Prior experience will help prepare you for the Enchantments hike and make it more fun! During warm dry summer days in July and August, you will also need to be prepared for hot afternoons. We got there late afternoon on a Saturday and snagged that spot, which fit 6 of us with plenty of other space and was an easy walk down to the lake to get water. 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. Both trailheads get really busy, so arrive early! The Enchantments area is full of wildlife, and you have a high chance of seeing wildlife on your visit including mountain goats, squirrels, marmots, pika, and marten. Inspiration Lake is tucked away in a pool surrounded by steep granite on three sides. In either direction, the trail is stunning, offering views across the Cascades and passing by numerous bright-blue glacial lakes and chiseled mountain peaks. I've been trying to prep by putting some weights in my backpack and hiking up and down the hills by my house. This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. by Craig Romano . This is a helpful article as I plan my permit asks and hopeful my hike. 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! As an Amazon Associate, Small Town Washington earns from qualifying purchases. 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. Dont worry, not all hope is lost. 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. Most backpackers choose to visit during this window. This will give you time to cool off and avoid hiking in the heat of the day. In early September, Mrs. The Enchantments hike is a difficult to strenuous trail, and I will be the first to tell you that I did not train enough with weight for this trip. Mile 8: Just below Inspiration Lake is another group of campsites. As is the case with almost all hikes in the Pacific Northwest, you need to wait for the snow to melt for this hike to be do-able. This area is called Aasgard Pass, and it's a lung-straining 2,000-ft climb in just under a mile. There are two trailheads for the Enchantments: Stuart/Colchuck Lake and Snow Lake. Welcome to Go Wander Wild. Looking up from Leprechaun Lake. Bonus: during the tail end of the month and into October, the foliage turns to a beautiful vibrant yellow-orange! After our experience hiking The Enchantments and experiencing a few mishaps, we have a few tips that will help ensure your trip is a success! Directions To Stuart Lake Trailhead: Drive the US2 west out of Leavenworth. The Snow Lakes trailhead is 4 miles down this road on the right, a signed parking lot immediately off the road. But similar to Eightmile/Caroline, this permit is much easier to get! And to watch our experience, check out our vlog below! My dad. It is never acceptable to clean pots by submerging them in a natural body of water. Clothing itemsLayers are a great idea any time of the year while hiking the Enchantments. Ever since moving to Washington and learning about this beautiful region, we had our sights set on backpacking there. Where is the Enchantments hike? 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. From the Stuart Lake Trailhead, the trail heads first towards Colchuck Lake a 4-mile hike from the trailhead. There is little if any cell service available on this trail, and emergency help is far away. Maybe you'll get lucky and have good weather. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In October, unpredictable snowstorms start to roll into the higher elevations, making the trail dangerous. This is actually the highest elevation point on the entire trail, so from here, the rest of the hike is mostly downhill. In 2018 (still waiting on 2019 numbers), 17,586 people applied for 708 Core permitsgiving them a 4% chance to snag one. Permits: Looking up from Leprechaun Lake: My dad: Anytime! This is the last Enchantments campsite location on the way out to the end of the trail. No clue if this is beneficial but it does feel like it's getting easier. My favorite waterfall's still in its winter coat. This is the most ideal route, with a coveted permit for the Core Zone, Day 1: Hike to Colchuck Lake and set up campDay 2: Hike up Aasgard Pass and find a good camping spot in the Core. The final group of campsites is at Snow Lake and Nada Lake, after quite a bit of descent and just a few miles from the Snow Lakes Trailhead. A rainy day at Rune Lake (Perfection Lake) in September. This makes travel more difficult and the views an endless sea of white (which is beautiful, just more difficult to hike). The summer temperatures drop (it occasionally reaches a scorching 100 degrees in July and August!) Bring rain entertainmentOne of the best things we did was download Netflix and books in case it rained. The sights are spectacular, with views of surrounding peaks and Colchuck Lake dwarfed into a gleaming blue jewel far below. You can apply for permits during the second half of February through Recreation.gov, and winners are drawn, lottery-style, in early March. Overview of the Enchantments Hike These statistics are for the thru-hike from Stuart/Colchuck Lake Trailhead to the Snow Lakes Trailhead. Not sure where to start? You can also choose an alternate leader. The infamous Aasgard Pass is the toughest part of the trail, with a heart-pumping, lung-straining 2,000-foot climb in just of a mile. This trail winds through a beautiful wilderness area that many other hikes enjoy. You may be able to find a ride back to the Stuart Lake trailhead from someone else completing their hike, but for overnight trips, most people leave a car at both trailheads. 