Distance: 19.25 miles (31 km) Difficulty: Extremely strenuous Total Elevation Gain: 5,500 feet (1,675 meters) Total Elevation Loss: 7,000 feet (2,133 meters) Starting your hike at the Stuart Lake trailhead as I recommend, you will need to find a ride back to this trailhead from the Snow Lakes trailhead. When you apply, you select your entry date and location and pay a $10 non-refundable application fee. 14 days ago. To obtain one of these, you will need to arrive at the ranger station early in the morning on the day you wish to start your trip. 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. It is never acceptable to clean pots by submerging them in a natural body of water. After you finish your hike, its time to celebrate! With over 2,000 feet of elevation gain in less than a single mile in distance, the climb challenges both stamina and determination. Its not at all uncommon for other hikers to help with shuttling! While we did not get lucky, that method will increase your chances. Positive Elev. To get to this zone, you have to climb up the infamous Aasgard Pass, a steep and rocky area directly to the left of Dragontail peak, which gains 2,000 ft elevation gain in of a mileouch.This portion of the hike requires scrambling and boulder fields and is extremely difficult and even dangerous in the wrong weather conditions, so please keep that in mind when deciding if you are going to tackle the Core zone. Adventure joined a group of our friends on a trip up to the Enchantments in Washington. There is little if any cell service available on this trail, and emergency help is far away. Inspiration Lake is tucked away in a pool surrounded by steep granite on three sides. If you begin at the Stuart Lake Trailhead and go up by way of Colchuck Lake and Aasgard Pass, you'll have 6,000 vertical feet of elevation gain and 7,800 vertical feet of elevation loss. Starting at Stuart / Colchuck Lake trailhead means you climb 4,549 ft and descend 6,688 ft. Once you finish hiking, you can use the vehicle at the end to go back and retrieve the other one. :) 15 Best Hikes in North Cascades National Park, 11 Best Waterfalls in Washington State + Hikes to Find Them, How to Get From Seattle to Bainbridge Island (By Ferry or Road Trip! Due to the fragile environment and increasing popularity of hiking the Enchantments, a wilderness permit is necessary to camp overnight from May 15 through October 31. Something we wish we had brought were waterproof pants. The road to Colchuck lake does close in the winter, but it typically is open for a bit after October 31, giving you a little bit of a window to do the hike depending on the weather. This is the last Enchantments campsite location on the way out to the end of the trail. Its also important to note theres a lot to consider before hiking the Enchantments. No clue if this is beneficial but it does feel like it's getting easier. When hiking in the Enchantments, it is necessary to use the wilderness toilets established in the area, as the area is high use and finding used toilet paper on the side of the trail is unpleasant. They are pit toilets, but its good for a last minute bathroom break before hitting the trail! This ethereal landscape of lakes, basins, and rugged peaks is a delightful place to hike through. Because of the popularity of the area, backpacking permits to camp in the core Enchantments area are required May 15-October 31st, and they are in high demand -- I've applied three years in a row without any luck. Drive 4 miles past the Snow Lakes parking lot until you reach FS Road 7601. Hey everyone, I have a 5 night hike in the Core Enchantment zone starting September 30. And any other tips on some good campsites? Some particularly adventurous skiers and snowshoers attempt the trail during the winter, but thats only advised for very experienced winter sports enthusiasts. Here's her trip in photos. If there are still advance permits that did not sell, they will also give these away during the walk-up lottery. $18.00 Tags: Day Hiking Share this Page: This is a very popular area for backpacking, camping, and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. While youll have no cell phone service, being able to charge your phone to take photos, look at a map, etc is crucial. A hard-to-acquire permit is required to camp in any of the area's five zones, with the Enchantment Core permit being the most desirable. Before setting out on this trip, make sure you are physically ready for a strenuous hike through the wilderness! Bear CanisterWhile we did not see any bears during our trip, we always pack a bear canister when in the wilderness to safely store our food. These campsites provide excellent views of Little Annapurna, one of the tallest peaks along the trail, and an opportunity for a scrambling side-trip if you are feeling adventurous. You can either try to get a walk up permit (covered above) or day hike it (covered below). Leave a car here for your return and continue down Icicle Creek Road towards the Stuart Lake Trailhead. This 24 mile, 6,200 elevation gain permit only hike leads to the tallest mountain in the contiguous US. Stuart: The Stuart zone is named after Lake Stuart, which is a 9 mile round trip hike. More than a dozen high alpine lakes carved in granite. To reach the Snow Lakes trailhead to drop a car for your return trip, you will need to head into Leavenworth. While most of the trail isn't very technically challenging, it's brutal in that it's very long and steep. Want to discover more trails in Washington? 