Hiking The Enchantments in Washington
Contents
The Enchantments Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 32.50Km (20.2 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 1,520m (4,987 Ft)
Highest Elevation: 2,390m (7,841 Ft)
Average Gradient: 9.35%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Very High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 12 – 16 Hours
– Moderate: 10 – 12 Hours
– Fast: 8 – 10 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: No
Season: ~July – October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
The Enchantments Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 47°31’42.1″N 120°49’15.6″W
The Enchantments Overview
The Enchantments is a fitting name for an alpine region in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington, bespeckled with pristine lakes, jaw-dropping peaks, roaming mountain goats, piercing glaciers, smooth granite and endless vistas. As one of the crown jewels of Washington, the Enchantments can only be described with superlatives like “paradise” or “fairytale”.
Indeed, the Enchantments is one of the most sought after hikes in Washington, drawing in crowds from far and wide every day throughout the summer to bask in its beauty. Hikers, trail runners, lake dwellers, campers and mountaineers all converge into this region throughout the summer to appreciate this fabled land. Unfortunately, there is a cost of admission to the Enchantments, and there is no easy way to see this magical place. You really only have 3 options:
- Win the lottery for a camping reservation that is held annually at the beginning of the year on the Recreation.gov website. Supposedly less than 2% of entrants win a slot, so don’t hold your breath on this one.
- Complete the through hike as described here, which typically begins at the Stuart/Colchuck Lake Trailhead and ends at the Snow Lakes Trailhead as this reduces the elevation gain significantly. This requires either using two cars or using the shuttle service to take you from the ending trailhead to the beginning (so when you finish the hike you’ll end up back at your car).
- Complete a portion of the hike as an out-and-back, starting and finishing at the same trailhead (either Stuart/Colchuck Lake or Snow Lakes). This is the least preferable option as you will ultimately not see everything there is to see, and there is a lot to see!
None of the options are particularly easy and they all involve a long hike, but the best things in life don’t usually come easy and that’s certainly the case here.
Access to both trailheads of the Enchantments is 2WD friendly, with the Stuart/Colchuck Lake trailhead requiring around a 15 minute drive on a bumpy FSR. Both trailheads require a Northwest Forest Pass to park your car, so ensure you buy one for your vehicle at both trailheads if you are taking more than one car.
The best time to visit the Enchantments is typically between July and October. In the early summer you might still expect to encounter snow at higher elevations, so microspikes would be advisable. Dogs are not permitted anywhere in the Enchantments, so leave your pup’s at home.
Maintaining this website requires a significant investment of both time and money, if you find this website a useful resource, please consider making a donation using this button.
Is The Enchantments worthwhile?
While the logistics and difficulty of visiting the Enchantments (especially from BC) are off-putting for some, the reward for visiting this region on a sunny summer day is well worth it. The Enchantments lives up to its name and there is a reason this hike is so incredibly popular, it’s absolutely breathtaking.
How difficult is the Enchantments Thru Hike?
There is much debate about the difficulty of the Enchantments as a through hike, and it’s certainly a big day for all abilities, clocking in at around 32km (depending on how much you wander when you reach the core) trailhead to trailhead. Parties can take anywhere from 8 – 16 hours when attempting to complete this in a day, so it’s important to go prepared, leave early and anticipate potentially ending the hike in darkness.
Still, an experienced hiker might not find the traverse all that bad. All of the ascent is completed within the first 11km, with the remaining 20km+ beyond Aasgard Pass either descending or flat. The hike can generally be split into 4 parts:
- Hike to Colchuck Lake – mostly a moderately steep climb through the forest on an easy to follow, generally well groomed trail. There will typically be crowds and crowds of people on this section as most people start around the same time and initially head the same way.
- Hike up Aasgard Pass – a 700m ascent over just 2km (35% average gradient) on a mixture of rocks and loose silt/dirt with plenty of cairns to guide you. Once you reach the top, the ascending section of the hike is over. Crowds thin out as this section separates the fittest parties from the lesser fit parties. Many groups are also only going to Colchuck Lake, so turn back before this.
