By Alex Day, WNPF Marketing/Communications & Database Manager
Whether you’re seeking a family-friendly trip to a beach or lake, or a strenuous multi-day backpacking trek through the state’s most majestic peaks, Washington’s national parks offer something for everyone. And if you happen to be looking for a true wilderness escape, Stehekin — located in North Cascades National Park at the serenely remote northern end of the third-deepest freshwater lake in the U.S., Lake Chelan — offers all the above.
The history of the region is expansive: For over 9,000 years the Stehekin Valley has served as the entrance to an east-west travel corridor through the Cascade Mountains linking a network of trails used by indigenous people and, more recently, by adventurers, trappers, and miners. As early as 1875, prospectors utilized the trails in their search for minerals.
Nowadays, the Stehekin Valley serves as a destination for the most committed of national park adventurers. It runs through some of the most epic peaks in the Cascades range, and it truly is remote: it’s car-free for visitors, meaning it’s accessible only by boat, plane, or foot. Its remoteness makes it the perfect place for those seeking solitude, and it also happens to have some of the best hiking trails for those seeking to avoid crowded trails.
For many, this destination seems ideal, but it can be tricky to figure out how exactly to experience it. Luckily, Washington’s National Park Fund staff and board members are here to share our experience in this magical location to help you plan the outdoors escape you’ve been dreaming of.
I have had Stehekin on my North Cascades trip bucket list for years – pretty much since I first moved out to Washington state and heard about a mystical place you could only get to by ferry down a mirror-like lake. This is the stuff of dreams! For my Stehekin trip, I wanted to see what camping by the lake would be like. So, I waited until campsites were up for grabs on the North Cascades National Park camping page on Recreation.gov and snagged myself a campsite at Purple Point Campground.
The campground is an approximately eight-minute walk from the boat dock at Stehekin Landing, along a paved road. Camping there was a breeze – our campsite hosted a picnic table and fire pit, and Purple Point made available drinking water and flush toilets. Though I was only there for two days and one night, I made the most of it. After my ferry arrived and I set up camp, I grabbed my gear (and lots of water, sunscreen, and bug spray!) and headed over to the Rainbow Loop trail. This beautiful 4.4-mile hike climbed 1,000’ through a series of switchbacks, offering wonderful views of Lake Chelan along the way. The waterfalls the trail passed offered a cool, misty moment of zen and kept me going.
Day two was a mad dash to make it to the Stehekin Pastry Company to try a world-famous cinnamon roll (HIGHLY recommend!) and back towards the ferry dock, where I took a short detour about a mile or so up the Purple Creek Trail for some more lake views before packing it in and boarding my ferry home. This was made easier thanks to a bike rental (rentals are available right off the main road) – in this one-road town, riding down the road feels safe and offers even more incredible views of the Valley (and some much-needed breeze!).
Susan Nebel, Director of Philanthropy for Washington’s National Park Fund, spent two days in the North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin. One of the limited lodging options for visitors seeking a place to lay their heads that isn’t on the ground, the lodge is run by Guest Services, Inc. and features a number of lodging options from private cabins to standard guestrooms. Your stay at the lodge benefits the park through their participation in the Guest Donation Program – a program in which a dollar or two is added to guests’ bill and is then donated to Washington’s National Park Fund to support the park’s priority projects. She says:
“On my first visit to Stehekin, I stayed at the North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin which was the perfect location to allow me to explore the area with day hikes and experience the incredible beauty of Stehekin. My cabin was located among the trees with a stunning view from the deck of Lake Chelan and the mountains. In the early morning, I was delighted by the deer and woodpeckers that fed near my cabin and in the evening the setting sun turned clouds a golden yellow above the mountain peaks. Stehekin is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and before I boarded the Lady of the Lake to return to Chelan, I already was planning my next visit to Stehekin!”
Marjorie Walter, a board member at Washington’s National Park Fund, saw a whole different side of Stehekin when she backpacked along the lake early in May. Her self-described “shakedown cruise” took her on a 15-mile roundtrip out of Stehekin and into the surrounding backcountry.
There are many options for backpacking out of (and into) Stehekin, but for this early-season trip, Marjorie chose the Lakeshore Trail south to Moore Point. The trail rolls up and down along the east side of the lake, with many spectacular views of the blue-green waters of Lake Chelan and the rocky peaks in all directions to provide motivation to keep going through the steeper sections. The high country was still blanketed in snow, but the wildflowers along this trail were in their full glory. Blue lupine, bright yellow balsamroot, and deep orange paintbrush carpeted the trailside, while dogwood, serviceberry, and red-flowering currant added color to the eye-level view. Rattlesnakes are present, so it’s especially important to watch your step. Marjorie and her group didn’t see any on their hike, though they did spot a pretty green racer sunning himself on the trail.
As beautiful as the hike was, Moore Point Campground was a welcome sight after seven miles. There are many good flat places to camp in this area, a sturdy bear box for food storage, and a very clean pit toilet. There is also a lean-to log shelter that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and an old orchard site to explore. Marjorie did the trip as an out-and-back, returning to Stehekin to catch the ferry back to Chelan, but hikers who want a more rugged outing can continue south to Prince Creek, where there is another good-sized camping area with a bear box and pit toilet. The ferry stops at Prince Creek to pick up southbound hikers and drop off those who want to hike the Lakeshore Trail northbound.
The area has seen a number of wildfires over the years, which means lots of trees falling across the trail every winter, in addition to the usual storm damage. By the first week of May, most of the fallen trees between Stehekin and Moore Point had been cleared by a Washington Trails Association crew, but on the boat ride home hikers who had continued beyond Moore Point to Prince Creek reported that there were still some difficult blowdowns to navigate around on that section of the trail. They also reported seeing a large, beautiful cinnamon bear, so if you try this route, make sure to use the bear boxes or your own hard-sided bear canister to keep yourself and the bears safe. Marjorie shared:
“This was my first trip to Stehekin but it won’t be the last – in fact, I’m already thinking about a repeat of this same itinerary in the fall, to close out my backpacking season and see how far I’ve come in terms of fitness and skill. And it will definitely be my first trip again next spring, maybe with a day or two tacked on at the end to camp in one of the front country campgrounds or stay in the lodge and explore more of the town and do some day hikes. It’s a really special place!”
So, now that you’ve seen three takes on Stehekin, we want to know – which adventure is your style? Whichever way to travel tickles your fancy, we know you’ll find spectacular memories in Stehekin.