Hidden Beauty: Hiking in the Stehekin Valley, North Cascades National Park, Washington

The Trip

The Stehekin Valley provided the area's earliest inhabitants with a passage through the North Cascade Mountains. To reach this remote place, you'll travel along glacier-carved Lake Chelan, the largest natural lake in Washington and the second-deepest in the country. From ridgetop to lake bed, this is the deepest gorge in the country. The ancestors of the Upper Skagit tribe fished, hunted and traded with others across this mountain range. Their name for the lake is Tsi-Laan, which means "Deep Water." Lake Chelan is 50.5 miles long with an average depth of 474 feet and deepest area of 1,486 feet.

The mountainous region surrounding the Stehekin Valley and the north end of Lake Chelan is so outstanding that it merits three wilderness areas, two national recreation areas, and North Cascade National Park. The valley is only accessible by foot, boat, or floatplane, which keeps it both peaceful and barely developed.

This trip is designed to allow flexibility and individual choice, so participants who enjoy different recreation can opt out of hiking and instead take advantage of other activities like photography and conservation conversations; all included in the trip price. Additionally, guided horseback rides, kayaking, fishing, and bike riding are fee-based activities offered by the lodge at a cost averaging $50-$65/activity. Participants can also choose to enjoy time on their own exploring the village by foot or just relaxing at the lodge. The lodge offers some outdoor/indoor recreation like volleyball, horseshoe pits, and ping-pong. The little village of Stehekin boasts espresso and homemade pastries, a flower and vegetable garden/market, the old school house, hiking maps, books, a post office, as well as historic buildings and the quaint national park visitor center.

We will stay in cabins at the Courtney family's Stehekin Valley Ranch, a rustic resort located nine miles up-valley near the Stehekin River. All meals, accommodations, and transportation up the lake and within the valley to our day hikes/activities are included in the trip price.

The trip begins near the town of Chelan, WA. There is secured parking at the landing with a fee for weekly parking. Fee for parking is NOT part of the trip cost; participants will need to pay for their own parking. The leaders will be at the dock to check in participants and distribute boat tickets for the trip up Lake Chelan. We will depart the boat at Stehekin Landing and take the shuttle to Stehekin Valley Ranch.

This trip is particularly tailored to the individual – as we each have ideas of what makes a good vacation. If you come with a friend or partner, you may like to hike but they prefer a good read by the river. This trip is good choice for both of you. We will accommodate individual preferences so participants can enjoy their vacation their way. The first meal is planned to be lunch at the Stehekin Valley Ranch, following the boat ride. In the evenings, we will all get together to share stories, conservation issues, and perhaps some music, so bring your instruments if you can.

Taking safety, weather, and preferences of participants into account, each day, we will determine the hikes and/or activities to enjoy as a group or as multiple groups.

We will take a valley shuttle to a different trailhead for the day’s hike or outdoor activity. Possible hikes often include trips to Rainbow Falls and Rainbow Loop, High Bridge Trail, Howard Lake, and the Shoreline Trail. Hikes can be easy, moderate, to difficult and range in length from 6-12 miles round trip. Trails in the area range from flat or gently rolling terrain to long and steep. Individually or as a group, participants can opt out of hikes and choose from the multiple trip-included or fee-based recreational activities.

The last meals of the trip will be breakfast and our sack lunch for the boat trip downlake on the last day. We will take the express boat leaving at 12:00 p.m. and arriving at Field’s Point at 1:45 p.m. and Chelan at 2:45 p.m.

Getting There

The trip will start and end in Chelan, WA. Details about the meeting place, time, and further travel logistics will be given closer to the time of the trip. Chelan is located in the middle-north of the state and is equidistant from Seattle and Spokane. It is a 3.5-hour drive by car from the two major airports. You should plan to stay overnight in the Chelan vicinity the night before the trip. The trip leaders can help with travel and lodging suggestions. In addition, the leaders will provide information about other participants who are interested in carpools from Seattle or Spokane. Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member and we have the number of participants that means the trip is “a go”.

Accommodations and Food

We will be staying in cabins at the Stehekin Valley Ranch. The cabins vary in size, sleeping two, three or four people, with indoor bathrooms. Linens and towels are provided. A limited number of single-occupancy cabins will be available, at a higher price. Contact the leader directly if you are interested in a single cabin.

Meals are served buffet-style in the ranch dining hall. The food is homemade, ample, and delicious. The homemade pies alone are worth the journey to the ranch! Lunch makings will be set out right after breakfast so we can make our sack lunches to take on our day hikes/activities. We will also have the opportunity to stop at the famous Stehekin Bakery on our adventures. Vegetarian and special diets can be accommodated if you let the trip leader know in advance.

All meals, accommodations, and transportation within the valley to our day hikes/activities are included in the trip price.

Trip Difficulty

All hikes/activities are optional, so the trip can be as easy as relaxing at the lodge, or as hard as the hikes/activities you choose to do. Trails in the area range from flat to gently rolling terrain to an ascent of up to 2,500-foot elevation gains. The day hikes will be determined by the leaders, depending on the interests of the group and the weather. Please let the leaders know if you have any medical problems, serious allergies, or dietary restrictions.

There are hikes in the area that can be half-day hikes for those who would like to hike but prefer hiking for a few hours at a time.The principal criteria for enjoying the hikes on this trip are physical and cardiovascular fitness and an open attitude toward moderately challenging group hikes. A regular fitness program, including hiking with some degree of hill climbing, is beneficial. For those participants that choose not to hike, just an open attitude and love for the outdoors is sufficient.

Equipment and Clothing

Each cabin has beds with linens and blankets. The temperatures in mid-September 2022 were in the mid-70s in the day with nighttime temperatures between 39-45⁰. We are in the Pacific Northwest, so you can plan on rain, sunshine, warm, and cold. Bringing clothing that can be layered and a mindset that is adventuresome and flexible will go a long way to having a great trip. You will need a sturdy day pack to carry lunch, water, personal first aid, rain gear, and clothing to layer. For hikers, a pair of quality, broken-in hiking boots is required, and two hiking poles are recommended.

The leaders will provide a detailed packing list to registered participants.

References

Maps:

• Trails Illustrated 1:100,000 topographic map (metric): "North Cascades National Park Complex." An excellent map of the area; available from Trails Illustrated, Box 4357, Evergreen, CO 80437-4357; (800) 962-1643 or (303) 670-3457.
• Green Trails maps: "McGregor Mountain #81," and "Stehekin #80."

Books:

• Darvill, Fred T., A Guide to the Enchanted Valley.
• McConnell, Grant, Stehekin: A Valley in Time. A nice remembrance of life in Stehekin, post-World War II.
• Darvill, Fred T., Hiking the North Cascades.
• Spring, Ira, and Harvey Manning, 101 Hikes in the North Cascades.

Conservation

Sierra Club outings were started by John Muir in 1901. Muir wrote, "If people could be got into the woods, even for once, to hear the trees speak for themselves, all difficulties in the way of forest preservation would vanish." Our wish is that on this outing you share our belief in the need to protect our wild areas. We will be practicing Leave No Trace wilderness etiquette throughout our trip in order to minimize our impact on the environment.

The Sierra Club is an environmentally focused entity. We are concerned about conservation and sustainability of resources, both locally and globally. Our work is accomplished by volunteers and aided by a salaried staff, encouraging grassroots involvement. Our outings seek to empower participants toward greater understanding, advocacy, and participation in the goals of the club.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.