Indeed very enchanting place. We did backpacking 3 nights 4 days to experience the core zone as much as possible including off-trail scrambles for Little Annapurna and Enchantment Peak. We went Colchuck to Viviane and traced back since not much to see beyond Viviane. Really nice backpacking. My detailed mileage etc is below blog post. https://himebackpacker.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-enchantments-washington.html read more

The Enchantments - Parks Near Me

I've done this a couple of times so I'll give you the different perspectives. The first time I did it as a one-day hike because I did not have a permit. The second time I did it as a three night hike because it was after October 15th and I still didn't have a permit. Since that time, the permit season has been extended to October 30th. Either way, I suggest that hiking in the fall is the prettiest time due to the larch trees colors. Both times we started at the Stuart Lake trailhead (recommended due to reduced overall elevation gain) and ended at the Snow Lake trailhead. Now at the risk of offending someone I will say that hiking through the Enchantments in one day is like watching a porn movie on fast forward. You miss most of the scenery. My suggestion is to either get a permit, or hike outside of season, preferably in the fall, but stay at least two nights. Given that the hike up Aasgard Pass has an elevation gain of 1900 feet in about a mile, I can attest that it can be quite dangerous when raining. On the East side there will be mud & rock slides and in our case we had to duck out of the way of several large, (18 or so inch diameter) Rocks that came bouncing down the boulders with unpredictable direction at a very high rate of speed. Risks early in the season are snow slides and avalanches, so be very aware of the conditions when you are there. All that said, anyone who does not give this a five and tell you that it's absolutely one of the most beautiful hikes you'll ever take on must know something I don't, and I've hiked the Himalayas. Remember that goats are dangerous. Pee on rocks, not soil because the goats will dig it up for the salt. Try not to let a goat see you peeing or it will run towards you. Try fishing in the lakes; the trout are great for dinner up there. You should also know that when coming down toward the Snow Lake trailhead there are a large number of switchbacks and when you see the cars just down the hill, it will likely be another hour before you get there, and if you did it as a day hike, your feet may not be happy when you finally arrive. If you are a hiker, you must find a way to get this one done before you hang up your boots. read more

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I did a day hike from the Stuart trailhead into the Enchantments and back, about 10-11 miles total, and it is without question the most incredible hike I have ever done. Asgard Pass is no joke, and it's easy to run out of water--be sure to account for that. My feet hit the trail at 5am, and it took the bulk of the day. I imagine it's much better to break the hike into multiple days and camp, but even the day hike is well worth the trip. Absolutely stunning. read more

With out a doubt one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I've been blessed with multiple core permits and have been able to do at least a weekend minimum every year. It's worth the effort to at least day hike into the core. Not as hard as the reputation it has. I actually prefer going up Asgard, but grinding vertical feet on mountains is one of my zen happy things. Do watch out for ticks and stay hydrated. Also please practice leave no trace with the heavy usage the area gets. read more

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A goat drank my pee. My group all had amazing life realizations and a generally wonderful travel. 4 days in the core zone. Thank you based permit god. read more

The Enchantments - Parks Near Me

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Went on Colchuck lake trail yesterday and it was majestic. Reminds me of Big Pines in CA. And probably the same difficulty level. Difficulty: strenuous 8miles RT. Lots of rocky and uphill trekking Weather conditions: cold but bearable unless you're camping over night Road conditions: no snow on the road, and there is parking but you need a valid permit (we went Veterans Day so it was free) After a nice hike, stop by the Bavarian village for some awesome German food and beer! read more

The Enchantments - Parks Near Me

I came on two separate occasion. Each from both ends of the trail. When you reached the lakes, it is the most rewarding sight to behold. Coming from the Colchuck side was sorry and more difficult getting over Aasgard Pass. Need an ice pick this time of year. Other way to see the enchanted lakes from the Snow Lakes TH is by far longer asks full of switchbacks. Either method you choose, I recommend spending the night or two. But hurry, you don't need to enter a lottery for a permit before mid-June. read more

