Call me lucky, i have had the opportunity to backpack the Enchantments the last two years. If you have never heard of this magical place, i recommend you do a quick google search. The Enchantments is a mesmerizing location in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, arguably the forerunner to visit in the cascades and a highly sought after destination for Washington backpacking. Washington State truly holds so much beauty.
A frozen Colechuck Lake and snow covered Peak, 2017
Permits are Required
Being such a sought after place to explore, during the prime months (May 15th to October 31st) permits are required for both day hikes and over night trips to limit the use and keep the beauty for years to come. They hold the lottery for overnight permits from February 15th to March 2nd, set your calendars because you do not want to miss out on entering your name! Read about the permits so when you sign up, you don’t accidentally lose out on yours should you be a lucky winner.
Something we learned this year, if you do not win a permit.. continue to check back! Many people do not claim their permits, leaving them up for grabs at a first come first serve basis. This is how we went this year, no one in our group had actually won permits!
Colechuck Lake, 2016
How the Permits Work
When you apply for the lottery you will have to chose a zone. The Enchantments are comprised of 5 zones, whatever zone you win is the zone you are required to camp in. Should you try to stay in a different zone you run the chance of getting a hefty fine from the rangers. During the day you can of course take part in some amazing Washington hiking and explore any of the zones. The Core Enchantment Zone is the most sought after, it allows you to camp in whatever zone you want, allowing you to do a (easier) complete through backpacking trip.
People will do the demanding day hike, and hike all the way through.. this has properly been dubbed the death march! Let it not be confused, almost every zone contains grueling hiking by either the distance or the steep elevation gains you will encounter.
The Enchantment Zones and Trail Routes
When to Go
You are allowed to overnight camp from May 15th to October 31st. The most popular times to go are August and of course Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays with the most popular zone being the Core Zone. Keep this in mind when applying, these days will definitely decrease your odds. I recommend getting a group together (max of 8 people) and all signing up for different days and help increase your odds!
Last year i went at the end of June, the sun was shining, there was very minimal snow piles, and the trails were prime. Prime Washington hiking, i must say. This year i went at the end of May and everything was snow covered and the trail conditions were anything but ideal, the rangers said they hadn’t seen snow like this so late in the year in over 15 years. Moral of the story, each year is going to be different so monitor the weather and trail conditions so you can be prepared… but let it be known regardless of when you go you will be blown away by the beauty. No time is a bad time to go.
Entering Colechuck Zone from Stuart Zone, 2017
What to Bring
This is greatly dependent on when you go and also what zone you are in, but no matter when you go… the nights will be cold. The higher the elevation you end up in, of course the colder it will be. During the summer days it can get HOT so starting your hiking in the wee hours of the morning to evade some of this heat is recommended. For a detailed backpacking gear list refer to my previous post.
How to Get ThereRight outside of Leavenworth, we go a day before our permit start day and spend an afternoon in this theatrical little town. We will get a hotel for the night and start our quest as early as 4am. There are two trail heads so depending on your permit zone you will go to one or the other. The Mountaineers has some great information on getting there and the hike itself.
Keep in MindThere are a few things to keep in mind, one of those is that dogs are not allowed! Sad as it may be, it is for a good reason. Preserving this amazing location is of upmost importance. Another thing to remember is that campfires are not allowed above 5,000 feet. There will be signs posted so be aware of this, at night you will want to prepare for some extra warmth should you be above this elevation. The mountain goats are very prevalent there, and more likely than not you will cross paths with them.
The Enchantments is one of the greatest backpacking destinations in Washington, sound off in the comments if you have been!
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