The views on this hike warrant a five star review for sure! Loads of waterfalls, mountains, and of…read morecourse trees and flowers to see on this route up to Rachel Lake. The problem? Not a clear trail at all. My hiking group and I found ourselves asking, "Is this trail?", numerous times on this extremely strenuous seemingly endless uphill trek to the lake. Now, granted, some of our group was in better shape than others and managed the physicality of the trail better than others but still we all agreed it was extremely hard. First you drive up a gravel road approximately 6 miles to get to the parking lot. One bathroom is available there which wasn't too gross. Once you enter the trail it starts heading up. And up and up and up. It is seemingly endless. I believe it about 4 plus miles up. The trail starts out fairly marked and easy to follow. Then it doesn't. Unfortunately I got separated from my group for a good portion of this hike due to my attempt to stay with the "faster" ladies, lol. I just kept going up. Thank goodness a few other people passed me to let me know I was on the right track. No trail at all really for a good portion and I merely followed a dry creek trail. Extremely rocky and loads of bushwhacking. I had to stop every five to ten feet to catch my breath. The steepness reminded me of a hike in Big Sur called Garrapata which after I competed that one I said I would never do again, lol. Now to the good parts of the hike. Gorgeous scenery beyond words! Loads of amazing waterfalls as you are following a creek flowing from a lake high above. The lake was outstandingly beautiful. I took a quick dip in the icy water at the top! Quickly it changed my outlook on the hike and cooled me off. Will I do it again? Maybe, but next time. I will bring more snacks for the hike that give me energy. I will start out slower and take more frequent deliberate breaks. And please please don't forget your mosquito repellent! Also, long pants as a large portion of this hike you go through tall grasses and overgrowth. I consider myself an experienced hiker when I was in CA, but here in WA, I am a beginner for sure. Stay hydrated and go at your own pace. This is worth it at least once. SYOY and No FOMO for me here! Lol.

Lake Rachel is a great hike if you're looking for a beautiful end view and lots of fun sights along…read morethe way. Unfortunately, the trail is not marked well and we went off path and up towards different falls a couple times but going off trail was worth it for the extra couple views we saw! Be prepared to get your feet wet and be careful climbing over the slippery rocks.

They have the best group of guides on the river, their fly selection is impressive, and they're…read morejust a really nice, knowledgeable staff who loves to help customers be better anglers!

Our family booked a rafting trip through Suncadia Lodge in Cle Elum Washington and they referred us…read moreto troutwater fly. They provided us with two river raft guides and two rafts for 10 of us. They picked us up at our rental house in Suncadia and took us down to the Cle Elum River. we split up into two groups and each got a ride. None of us had to paddle it was more of a float and there were some very small Rapids to go through that were more of a fun ride than scary. They also provided us with water guns so we could have a fun family duel. Along the way we saw a deer and some elk and a few baby ducks and our guide, Blake, was very knowledgeable about the area friendly and fun. They provided us with wine, beer and lots of fun and laughter for a great day on the river. The whole tour lasted about 3 hours from start to finish. They do different tours one is on the Cle Elum River and one is on the Yakima River I have done both and we liked the Cle Elum River better it's a lot faster and more fun.

I stopped by Crow Creek Fly Shop and had such a great experience that I wanted to share…read more I brought in my favorite rod and reel combo from when I first started fly fishing. It has a lot of miles on it, and the butt of the rod had loosened over time. J Michelle, the new owner, took the time to help me adjust and secure it so I could keep using the setup I love rather than replacing it right away. Since my reel still works great, she helped me choose the right fly line and backing and got everything properly set up so I'm ready for many more seasons on the water. Her knowledge of the local area was incredibly helpful too -- she walked me through which flies are currently working best around Roslyn and for the type of fishing I like to do. J Michelle was prompt, efficient, encouraging, and genuinely enthusiastic about helping me improve my setup and my fishing experience. It's clear she cares about both the craft of fly fishing and the people who walk through the door. If you're anywhere near Roslyn and enjoy fly fishing, I highly recommend stopping by. Great service, great knowledge, and a welcoming shop that really supports anglers.