- The “core” Enchantments – Over ~6km you’ll now saunter on a mixture of rock, heather and granite through countless alpine lakes while gawking at the staggering mountains around, all the while mountain goats roam freely. Navigation is generally easy as the trail is well marked with cairns, though a map might be useful to have. This is your reward for all your effort. Many groups stop at one (or more) of the stunning lakes throughout this section.
- Descend down to Snow Lakes Trailhead – After Lake Viviane you’ll now descend for over 15km, with the first 2km an ugly, slow and steep descent requiring some scrambling on rock. The remainder of the descent is mostly easy and quick, albeit dull. You will get some respite at Upper Snow and Nada Lake, but for the most part it’s a long, tireless plod.
Many people discuss how difficult Aasgard Pass is and neglect to mention just how gruelling the descent can be. From top to bottom you’ll be descending over 20km and 2,000m with some scrambly sections thrown in. The descent on this hike can leave some parties saying “never again” in the immediate aftermath, though they often go back for more after some time to recover and reflect.
Generally speaking the hike is technically straightforward, though the descent from Viviane Lake to Upper Snow Lake is quite rugged and may catch some parties off guard.
The Enchantments Route Information
The typical trailhead for the Enchantments traverse is from the Stuart/Colchuck Lake Trailhead, which is at the end of a rugged gravel road. All vehicles should be fine to get there. The difficulty is that the hike finishes at the Snow Lakes Trailhead, which is a 13km (~25 minute) drive away from the Stuart/Colchuck Lake Trailhead. As such you will need to leave a car at both the end and start of the hike in order to shuttle back to the beginning once you’re finished. An alternative to this is to leave your car at the Snow Lakes Trailhead and take one of the many commercial shuttle buses to the Stuart/Colchuck Lake trailhead to begin the hike. These buses run regularly and begin very early, often as early as 4am.
From the Stuart/Colchuck Lake trailhead you’ll want to first fill out your day hike permit (assuming you’re not camping) and attach it to your pack. These can be found on an information board at the beginning of the trail.
The trail starts off low-key and easy to follow, with little elevation gain. As you progress the gradient begins to pick up, and after around 4km you’ll reach a junction where the trail splits between Stuart Lake and Colchuck Lake. You’ll want to take the Colchuck Lake trail.
The trail continues much the same all the way to Colchuck Lake, though there will be a bluff with a viewpoint along this stretch that some parties choose to stop at. Once at Colchuck Lake, pretty much everyone will stop along its shores to appreciate the magnificent views of the turquoise lake with the dramatic Dragontail Peak backdrop. In the early morning the reflection of the peak on the lake is stunning.
Crowds begin to thin out somewhat beyond the lake, as some parties are only going to the lake while others spend more time there. The trail now meanders along the western shores of the lake on a rugged trail before crossing a large boulder field on its southern shores. You’re able to access a beach here too if desired, though there are campsites situated there.
From the southern tip of Colchuck Lake the infamous climb up to Aasgard Pass begins. This gets a lot of attention as it’s very steep and foreshortened, so it feels like it goes on for a while. The climb up Aasgard is mostly on a mixture of rock and loose dirt/silt, with plenty of cairns to guide you, though going off route is difficult given the amount of people and the abundance of routes up. It’s not a particularly pleasant climb, but the amount of attention it receives is pretty overblown, certainly by BC standards where climbs like this aren’t that uncommon. It’s merely a case of putting one step in front of the other for 700m elevation gain in around 2km. Fit parties will likely knock it off in an hour or so, while others may take a bit longer. The views of Colchuck Lake behind you improve as you gain elevation, though it’s often in the shade if you set off early.
As you near the top you will cross over a creek, and a few hundred meters ahead will be the top of Aasgard Pass. Again, pretty much everyone will stop at the top of the pass to recover from the climb and to soak in the great views of Dragontail Peak, the Witches Tower and Colchuck Lake down below. This is really the end of the ascent portion of the day, but it’s subjective whether or not that’s the hardest part of the day over with, since many people loathe the descent on this hike more than the climb.