The Enchantments - Snow Lakes - Parks Near Me

This is the best short backpacking trip that you can take in the entire state of Washington. It may take you a few years to win one of the extremely limited permits, but it is so very worth it. There are almost a dozen lakes, mountain goats, craggy peaks, amazing campsites, and excellent fishing. Send me a private message if you want some tips on where to camp in the core Enchantment Zone. Extremely highly recommended. Alpine scenery doesn't get much better than this! read more

*** Trip from 10/7 - 10/10 (Hiking Out & In from Snow Lakes TH) *** Like A River Runs Through It, The Enchantments will haunt you. Walk these trails and see these landscapes--you will become hooked and an addict. I first became enamored August 2012. Then in 2013 I hiked it in July (lots of mosquitoes, but swam in a lake 4 days in a row!). Then there was my Permit I obtained because someone forfeited their permit---lucky me. I wanted this time of year, and we all know why: The Larch. Was super excited for the hike, but weeks before the trip I saw forecasts and trip reports showing snow in the Core in September!! I was worried. I had three salsa-dancing friends and Enchantment virgins coming along (and for one, this was his first backpacking trip EVER!). I stressed. But I rubbed the head of my fellow hiker who brings good weather, and we went for it. We arrived in Leavenworth to a bit of dramatic weather. The wind was howling, needles and debris flew threw the air, it was raining, and we saw snow on peaks from the trailhead. In other words, we LOVED it! We hiked through the weather and made our way to Nada Lake for FIRST Camp. I'd never hiked this way (have started from Stuart Lake TH....but canned that idea about stories of deep snow on Aasgard). This route wasn't that bad. We made it to Nada an hour before nightfall---REMEMBER shorter days in the Fall!!! On Tues morning we awoke to light snow falling. As we made our way up to Snow Lakes, the snow stopped, and the sun & blue bird skies tickled us in all their glory. At Snow Lake we walked into beauty and had our first glimpses up to The Core. We could see some snow, and also a peppering of larches (and also the big climb we had in store). We pushed on. I worried that it would be hard to find the trail going UP from Snow Lake, but it actually was no problem at all. The cairns always help, but tracks in the snow make it trivial. It was a bear as expected climbing those hundreds of feet. We made Viviane a little bit before sunset. I really wanted to make it to Leprechaun, so I asked my Band of Salseros to give me just a few more steps. And so with skies becoming purple and dark, we made our way up around the Granite Rebar Wall area (which was filled with snow 2-3' deep). We made it past the Rebar section with no problem, but a few steps later was the trail which hugs a ledge a hundreds of feet above chilly-looking Viviane Lake. I have to admit being a little scared (I fronted like I wasn't though to my friends--I mean Leprechaun was only steps around the corner!!!). So, I took a few steps, and then turned around. My sure-footed salsa goddess was behind me, but the next thing I saw was her slip a foot in the slushy snow and then grab the branch of tree as she straddled a rock. I WAS SO SCARED!!! (she was calm and steady). At this point, I called it. My friend was easily able to get her footing, but it was too dangerous for us. The winds were picking up. It was now dark. We slushed back to down to Viviane and rushed to make camp near the water & amongst the shelter of the larch. This was a brilliant decision. We awoke to brilliant sunrise orange on Prusik Peak and the Temple. Then this fire color gave way to brilliant blue skies and fluorescent yellow larches. My friend even caught a couple of trout here! Don't get me wrong, we had a freezing night! Our shoelaces, water filters, camel backs were all frozen. We ended up spending quite the morning here until the sun could warm us up. Then we finally & reluctantly packed up and headed out (with a tear running down our face). The hike down was surprisingly easy & we wisely decided to make camp early at Snow Lake (vs Nada). We set up camp at the most awesome spot on Snow Lake. I ended up catching 4 trout...kept only one. And then we had the best meal of the trip (and probably the best one in all of the 509 Area Code that evening). Snow Lake Dinner Menu: - Filleted Trout in a bourbon honey salt & pepper glaze - Whole Trout fried in a bourbon honey salt & pepper glaze & olive oil - Mashed Potatoes - Mac & Cheese - Chicken Salad Cocktails: Old Fashioned & Cinnamon Tea with Rum. Sorry if we were loud that evening, but we had to party a bit after that meal, with music, and regales about our adventure. The next day we hiked out. Right at the beginning we met seattlenative (aka Mike). So cool to meet him, and have him join us for the hike out. Within steps we were all in awe of his light pack (think he said it was 28lbs...we had packs that averaged 42lbs at the beginning...mine was 49lbs!). As we all know this hike is a steady and never-ending one. We made the TH by about 3-4pm. We then made it to Heidleburger shortly thereafter....and took it to go so we could eat with beers at Icicle Brewery! Once again, The Enchantments left us wanting more. Damn you Ms. Enchantment!! read more

