Stehekin and Lake Chelan, Washington
October 5 - 6, 2019
In doing research on the North Cascades National Park, I ran across the town of Stehekin, Washington. The northernmost part of Stehekin connects to the North Cascades National Park and the Pacific Crest Trail runs nearby. Thru hikers are known to catch the Stehekin trolley from the trail into "town" to get real food, a resupply, and plenty of sweets at the Stehekin Pastry Company. All of that sounds great, but what really caught my attention is that Stehekin is only accessible by foot, boat, or plane. No roads connect to Stehekin.
Of course that sounded like an adventure and I immediately knew Stehekin was a place I had to visit. So, one early October weekend, I went off the grid (no cell reception) and spent one night/two days exploring Stehekin. The town of Stehekin sits at the northern end of Lake Chelan and maintains only about 200 year round residents. Stehekin is most populated during the summer hiking months when seasonal staff take up residence to support the influx of hikers and tourists. In mid-October all services in Stehekin close for the winter season. To reach Stehekin most common transportation method is take the two to three hour charter boat ride up Lake Chelan from the nearest road access. Lady of the Lake, the predominant charter boat company, runs a single boat trip up the lake to Stehekin and back each day.
I began my journey in Seattle driving three and a half hours to catch the Lady of the Lake boat at Fields Point Landing on Lake Chelan. On its way up the lake the boat stops off at a couple other remote outposts to pick up or drop off passengers. When arriving in Stehekin you will feel like you have been transported back to a simpler time. My first thought was that Stehekin looks and feels a bit like a summer camp. There is a general store, a restaurant, a ranger station, a few basic cabins, and multiple areas for tent camping. The Stehekin Pastry Company is further out from town and, frankly, is the claim to fame of Stehekin. It bakes up all the fresh sweets and light lunch items you could want (a thru hiker's paradise). In my overnight visit I bicycled, picked apples at an orchard, hiked to a waterfall, took in Lake Chelan waterfront views, watched fly fishermen in the Stehekin River, and enjoyed the early fall season changing leaves. Outside of that, you will not find much else. And you certainly will not find any traffic! Stehekin is the perfect place to unplug and enjoy some time off the grid.
Of course that sounded like an adventure and I immediately knew Stehekin was a place I had to visit. So, one early October weekend, I went off the grid (no cell reception) and spent one night/two days exploring Stehekin. The town of Stehekin sits at the northern end of Lake Chelan and maintains only about 200 year round residents. Stehekin is most populated during the summer hiking months when seasonal staff take up residence to support the influx of hikers and tourists. In mid-October all services in Stehekin close for the winter season. To reach Stehekin most common transportation method is take the two to three hour charter boat ride up Lake Chelan from the nearest road access. Lady of the Lake, the predominant charter boat company, runs a single boat trip up the lake to Stehekin and back each day.
I began my journey in Seattle driving three and a half hours to catch the Lady of the Lake boat at Fields Point Landing on Lake Chelan. On its way up the lake the boat stops off at a couple other remote outposts to pick up or drop off passengers. When arriving in Stehekin you will feel like you have been transported back to a simpler time. My first thought was that Stehekin looks and feels a bit like a summer camp. There is a general store, a restaurant, a ranger station, a few basic cabins, and multiple areas for tent camping. The Stehekin Pastry Company is further out from town and, frankly, is the claim to fame of Stehekin. It bakes up all the fresh sweets and light lunch items you could want (a thru hiker's paradise). In my overnight visit I bicycled, picked apples at an orchard, hiked to a waterfall, took in Lake Chelan waterfront views, watched fly fishermen in the Stehekin River, and enjoyed the early fall season changing leaves. Outside of that, you will not find much else. And you certainly will not find any traffic! Stehekin is the perfect place to unplug and enjoy some time off the grid.
Day 1
Travelling up Lake Chelan on the Lady of the Lake Boat Charter
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Enjoying the Lake Views and Bicycling in Stehekin
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Picking Apples at an Orchard and Hiking Rainbow Falls
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Day 2
More Bicycling and Beautiful Views Before Catching the Boat Back Down Lake Chelan
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