When I wandered into the Crow Creek Fly Shop in Roslyn for the first time over a year ago, I was…read moreinstantly welcomed and made to feel important. J Michelle (the owner) greeted me with a big smile and a wealth of knowledge that she freely shared. Over the many times I have spoken with her in the past year she has always worked with me to find the right solution to my needs, whether that be new equipment, a good selection of flies, or some of her rather extensive knowledge of good places to find some trout on the nearby rivers. It's a cool little shop with a whole lotta experience to share and people very willing to help. Many fly shops can be somewhat intimidating but you won't find that here. Great place - highly recommend!

Hello, river fun!!…read more Wenatchee river is long, winded and strong!!! And we got to see the park right from cel elum/ suncadia resort! It's gorgeous! Green! Crazy strong! So pretty! So refreshing. So scary! All at once. In short, it was perfect. The hotel does guided activities here. Fly fishing, river rafting etc! Since Baci wasn't allow on most/ if not all, we ended up hiking a lot!! Hiking down 50 flights of stairs this river! Crazy windy up above, calm down here. I wish I can let Baci swim but pretty sure I'll never see him again if I did. So we did a little soak! And stand! It was still fun! Beautiful hike. A ton of lethal mosquitos!! Bring a lot of repellent!

This takes you to a private gated community, or you can approach from another place but that's not…read moresuitable for kids. We couldn't even go, unfortunate that info is missing!

Great views! Started around 9 AM on a Saturday and wasn't too too crowded. Definitely started…read moreseeing more people on the way down though. I also slipped on my butt like two steps away from the trailhead :( Parking lot pretty big but I believe it fills quick. The trail gets quite narrow in some spots. Hiking shoes and poles recommended!

Gorgeous place! We were able to go snowshoeing for free! Plenty of parking on the side of the road…read more Highly recommend bringing hiking poles since it's super icy this season!

If you're planing to go camping, this is a beautiful lake to go to and there's a campground close…read moreby. First word that came to mind when I initially saw it was "pristine". It's a picture perfect lake. If you go early in the morning, the water is calm and it's so quiet. It's perfect fishing weather and trout is super easy to catch here. It's a two pole limit per person. There's quite a bit of activity in the afternoon during the summer of kayaking, tubing, rowing, etc. but the lake is large where it does not get crowded. No motorized boats allowed. The water is clear and a beautiful blue color. Be careful since it can get deep quick. The view is like no other with other mountains and trees surrounding it. Cooper Lake is small on the map, so not that many people go to it from what I have read. Cle Elm river and Kachess lake are nearby which is visited more.

This was our best fishing trip in a long time, all thanks to a great team of guides!…read moreThis was our first time fishing on the Yakima in the Spring, but Todd Fukashima and his colleague Lucas Martinez got us properly prepared for the weather, set up two days of great fishing on the best sections of the river, and made this a 5 five star experience across the board! My wife and I have fished with Todd and Lucas in past summers, with great success, so when a good friend wanted to come out West for a couple of Spring days we set up two boats for two Yakima river floats. It was chilly in the mornings but we were well geared up, and after about 10AM we had beautiful weather, great boating, and great guiding from both Lucas and Todd. Everybody caught nice fish, buy my wife's 23 inch rainbow wowed the whole crew! Nice, fat 17 to19 inch fish were boated by all of us, both nymphing and through some great dry fly action. Todd and Lucas did a great job of setting us up right, with the right flies for each part of the day and section of the river. They are both skillful guides and educators, but also just plain fun to fish with!! This was one of the best trips ever and I can't thank Todd and Lucas enough for making sure we all had a great time! Will DEFINITELY call Ellensburg when we get time to get back to this great fishery!!