From the top of the pass the most enjoyable stretch of the hike begins as you begin your hike through the wonderland that is the core Enchantments. The trail now becomes a granite playground with an abundance of cairns leading the way. Keep your eyes peeled for mountain goats, as they could be frolicking around anywhere from here on out.
The trail now begins winding its way through, initially passing by Tranquil and Isolation Lake before dropping briefly towards a plateau beneath Little Annapurna peak. There will be a series of smaller lakes here, and further ahead you will reach a viewpoint of Crystal Lake with McClellan Peak standing behind. You’ll also get your first views of the omnipresent spire of Prusik Peak, and the larches will have also started in earnest by now.
The trail continues with a descent towards the aptly named Inspiration Lake, providing a paradisiacal alpine view that’s difficult to explain. Many parties stop at this lake, but the trail continues to descend towards another lake fittingly named as Perfection Lake.
The trail continues to descend to the shores of Perfection Lake, which is stunningly clear on its northern edge thanks to its shallow depth. Again, many parties stop at this lake for a swim. From the northern tip of the lake a trail leads up to Prusik Pass which offers nice views, however the traverse continues to wrap around Perfection Lake’s eastern shores to the smaller Sprite Lake. The views from here back towards Little Annapurna are exceptional.
The trail will now continue its descent through the Lower Enchantments, with Prusik Peak towering above to the north and McClellan Peak to the south. You’ll soon pass by Leprechaun Lake before reaching one last send off from the glistening Lake Viviane. The Prusik Peak backdrop leaves nothing to the imagination, and this view has to be one of the finest in all of the Enchantments.
Beyond Lake Viviane the real descent begins in earnest. Over a matter of 1.5km you’ll clamber steeply down a stretch of what can only be described as tedious terrain that, at times, involves some scrambling. For such a well traveled trail this section catches many people off guard as it’s nothing like what came before. Thankfully it’s fairly short lived in the context of the whole hike (though it won’t feel like it at the time), and soon enough you’ll reach the forest and the shores of Upper Snow Lake.
The trail continues to wrap around the lake in a counter clockwise direction for a full 2km, offering some beautiful views of the Temple as you proceed. Shortly ahead the forested trail gives way to a rocky descent towards Nada Lake, passing by a raging waterfall on the way. This is your final lake of the hike, so if you want to take one last break before the long, boring plod back to the trailhead, now’s your chance.
After Nada Lake all that remains is a relentless hike back to the car with little to do along the way other than plant one foot in front of the other. This is more of a mental battle at this stage as some parties could have been on their feet for 10-12 hours up to this point. While the trail is boring and long, it is at least easy and fast, offering a gradual descent back to the car that shouldn’t be too taxing on the knees. The final 2km follows a series of switchbacks before you cross a bridge over Icicle Creek and climb a short slope to the Snow Creek parking lot.
When should I hike The Enchantments?
The peak season for the Enchantments runs from July to October, and even then you may still encounter snow at higher elevations in the early summer. Once the snow returns in October you’ll have to wait until next year to visit again.
Top Tip
The mountain goats in the Enchantments have become very accustomed to humans and will happily wander around with young ones quite close by. Give them their space and be sure to use the toilets provided throughout the hike to prevent them searching for salt in human urine.
Much of this hike is exposed to sun, even during the descent. Combined with frequently hot summers, make sure to bring plenty of sun protection.
Water is pretty plentiful throughout the entire hike and you will have many opportunities to fill up, just make sure to bring a suitable vessel and to keep an eye on your water levels to ensure you fill up regularly. It usually isn’t that far until your next opportunity to refill.
Taking over 12 hours for this hike is pretty normal, so bring enough food to last an entire day. Also make sure to bring headlamps in case you end up finishing in the darkness.
Start as early as possible. Many parties begin hiking in the darkness, often as early as 3am, to ensure they finish the hike at a safe time.
Share the trail, especially on the section up to Colchuck Lake. On a sunny summer weekend this section of the trail can get incredibly busy with varying abilities, and many stretches are single file. There is nothing more annoying than getting stuck behind a group of 10 people who don’t move aside for faster parties.
