This is an amazing lake in the National Forest near Leavenworth Washington. You have to take a 9…read moremile trail out and back, but it's worth the view if you're physically able.

Colchuck Lake has been on my list for YEARS and one I definitely considered a bucket list trail. I…read morefinally got the chance to do it this past weekend and it was 100% warranted as as bucket list destination. Doing some research before the hike we learned that the parking lot is pretty much full before 7am. We reached there by around 6:45am and it was entirely full and people were parking down the road. We were even as far as at least half a mile away from the actual trailhead when we actually parked, but luckily the walk is pretty flat. The beginning of the trailhead has a bathroom that will have a lengthy line in the morning, and it is gross. Just be prepared! In total, we clocked almost 9 miles round trip and it took us just shy of 7 hours. That said, we did spend about an hour at the top to take in all of the views and the experience as a whole. I knew this trail would be challenging and I'd say it was probably the second hardest I've ever done (maybe the third), with the first being Mailbox Peak. There are some incredibly tough stretches with steep rock stairs and areas where it feels like you're scrambling a ton. There are moderate breaks where the trail flattens, but it's pretty challenging the entire length of the hike. The end point, the actual lake, is entirely worth the pain and "I don't know if I can do this" moments along the way. Absolutely STUNNING. Probably the most unreal colored water I've ever seen with the shade of blue that it was. The mountains encompassing the lake look fake - literally like AI in real life or something. Truly is a great spot to find a nice rock to sit and relax to enjoy lunch and reenergize for the trek down the trail. After hitting the bottom, it was a loooong walk back to the car with us being so wiped. Much to our disappoint we also discovered that ALL of the cars parked along the road received $100 tickets from the Chelan PD, despite there being no signs that said we couldn't park along the road (just on the bridge, which we weren't on). Overall Colchuck Lake was worth the wait and I'm so glad to have seen it finally - I just don't think I'll ever do it again LOL.

Shhhh. This is a place to protect and treat with reverence…read more It's tucked away about 8 miles northwest of Mt. Adams. Yeah, that one. Maybe you've even been there? The name Takhlakh comes from the Native American word,"takh", which means meadows. Yes, there are meadows abundant here, and in the spring time, they are profuse with wildflowers. Please don't be a loser and pick any. Just take a picture and let them continue to bloom and prosper. Takhlakh Lake is very clear. Rather unfortunately, National Geographic named it in 2013 as one of 20 places in the world for their "Must Do Adventure Bucket List". This resulted in a short lived surge of bone headed visitors. You know, the kind who leave trash on the ground, don't know how to properly put out a campfire, let their dogs shit in the middle of a trail, run generators in the wilderness when camping and....shudder, yes, even pick rare wildflowers. But YOU are not that kind of visitor so you can be trusted with the stewardship of this incredibly photogenic treasure. You and your sensible, wilderness savvy friends will treat this sacred place as it should be and will leave no trace. For that, the rest of us thank you. And as a lifelong Northwestern woman, this spectacular lake is one of many I consider "home turf" which I am happy to share with you and your caring others. A person can do an easy, leisurely stroll around the entire perimeter (maybe a mile and a half), meandering in and out of breathtaking vista after vista, and just feel the stress and tension melting away in the clear, clean silence. You can put in with your kayak or canoe-no gas motors! Please. You can camp at the adjacent Takhlakh Campground, which gets Beaucoup bonus points for providing a wheelchair accessible trail for folks with mobility limitations who are also seeking some spiritual connection out in the wild. Plus, if you are into doing the whole wazooh, you can make this lovely spot a rest stop on your 35 mile hike circumnavigation of Mt. Adams. But that's if you really know what you are doing. Remember, this is wilderness not a day hike in an urban park. Takhlakh Lake takes some time and some intention to discover. You will be so happy you did.

We have hiked this trail many times. This last weekend we enjoyed warm weather with a cool breeze,…read moretalk about perfection! The views from the top are gorgeous, it's such a rewarding climb. Straight up on an incline, rough on the knees coming back down. Just take your time and BRING WATER! Great workout with a beautiful view. My family of 4 (2 adults 2 kids 6/8yo) hiked the entire thing in 1 hour and 10 minutes. We did NOT take any side trails and stayed on the main trail to preserve the natural habitat. Dog friendly, wear appropriate shoes for when you get to the top it's rocky in the area where the saddle rock is. Continue on past that area for a great viewing area with benches and safer photo opp areas.

A 6-mile roundtrip hike of 1800 ft elevation gain that rewards you with an aerial view of…read moreLeavenworth! The hike is of a moderate level and took us about three hours including resting time at the top. Make sure to wear shoes with grip to prevent slipping on the dirt trail. No restrooms are available at the trailhead. The beginning and end of the trail is primarily a walk through a forest, while the middle section is out in the open showing a different view of Leavenworth. Not much wildlife was seen besides a couple of birds. The flowers weren't in season and we mostly saw dandelions. Once you reach the peak, there is a clearing to enjoy the mountains and village view. No parking pass or fee is required. The parking lot is the small loop encountered after turning in from Icicle Road. A No Parking sign upon entry had confused us, but it refers to the road itself so as to not block the entryway and leave way. If you continue along the loop, there is a sign for parallel parking on the left side as well as blocks of parking lots to the side. Only two other cars were parked when we arrived at 7:20 AM on Friday, and most of the spots were filled when we returned at 10:20 AM.

