McClellan Peak, Little Annapurna, Dragontail Peak, and Pusik Pass are all accessible from the Core. Comment below if you have questions about hiking the Enchantments in Washington state and well do our best to get back to you! Additionally, an overnight or multi-day journey into the Enchantments allows you to experience swimming and relaxing on alpine lakeshores, the chance to explore side trails, and waking up in some truly stunning camping spots. You can apply for permits during the second half of February through Recreation.gov, and winners are drawn, lottery-style, in early March. September 30, 2022. 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. We hope this blog post helped give you some more information to help plan your trip to the Enchantments! Once we reached the top of the pass, however, it was all worthwhile! There was a catch though: we got Snow Lake permits, not Core permits (If all of this sounds like a foreign language, dont worry, we will explain it all down below!) It is easy to lose the main path up Aasgard Pass, but you will want to take the extra time to stay on it, since it is more solid and easier, especially if you are carrying a heavy overnight pack. What this means is that you have to obtain a permit in the lottery (or in the other methods we cover below) to stay overnight during those dates. If you are not comfortable rock scrambling, this hike may not be the best fit for you. The best time to go hiking in the Enchantments is mid-July through early October. The trail up Aasgard Pass looks a little unlike a trail at times, with the steep terrain and loose footing requiring hands-and-feet scrambling to reach the top. 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. The Enchantments are not named as such for naught - they have some of the most spectacular alpine scenery in the country. We would love to do this hike again in the future, however, we think we would do it a bit differently. We hope you snag a permit! Some links throughout this site are affiliate links. If you have more time, you wont get bored spending more time in this beautiful area! To be on the safe side, plan your hike for mid-July to late-September. In this guide, well share how to best experience hiking the Enchantments, whether on a day trip or as a multi-day camping experience. Don't shower for 3 weeks leading up your hike as a human repellent. This website contains affiliate links from websites such as Amazon.com, Booking.com, and Rentalcars.com. Sign up to get travel updates, guides, vlogs, and other resources delivered straight to your inbox once a month! 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. Local groups often provide introductory courses on backpacking and camping, which would be good practice before embarking on an Enchantments trip. Since the Enchantments trail is at a higher elevation, the temperature will generally be cooler than in town. Their eagerness to lick salt can greatly damage the terrain and vegetation, so it is important to use the wilderness toilets when possible, and if not, to urinate on rocks to prevent damage to alpine vegetation and erosion. Pin this blog post to prep for your trip! To overnight between May and October, however, a lottery permit is required. One of Washingtons best hikes, the Enchantments absolutely lives up to the hype (and its name!). When to go: The Enchantments overnighting permit season extends from May 15 to October 31st, but the trail is frequently covered by snow both early and late in the season. 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. Day-to-day, the weather can be unpredictable. a little bit of snow on the trail even in early September Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 12 h 12 min to complete. To help plan your trip, here are the approximate locations of some of the most common campsites along the trail. In October, unpredictable snowstorms start to roll into the higher elevations, making the trail dangerous. Plan your hike for mid-July to mid-September, and check both trip reports and weather forecasts before getting started. When you are being approached by faster hikers from behind, it is also courtesy to let them pass. The elevation gain and loss are large, meaning that you will be working hard at most points during your hike. While youll have no cell phone service, being able to charge your phone to take photos, look at a map, etc is crucial. But we couldnt miss the opportunity to go, so we committed to the permits and figured we would make it all work. On the AllTrails map, I believe it was around the 14.9 mile mark (close to the restroom) https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/washington/the-enchantments-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-static-map&ref=sidebar-view-full-map. Website built with love byDreamworthy Design. Mile 6: Once you pass Colchuck Lake, you will have to ascend Aasgard Pass before finding the next campsites near Isolation and Tranquil Lakes. In the Lee of Winter Storms: The Enchantment Basin. Clothing itemsLayers are a great idea any time of the year while hiking the Enchantments. You can also choose an alternate leader. In addition to physical preparation, an understanding of wilderness travel and first aid will greatly improve your trip if anything goes wrong. The Enchantments as a whole is gorgeous, but there are a few spots that you should especially check out and spend some