Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan
Chelan, WA
A ribbon lake so long and deep it runs from vineyards and sunshine at one end to a roadless mountain valley you can only reach by boat at the other.
Lake Chelan is one of the great surprises of Washington geography: a lake more than fifty miles long and among the deepest in the entire country, its bottom well below sea level. It begins in a warm, sunny valley of orchards, vineyards, and lakeside resorts, and ends deep in the North Cascades, where forested walls close in and the peaks turn alpine.
The best way to feel that transition is to ride the boat the length of the lake to Stehekin, a tiny community at the head with no road connecting it to the rest of the world. Few places let you travel so quickly from wine tasting to true wilderness.
What Guests Love
- Riding the passenger boat up the lake to Stehekin, a village with no road connection to the outside world
- The sheer depth and length of the water, one of the deepest lakes in the United States
- The dramatic transition from sunbaked hills and vineyards to glaciated peaks at the head of the lake
- Warm, sunny summers and clear water at the Chelan end, unusual for the rainy Northwest
Worth Knowing
- Stehekin has no road in; you get there by the Lady of the Lake boat, by floatplane, or on foot, so plan the trip around the boat schedule
- The lower lake around Chelan gets hot and very busy in midsummer, more resort than wilderness
- The upper lake and Stehekin sit inside the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and the North Cascades complex
- Bring what you need for Stehekin; services there are limited and everything arrives by boat or plane
Details
Chelan, WA
Learn about Lake Chelan
A lake carved by ice
Lake Chelan fills a long, steep trough gouged by glaciers during the Ice Ages. The ice ground the valley far deeper than the surrounding land, which is why the lake is so extraordinarily deep, well over a thousand feet, with its floor lying below the level of the distant sea.
Because it is long and narrow and hemmed by mountains, the lake feels more like a fjord than a typical mountain lake. It also spans a climate line: the town of Chelan sits in the rain shadow of the Cascades, dry and sunny, while the head of the lake pushes into the wet, snowy high country.
Stehekin, the town at the end of the lake
At the far northwestern head of the lake lies Stehekin, one of the most remote year-round communities in the Lower 48. No road reaches it. Residents and visitors arrive by the passenger boat that plies the lake, by small floatplane, or on foot over mountain trails.
The name Stehekin comes from a Native word often translated as the way through, a fitting name for a valley that was long a travel route across the mountains. Today it is a jumping-off point for the North Cascades backcountry, with a famous bakery, a shuttle up the valley to Rainbow Falls, and a deep, off-the-grid quiet.
Sun, orchards, and wine at the foot of the lake
The Chelan end of the lake is a different world. Long, warm summers and clear water made it a resort town generations ago, and the surrounding slopes have grown from apple orchards into a respected wine region in recent decades.
The Chelan and Wenatchi peoples lived along this lake and the Columbia to the east for a very long time, fishing and traveling its waters. The lake and valley remain part of their homeland and their history, even as the lower end has become one of eastern Washington's busiest summer playgrounds.
Wildlife and seasons
The dry hills near Chelan hold mule deer, marmots, and rattlesnakes, while the forested upper valley and its mountains are home to black bears, mountain goats on the high crags, and a rich birdlife along the water.
Summer is peak season at the Chelan end, hot and lively, and the best window for boating the length of the lake. Spring and fall are quieter and cooler, with the upper valley greening or turning gold. Winter shrinks the boat schedule and blankets the head of the lake in snow.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Chelan
Stehekin
At the head of the lake
A roadless village reached only by boat, plane, or trail, with a beloved bakery, a valley shuttle to Rainbow Falls, and deep-wilderness access to the North Cascades.
Lake Chelan wine country
Around Chelan and Manson
A cluster of hillside wineries and tasting rooms overlooking the lake, grown up alongside the region's old apple and cherry orchards.
Chelan
At the foot of the lake
A sunny resort town with a swimming beach, waterfront parks, and boat rentals, the practical base for exploring the lake.