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Absolutely stunning views whether driving or hiking. This area of the country is mesmerizing. If you take a trip to Seattle, it's worth the drive to spend a day or two in this area. read more

This is the holy grail of alpine lakes areas, right here in our very own backyard. If you are a serious outdoorsperson and don't mind planning a trip in advance, apply for a permit to go backpacking in the Enchantments outside of Leavenworth, WA. You can also play roulette and hope to obtain a day-of-departure permit by showing up at the Leavenworth Ranger Station at 7:30am for a 7:45 drawing/decision making event. Your odds are better mid-week, but it's not worth the risk if you've invested the 2.5 hours to get out here. We spent the night prior to our departure date at the Forest Service campground called 8-Mile, off Icicle Creek Road. Great first-come/first-serve campground and staging area ($15/night), and it's right in between the two trailheads you will use to conduct this kickass hiking operation. I would only recommend this hike if you: have all the right gear, have at least one accomplice, are fit enough to deal with long climbs wearing a heavy pack at lower-oxygen altitudes, resilient enough to deal with mosquitoes and biting flies, capable of camping without having to light a campfire ('cause they're prohibited, and you better not burn the place down), willing to pack out ALL your own trash (including used toilet paper) and not afraid of goats. 'Cause you're gonna see mountain goats a-plenty in this place, and they will approach you without fear. They want to eat anything you have that is salty, including the straps off your sweat-covered backpack. In fact, they're so salt limited that the rangers request that hikers pee on rocks, so the goats can, uh, utilize it as a source of those much-needed nutrients. Yep. So you have to be cool with goats licking your pee, too. Don't worry, they wait 'til you're finished, but in some cases, not for long. Some recommendations: this is a long and challenging hike. Do it in 4 days. Get a permit that allows you to enter at Colchuck; spend your first night at this emerald gem of a lake. Nights 2 and 3 should be spent in the same place, if you choose your location well (I highly recommend Leprechaun Lake). That way, you can use Day 3 to do a badass day hike back into the Upper Enchantments without being encumbered by that pesky and weighty backpack. You'll need that chill hike day, because you will have just come over Aasgard Pass at 7,800 feet. Note to everyone: Aasgard Pass is a misnomer. It should actually called "Asskick Pass". I refer to it as nothing else. It's a bit of a beast, and I wouldn't want to go down it, hence my strong recommendation that you only approach it from the Colchuck Lake side and commence your ascent, being careful to follow the cairns. We had to do this on a day when we encountered downpours, hail, strong winds, and very cold temps. In the middle of July. So come prepared. And take pics, 'cause it's crazy beautiful up there! The otherworldly scenes you will view in the desolate Upper Enchantments, combined with the "where are the elves and trolls?" meadows of the Lower Enchantments will knock your socks off. The alpine wildflowers were out of this world--too bad I don't have a macro lens! The ~9 mile hike out to the Snow Lake trailhead (be prepared to plant a car in advance for a car ferry or else hitchhike) is a bit of a drag, but what you experienced for 3 days prior makes it all worthwhile. When you're done, jump in Icicle Creek for a cool dip in that icy meltwater. You'll need it. Then go into town, gorge yourself on pizza, beer, ice cream, and all things Bavarian. Buy a large bottle of ibuprofen, and consume it as your Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness sets in over the next 48 hours. Take warm baths and reflect on your happy accomplishment. It was well worth the pain you'll experience afterwards (and perhaps during), so just do it, if you dare! read more