time at. : 1312 ft. the enchantments hiking washington day hike How long does it take to hike the Enchantments trail? It is mostly just super bumpy, rocky, and steep. Permits: Mile 7: The next campsites are located just below the Upper Enchantment Lakes just before the trail descends down the ridge. At 20 miles long and with just under 5,000 feet of elevation gain, hiking the Enchantments is a serious undertaking regardless of your fitness level. As an Amazon Associate, Small Town Washington earns from qualifying purchases. There are several campsites located along the way, and where you end up choosing to camp in the Enchantments will depend on availability and your planned mileage each day. The mountain goats in particular are habituated to visitors. Black bear sightings are very uncommon here, but do occasionally happen. Youll pass through dense forests, blankets of wildflowers, and high-elevation mountain passes to reach an otherworldly tree-less environment filled only with ancient rocks molded by wind and water. No matter what route you take, how many days you have, or if you get a sunny day or a cloudy day, the Enchantments truly are a magical place and 100% worth the permit headaches to visit in whatever capacity you can. Regardless of the time of year of your hike, this is a mountainous alpine hike, and it is important to pack a range of layers for clothing, including enough warm layers in case the weather turns bad. Wander around the Core a bitDay 3: Spend all day exploring the Core. 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. 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. All rights reserved. End: Snow Lakes Trailhead. The ideal time to hike the Enchantments trail for warm and dry weather is late July and August. Dont be fooled that you are reaching the end here, even though you are leaving the lake basin! The trail through the Enchantments is also very rocky and uneven, further increasing the difficulty of the hike. Permits are required for day and overnight use in this area. This area is called Aasgard Pass, and it's a lung-straining 2,000-ft climb in just under a mile. Just have a few questions. Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total) Jun 24, 2014 at 7:44 am #1318302. Once you ascend the Enchantments Core, youll be able to enjoy the spectacular scenery without constant exertion. I'd say starting at the Snow Lakes trailhead, hiking down and out Aasgard Pass to the Colchuck trailhead, is easier than the other way around. Weve done multi-day hikes in the area (after obtaining the illustrious Enchantments Wilderness Permit), and weve also thru-hiked this 19-mile trail in one day. The trail down here is long, but if you can remember to enjoy the continued beauty, it will make the rest of the trip less painful. 25. r/hiking. Stuart Lake is at the end of this valley, but youre actually going to detour and gain a bit more elevation in order to reach stunning Colchuck Lake. It is never acceptable to clean pots by submerging them in a natural body of water. Youre all packed and now its time to start the hike! 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. Here is a rundown of the mileage for different portions of the hike, directly from the Forest Service. (Sa. And after you eat dinner, make sure to go grab some ice cream from Whistlepunk! The zone is named after Snow Lake, the final lake before you climb up into the Core zone. As the trail winds through the lakes surrounded by lichen-covered rocks beneath the rugged mountain peaks, you will find more campsites. There are two trailheads for the Enchantments: Stuart/Colchuck Lake and Snow Lake. The main path stays to the left of the waterfall but is not immediately next to the left rock cliffs. Perfection Lake is another clear, shallow alpine lake, perhaps more beautiful than the previous ones (hence its name, perhaps!). Additionally, this is where you'll get to do some off-trail excursions. Mid-July through early October is the best season for hiking the Enchantments. Will travel for tacos, BBQ, & ice cream document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Cookie Policy, 2021 Adventures of A+K. Although many are also strenuous, they still make fantastic hikes into this stunning part of the Cascades! Hiking the Enchantments means your jaw will drop at every turn. We lived in Leavenworth for a while, and have been lucky enough to hike in the Enchantments a few times, and each experience has been pretty different. Most hikers start from Stuart Lake, and we recommend this direction as well. The weather can change quickly during your multi-day trip from the original forecast. February 1, 2022. On a journey to Alaska in @brisketthevan 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. Ever since moving to Washington and learning about this beautiful region, we had our sights set on backpacking there. Hike Summary Distance: 20 miles one way Total Elevation Gain: 5,800 ft Total Elevation Loss: 7,400 ft Starting Elevation: 3,400 ft Highest Point: 7,800 ft Hike Time: 16 - 17 hrs Difficulty: Extremely Difficult Seasons: July - September Dogs: Not Allowed Pass Required (Day Hike): Northwest Forest Pass This way, youll knock out most of the elevation gain in the first quarter of the hike. There are five permit zones: Core Enchantment, Snow Lake, Colchuck Lake, Stuart Lake, and the Eightmile/Caroline zone. 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