We decided to sneak in some trout fishing before going to a concert at the nearby Gorge…read moreAmphitheater, so we set up what turned out to be 1.5 great days with Stefan drift-boating on the Yakima. Stefan not only was a great guy to talk to, but he did a simply amazing job of putting us onto fish (e.g., "after this tree, there is some soft water on the seam where it drops off so cast it right there.") He also provided clear feedback when our mends got sloppy or we were missing strikes. It was unseasonably windy and cold in June so watch the weather and bring a beanie, a good fleece, and a good shell. Overall, we had a great time and I'd recommend this service to anyone. The canyon part of the Yakima, in particular, was very beautiful. And Sarah was a dream to work with on setting things up.

THIS IS THE SHOP TO USE. As a guide in Colorado for 8 years and now having lived in WA for about 4,…read moreI can confidently say this shop is the move. They've got extensive, knowledge, phenomenal angler and guided service and the most important.... They're just extremely welcoming no matter what level of angler you are. To back this review up, I recently took my relatively newish raft up to float the yak, upon getting up there i realized I had a hole in my floor and forgot my patch kit 3 hour away. After scrambling around all morning to different hardware stores trying to repair it I made one call to the evening hatch where I reached Rich (owner) and said we could come over and use his person patch kit. Showed up and Rich gave me his personal patch kit and helped me patch the hole in the floor... no charge... and he saved the day and got us on the water. Hell, he'd probably give you the shirt off his back if ya asked. Not only that he pointed out 4-5 bugs for us to throw that day and we pulled fish into the boat consistently all damn day with his fly recs. I can assure you this is your one stop shop. They will continue to receive all my business morning forward. Can't recommend em enough!

You can read a more comprehensive review at the link below. Bottom line - The Evening Hatch's…read moreprogram from the Black Bear Lodge is top notch. Awesome accommodations. Incredible fishery. Experienced (and fun) guides. What else can you ask for? This destination should be on your bucket list. https://www.brookdogfishing.com/big-water-washington-state/

Again, down the dirt road. On a Saturday it was crowded! Like holy cow! Arrived just before 9:00 am…read moreand was able to secure a spot in the lot. Thankfully I have a small car and can fit it into tight spaces. Discovery pass will not work here! Scan the QR code and pay $5.00 for a day pass. Or a northwest forest pass will work. The beginning is steep. With lots of stairs. You will begin to hate the stairs. Then just before you want to give up you've made it! A lovely well maintained trail. Parts of the trail go through clearings with views that give a view to just how high you are. And views of past gigantic rock slides. The weather at the lake today was cold. No snow on the trail but a bit on the mountains above. But it was cold! My hands started to hurt because it was so cold. After a brief picnic sitting on some logs with trout swimming below our feet we head back down. A back and forth hike just over 7.4 miles. Lovely!! Enjoy life. SYOY.

Annette lake is beautiful and so serene. I arrived May 17, Saturday at 9:30am and there was still…read moreplenty of spots in the lot. 8.8 miles, 2,150 ft of elevation gain and 4hrs out & back. There's a bathroom available but it smells very bad so I recommend going before the trailhead. 0.2 miles in theres the first viewpoint, a beautiful waterfall. There is still some snow at the top but you can make it without spikes or trekking poles. The lake is still partly frozen and the snow makes it even more serene. 10/10 would recommend this hike!!

Another amazing trip with Don. This guy knows his stuff. 19 HUGE sockeye in a morning of…read morefishing!!!! My girls had an amazing time. I will definitely be coming back w him. I didn't see another boat catch close to what we did

From the owner: Don Talbot's Fishing Guide Service specializes in Upper Columbia River salmon fishing, Vernita…read moreSalmon Fishing, Lake Wenatchee Sockeye Fishing, Brewster Sockeye Fishing, and Lake Chelan Kokanee Fishing are most of my locations.