments! 4.73 out of 5. Just have a few questions. Always maintain a very safe distance from wildlife, and take care of your business well away from the trail and campsites! Obviously, for this, you will need two drivers in your party and two cars! Hiker from Olympia The trail The Enchantments trail consists of the Stuart Lake Trail, Colchuck Lake Trail and Snow Lakes Trail. External chargerThis is a must for a multi-day backpacking trip! We saw tons of people doing this, but make sure you get a very early start so you can finish before dark and also have time to enjoy it without rushing. Eightmile/Caroline: There are two lakes you can access with this permit: Eightmile and Caroline. I've been trying to prep by putting some weights in my backpack and hiking up and down the hills by my house. Regardless of the weather you will need to be prepared for fluctuating temperatures and potential storms. These sites are perfect if you have two nights on the trail or if you get a late start the first day. However, its worth the effort! day hikes near Leavenworth. The busy September peak golden larches day we hiked the trail, around 95% of people hiking The Enchantments began at Stuart / Colchuck Lake trailhead and ended at Snow Lake trailhead. PS: the trailheads all have bathrooms! If youre hiking the Enchantments with another person but only have one vehicle, another option is to rent an additional car to drop off at the endpoint. The Core Enchantments area is accessible by two different trailheads: Stuart / Colchuk Lake and Snow Lakes Trailheads. Your email address will not be published. While Aasgard Pass terrifies us, we want to experience it once in our lifetime and wed rather do it without the heavy packs. To enter the permit lottery, you will first need to apply during the annual permit lottery (exact dates vary by year). As an Airbnb Associate, we may earn a commission when you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. However, the Forest Service warns that hiking or camping on snow is highly likely during May, June, late September and October, so keep that in mind when planning your trip. You may also be able to snag a spot later in the evening when day hikers are leaving. Best 2-Person Tents for Camping & Backpacking, 17 Best Hikes in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, Dispersed Camping: What is It & How to Find Dispersed Campsites, 25 Hiking Lunch Ideas to Keep You Fed on the Trail, Cracker Lake Trail Guide for Glacier National Park, Tips for Eco Camping: A Guide for the Environmentally Conscious Camper, navigation: physical map, phone* with offline maps downloaded (or both), layers (here is a great resource if youre wondering, sun protection: sunscreen, hat, sun glasses, water bottles and bladder for your Camelbak, way to purify your water (we used our Grayl water bottles on this trail and they were fantastic! The Enchantments is a classic Washington hike. Because of the popularity of the area, backpacking permits to camp in the core Enchantments area are required May 15-October 31st, and they are in high demand -- I've applied three years in a row without any luck. If you have more time, you wont get bored spending more time in this beautiful area! Once applications are drawn, there is a few-week period where successful applicants must accept their permit. However, weve seen young children complete it, so it could make a great family excursion! Water filterWhile we have a pretty large Camelbak bladder to store water, it wasnt enough water for a three day hike. Having said that, dont let the challenge dissuade you! Elev. As you descend, you will reach Snow Lakes and Nada Lake, both with a variety of campgrounds for the weary hiker. 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. This makes travel more difficult and the views an endless sea of white (which is beautiful, just more difficult to hike). While its entirely possible to hike the trail in a single day (remember, weve done it! 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. Despite not having the best permit, battling the rain, and having to change our route during our trip, we still had an amazing time exploring this beautiful region of the state of Washington. Obtaining the permit to backpack the Enchantments is a much more difficult process, so we opted instead to camp out at Lake Wenatchee for the weekend and day-hike . The increasingly jaw-dropping views are the only distraction from the heart-pumping exertion. Sounds like you know what you're doing - it will be an adventure. This beautiful glacial gem is the perfect spot for a snack, swim, and at least a few minutes of relaxation from here, things are going to get much harder. Yay, congrats! There is little if any cell service available on this trail, and emergency help is far away. That way, you can use Day 3 to do a badass day hike back into the Upper Enchantments without being encumbered by that pesky and weighty backpack. This is what we planned to do, but Mother Nature had other ideas. The Enchantments are not named as such for naught - they have some of the most spectacular alpine scenery in the country. For the broadest swim experience, do the Enchantment Traverse, a 21-mile hike starting at the Colchuck Lake Trailhead (Mountaineer Creek) and ending at the Snow Creek Trailhead. And after you eat dinner, make sure to go grab some ice cream from Whistlepunk! More than a dozen high alpine lakes carved in granite. Mountain goats are the most prevalent wildlife youll encounter. Ive done this as a thru hike, ending at snow lake TH, taking about 14hrs total. We hope to inform, inspire, and empower you to get outside and see this world, while doing your part to respect and protect the lands beneath your feet. ELEVATION GAIN: around 5,000 feet of elevation gain across the entire 20-mile length of the trail; this includes climbing 1,900 feet in less than a mile up and over Aasgard Pass. We managed to score a 5 day permit in the snow zone for Aug 30-Sept 3. After you finish your hike, its time to celebrate! Hiking through the Enchantments core is beautiful and memorable. The map below shows the area that make up the Enchantments. At this time, applicants must choose an exit date and provide payment for the permits. The total hiking time ranges from 8 hours for ultra-fast trail runners to about 15 for reasonably fit hikers going at a steady pace. 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. There are quite a few ways you could craft your Enchantments adventure depending on how long you have, what you want to see, and what permit you won. The permits for the Enchantments area are divided into zones. Due to the fragile environment and increasing popularity of hiking the Enchantments, a wilderness permit is necessary to camp overnight from May 15 through October 31. View more hiking details on Washington Trails Association for both Colchuck Lake and the whole Enchantments enchilada. Exit date and provide payment for the best overnight spots in the alpine, research proper techniques for pots... 8 hours for ultra-fast trail runners to about 15 for reasonably fit hikers going at steady... 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