15 Best Hikes in North Cascades National Park, 11 Best Waterfalls in Washington State + Hikes to Find Them, How to Get From Seattle to Bainbridge Island (By Ferry or Road Trip! When you apply, you select your entry date and location and pay a $10 non-refundable application fee. Another option is tapping into local hiking groups. Most people prefer to backpack in the Enchantments during the summer months, to enjoy the clear blue lakes and granite rocks. May, June, September and October are considered "shoulder seasons" and visitors can expect to encounter snow and winter-like conditions. How long does it take to hike the Enchantments trail? Two shuttle companies, Loop Connector and Leavenworth Shuttles, will drive you from the Snow Lakes Trailhead, where you can drop off your car, to the beginning of the trail at Stuart/Colchuck Lake. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Wildlife in the area is accustomed to visitors, making it easy to get good pictures of any you spot during your trip. We are big fans of Wild Zora backpacking meals, especially the beef ones, as they are super natural and healthy. You may also be able to snag a spot later in the evening when day hikers are leaving. But the best partshe got six permits, which meant that Yvonne, Jeffrey, Adam, and myself could all go with her and her boyfriend Jackson! If you click through a link on Small Town Washington, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This ethereal landscape of lakes, basins, and rugged peaks is a delightful place to hike through. 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! Matthew H. BPL Member. Permits. We hope this blog post helped give you some more information to help plan your trip to the Enchantments! Stuart: The Stuart zone is named after Lake Stuart, which is a 9 mile round trip hike. Almost immediately beyond the lake, the trail becomes littered with large boulders and scree, making a bit of route-finding a sudden necessity. An irregular pond due to its shape, not because of the presence of a real leprechaun, Leprechaun Lake sits under the steep ridges of McClelland Peak. Just beyond Aasgard Pass, the area known as the Core Enchantments Zone offers otherworldly views completely different from the forest below. Second, waste management in the Enchantments is difficult since the area receives a high amount of use. However, to go backpacking in the Enchantments between May 15 and October 31, you will need to secure a permit from the US Forest Service. The most popular day hike in the Enchantments leads to a breathtaking blue glacial lake right underneath Aasgard Pass. This is the route we did. The views are dramatic, but they come at a price, as the trail is a near-constant climb through rocks and forest. I had done no training barring weekly hikes in LA and it took me 20 hours to complete it. There are over 6,000 cenotes on the Yucatn Penin, One of our favorite ways to experience a new place, Where to go after hiking the Enchantments, https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/washington/the-enchantments-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-static-map&ref=sidebar-view-full-map, On Mondays-Saturdays, there is a walk-up lottery at the Wenatchee River Ranger Station office in Leavenworth. Colchuck Lake: Stuart Lake Trailhead to first view of the lake4.2 miles (one way)2,200 ft elevation gain. Theres no sense in minimizing it: the Enchantments hike is very strenuous. I know prime time for the Enchantments is late September, when the larches are out and the lakes are all melted, but there's something sort of magic about the place under snow, too. See our topo map of the route. Please see our. The weather in the mountains can change quickly, so always bring a rainjacket just in case! The Enchantments as a whole is gorgeous, but there are a few spots that you should especially check out and spend some time at. 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. There are five permit zones: Core Enchantment, Snow Lake, Colchuck Lake, Stuart Lake, and the Eightmile/Caroline zone. ), but we made it down the road in one piece. 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