Let's start this review with a copy of the websites information -…read more South Campground open to 1st come, 1st served camping ---The South Campground is open with a limited number of sites available. The North Campground is still closed due to lingering snow and is expected to reopen around May 1. Until May 7, all campsites throughout the area are offered on a first come, first served basis. Because the roads in the South Campground are narrow, RVs and trailers longer than 20 feet cannot be accommodated, and water and electric RV hookups are not available. Exterior water remains turned off throughout the campground, but restroom facilities are open. Payment is by cash/check at the campground bulletin board. $23/night and $10/night for any extra vehicle until April 1st when fees change. Review--- SO this is exactly what the website says. Then you call and the nice ranger person says YES we open, first come first serve. Pay and camp any place in the south lot. So you and your group heads out to this great place only to be told after you drive in, set up, pay and get ready for a relaxing evening.... "Sorry we are closed and you need to move your vehicles." After a lot of interaction with one nice Ranger (Zach) explaining our situation of car camping and tent camping. Going over the website and other details. He needed to get the next Ranger. Second ranger; very grouchy borderline rude. Again Explaining the website says open and camping allowed. And multiple wellllllll you might need to move cars. I was like, NO the site says open and we are camping. After a lot of back and forth: We got to stay. While we were there (2 nights); 3 other groups who also read the forest website showed up. All ready to camp. Fortunately for them we already encountered all the back and forth about closed not closed ect so they did not get the rather rude ranger up in their business. Overall a great camp ground with running water in the main building by the lake (soon others as things warm up), hot water, flat tent areas and a great hiking trail system around. A clean camp ground, please folks keep it that way. Help those workers out. But trash Inside the bins (2 people day use could not read and put there crap on top of the open-able trash cans). I liked our winter adventure, however; I will not be returning anytime soon. Other camp grounds open in May and have much nicer employees to interact with.

Great spot near Leavenworth to get your family outdoors. We went in the winter. There was a cute…read morelittle store and lots of snow on the snow hill. We also use the snow park and took out the snowmobiles. The store has lot ofs tuff including food, supplies, souvenirs and even gifts. Overall, just a really great clean State park with great views and lots of room for activities.

For anyone looking for a fun and easy to slightly moderate trail, highly recommend this one!!…read more Highlights of trail: 1. Parking Lot: Fairly large. Come early and beat the crowds :) 2. Trail Length: Used All Trails app to track and took about 7miles round trip for the loop 3. Trail Difficulty: Depending on how you start, difficulty level can vary. My friends and I opted to start the loop off at the switchbacks (going counterclockwise on the trail) and that was really the most tough part with the never ending incline. Once done with the switchbacks, it was smooth and easy sailing with the rest of the flat trail. If you want a shorter route and not finish the whole loop, just start the trail off clockwise and for the first couple of miles; it will be pretty flat before the gradual incline starts. 4. Trail Features: So many things to see!! :) Love reading the historic notes along the trail to give context about the various train tunnels and such. Tons of cool plants, mini waterfalls, and plenty of scenic viewpoints. 5. Other notes: Hiking poles not needed but I do suggest hiking boots or shoes with good tractions as some of the trail can get a bit rocky. Plus, there are a couple of streams to cross over, so shoes might get wet! Overall, peaceful hike and not too far of a drive from Seattle~

Weather is getting nice, but the weekend we went it was a little rainy, cloudy and wet outside…read more Whatever, deal with it. It's about a 90 min drive if you are coming from Seattle proper area, head towards Stevens Pass in Skykomish. We got there about 830am, so there was only a few cars in the little lot at the trail head. There's a port-a-john you can use if you need to go. The trail is relatively easy to medium depending on physical condition, small little climb when you start then it evens out when you get to the top of the upper loop and remains level all the way throughout. Bottom loop is pretty flat and wide with good views too. Do both. Depending on what you do, it can be about 7-9 miles round trip. Nice views, little waterfalls, cool & slightly spooky looking old train tunnels(you are not allowed to go inside), cool looking anchor wall, some signs along the way to explain some history of the Great Northern Railway over the Cascades. I enjoyed it, glad we took time to get outside, get some fresh air, and go to towns I've never been to. I read some articles and posts about paranormal activity there, unfortunately I didn't see any ghost.

Riverside Park runs alongside the Wenatchee River in Cashmere. A paved walking path extends along…read morethe river and is beautiful to walk in the autumn. I recently walked this trail with my uncle and my aunt the three mornings I was in Cashmere visiting them (the 10th, 11th, and 12th of November 2020). The leaves were various colors and had started falling over the path, the branches of the trees filtered in the sunlight in patches providing a very autumn feel while walking. Along the river the wind can be strong so if walking in cooler temperatures it is a good idea to wear multiple layers. My uncle and I walked down one of the slopes by the walking trail to the river's edge. Across the river Highway 2 was rumbling with cars and trucks on their way to somewhere. In addition to the walking trail there is a large field area, multiple playgrounds one of which in primarily devoted to swings, a paved skate park and a dirt skate park, and a large picnic area where one can sit and relax. I spotted a couple of restroom buildings but did not go over to check if they were open or closed (due to COVID-19). A cement ramp leads into the river and provides a place one could launch or remove a river rafting boat from the water. On each of our visits, the park was calm and not too busy with people.

This multi purpose linear park runs along the Columbia River incorporating a number of test…read moregardens, a 10-mile bicycle/walking path, and the Art on the Avenues Sculpture Garden. I spent a few hours in the early evening and the following morning walking along the handicapped accessible path. I believe there are currently 88 sculptures with most of them available for purchase though a few are owned by the Art on the Avenues organization. The park attracts both young and old.

Huge park but just gravel, no agility activities or water features. Nice places for people to sit…read morebut boring for dogs