Colchuck Lake - Everything You Need to Know
Colchuck Lake is located in the Enchantment mountains just outside of Leavenworth, Washington. With no service within a 10-mile radius of the trailhead, it can be quite difficult to find, and it is good to be prepared before arrival.
(Click here to read about the rest of my Washington / Oregon road trip!)
Some facts about the trail:
9 miles round-trip
Moderate - hard
Anywhere from 4 to 8 hours in total (depending on your skill level)
A popular destination, therefore heavily trafficked
Cost: $5 a car
I recommend screenshotting or printing these directions before leaving for your hike, as you will have no service once you reach the Enchantment mountains.
To begin, finding the trailhead can be difficult. Google maps will lead you to a random campsite down the road from the actual exit. If you are driving from Leavenworth, turn onto Icicle Road from US 2. You will follow this road for around 8.4 miles before turning onto Forest Service Road 7601. If you are following google maps, do not turn off Icicle Road when it tells you to. Continue straight until you see your next left. This should be labeled 7601. The dirt road is incredibly bumpy and will rattle your entire car. There are often large potholes, too. Follow this for 3.7 miles until you reach Stuart Lake trailhead (You will pass two other trailheads before finally reaching Stuart).
The parking lot is often very full during peak hiking season (late June to early September). Make sure to pay attention to the parking signs because many will be for overnight guests instead of day-hiker parking. The trailhead is at the very back of the parking lot, where there is no more road.
Some essential items I recommend bringing on your hike:
A hiking backpack (obviously)
At least 2 or 3 water bottles (per person) or a filtered water bottle to fill up in streams as you go (I recommend Epic Water Filters)
There are plenty of streams and rivers to fill up throughout the entire trail.
Snacks for the way up and once you’ve reached the top.
We brought around 4 Cliff Bars, as they are high in calories and nutrients, and peanut butter and jelly to enjoy with a view.
Bug spray. The trail is covered in mosquitos and other various bugs that get quite annoying after a while. The lake is also swarmed with them.
Sunscreen. Although you should always wear sunscreen, if you are an early afternoon hiker, the sun can start to beat down pretty quickly.
A swimsuit. What is the point if you aren’t jumping in the lake at the end?
A headlamp (if hiking before sunrise)
The trail's first mile and a half are quite easy and flat. There is some steepness, but it remains moderate for the majority of the time. At around 1.5 miles, you will see a bridge that crosses over the river you have hiked beside for quite some time.
This is where the incline begins. Almost immediately, it gets steeper and more challenging. The terrain becomes rocky and rigid, making the hike go from moderate to hard.
You’ll continue this way for about another 0.6 miles before reaching a junction in the trail. Two signs point in either direction. Head left to continue to Colchuck lake.
The trail is quite straightforward other than one section. 2.2 miles into the trail, soon after you pass the signs, you will reach a second log bridge. On the other side lies a rock pile that makes the trail almost disappear. Take an immediate right after the bridge. The trail will soon come back into view.
The remainder of the hike is on the more difficult side. However, the last 0.5-mile push is, in my opinion, the hardest. It is entirely uphill, and feels as though you will never find the lake. Around every turn, you think the water will come into view, but it just doesn’t.
Finally, as you reach the summit, the crystal lake view appears through the trees, and it takes everything in you not to sprint to the bottom to jump in. The lake sits in a crater of the Enchantment mountains, making for a secluded beauty that only the most dedicated make it up to see.
There are plenty of spots to sit near the shore and enjoy a small picnic or even just soak up the sun before descending back down.
The water is snow melt so it is utterly freezing but also completely worth jumping in. This also depends on the time of year you go. It will always be cold, but just know, if you go in early June, there are high chances of it still being frozen over. Waiting until late July or August is ideal.
The descent down is a bit of a pain, mostly due to the never ending down hill of the trail. The best hiker tip I’ve ever been given: When walking down hill, step onto your heal rather than your toes. This puts less strain and pressure on your joints and makes it less likely to get shaky legs. Hiking poles would also help with that.
Ultimately, this trail took us around 7 hours with an hour break at the summit. Not only is the final destination breathtaking, the hike up also has beautiful scenic views that make the hard parts worth it. This is an absolute must-do hike in Washington, that I recommend adding to your bucket list right away.
Hopefully this blog will make your hike just a little easier and more enjoyable so that you can take in the absolutely astonishing views with no regrets.