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 only way to visit the Enchantments is by hiking and it is no easy task. A hike through the Enchantments is a very strenuous hike. Dont be fooled that you are reaching the end here, even though you are leaving the lake basin! This can be a good place to plan for a night of rest if downhill hiking presents difficulty. This is a helpful article as I plan my permit asks and hopeful my hike. With the added weight of a pack, some training or backpacking experience is highly recommended before attempting to hike the Enchantments. Although it may look too formidable to even attempt, the beautiful craggy peak behind Colchuck Lake is where the Enchantments hike continues. If youre not very familiar with the Enchantments Wilderness Area, you may be surprised to know that it requires a bit more planning and preparation than simply lacing up your hiking boots and hitting the trail. Talk about timing! The hike is a mixture of a regular dirt trail and rock scrambling. The descent from here is long and tedious, and the large decline in elevation challenges most hikers. The Enchantments is a region in Washington, just 15 miles southwest of Leavenworth, a super cute Bavarian village town. The summer temperatures drop (it occasionally reaches a scorching 100 degrees in July and August!) Once applications are drawn, there is a few-week period where successful applicants must accept their permit. For this multi-night backpacking adventure, make sure you are prepared with the right gear. The Yucatn Peninsula is the heart of the ancient, The cenotes tour we booked through @airbnbexperien. And it's tough getting there. The trail is steep and rocky, resembling your climb up Aasgard Pass. While our experience hiking the Enchantments wasnt the traditional experiencewe didnt have a Core permit and we skipped Aasgard pass due to weather concernswe had such a fun, rainy and memorable three days. You may also be able to snag a spot later in the evening when day hikers are leaving. The best season to hike to the lakes is summer and early fall, namely late July/August to September/early October. This is the most recent attempt to mitigate the parking shortage at the trailheads. Backpacking The Enchantments The Enchantments is a region in Washington state with a group of pristine alpine lakes that can only be accessed by foot. At the end of your trip, you will use the car at the Snow Lakes trailhead to return to the car you left at the Stuart Lakes trailhead. We are big fans of Wild Zora backpacking meals, especially the beef ones, as they are super natural and healthy. In addition to the lottery permits, a very limited number of permits are reserved for walk-ins available at the Leavenworth Ranger Station. I think it was definitely one of the best spots out in the Snow Lakes area! I booked this time as I wanted the beautiful golden larches. You may be able to find a ride back to the Stuart Lake trailhead from someone else completing their hike, but for overnight trips, most people leave a car at both trailheads. When to Hike The Enchantments The Enchantments overnighting permit season runs from May 15th to October 31st, however the trail is frequently covered in snow both early and late in the season. Early Summer While hiking in June still requires a permit, you run the risk of the trail being heavily covered in snow. They have two parking lots in this area (the first one is for Eightmile and next one is for Stuart/Colchuck), as well as an overnight only parking area for those with overnight permits. See our topo map of the route. The. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hello there! To overnight between May and October, however, a lottery permit is required. Ever since moving to Washington and learning about this beautiful region, we had our sights set on backpacking there. Most backpackers choose to visit during this window. The trail through the Enchantments is 18 miles, one-way, with additional side trails to explore the surrounding lakes. The trail continues to be rocky and steep and several sections require scrambling using both hands and feet. The trail in this area passes by stunning spots like aptly-named Lake Perfection and Lake Vivianne while continuously dropping in elevation towards Snow Lake. This is another hike that is a doable day trip, but if youd like to stay overnight, youll need to enter the Enchantments lottery for a permit. Read More. Was the road to Stuart Lake Trailhead scary or just extremely bumpy? As for toilet paper, Leave No Trace says use only plain, white, non-perfumed brands. We hope to inform, inspire, and empower you to get outside, see this incredible world, and find your WILD! Day 1: Hike to Snow Lake and set up campDay 2: Explore the Core area all day and then head back your campsite at Snow LakeDay 3: Hike out through Snow Lake. Near the Bavarian town of Leavenworth (but hidden from sight), The Enchantments loom. However, there is no easy way to get there. Uphill hikers always have the right-of way, and downhill hikers who see approaching hikers should find a suitable spot to let the uphill hikers pass. Bonus: during the tail end of the month and into October, the foliage turns to a beautiful vibrant yellow-orange! For the broadest swim experience, do the Enchantment Traverse, a 21-mile hike starting at the Colchuck Lake Trailhead (Mountaineer Creek) and ending at the Snow Creek Trailhead. Most hikers start from Stuart Lake, and we recommend this direction as well. 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