Stehekin, the land of mystery. Ok, maybe that’s just to me. I’ve lived in Washington my whole life (I feel like I’ve said this phrase before), and I’ve never ventured to the far end of Lake Chelan. All of that changed thanks to an invite from a new friend.
Now, I love Lake Chelan. Once we had kids the lake and its surrounds have been an exciting summer retreat, a relatively short-ish hop from Seattle. Fed by glaciers, the chilly waters of this lake are intensely blue and crystal clear, providing a refreshing respite from the harsh mid-state heat.
At one end of the lake, the end closest to us and to civilization, lies the town of Chelan, population roughly 4,300. There are plenty of people that live here year round, but the summer swells that number nearly SIX times. It’s a vacation town, and frankly us Seattle folk love it.
At the other end of the lake, however, lies a town of intrigue to people like me, who have never stepped foot. Only reachable by foot, ferry or plane, it’s not exactly an easy place to get to. Even though we have visited the Chelan side numerous times, a several hour ferry ride up the lake sounded arduous.
But once I started backpacking … my infatuation with Stehekin grew. I knew this was reachable by land, just me and my pack, but I was still in the midst of planning how. And more importantly, given the fierce heat out East, when.
That’s when fortune struck. A few new acquaintences were made on our last trip at the Mt. Tahoma huts, and later an invite was extended to join a trip up the lake on the Lakeshore Trail in mid-May. I had to pinch myself. Someone was inviting ME on this epic hike??
I had a few things to re-arrange (our family only has one car, gasp, I know, and so last-minute compromises had to be made), but I made it work. I even let Theron skip school on Friday to join me. Cool mom or irresponsible mom? You decide.
If the Lakeshore Trail is a hike you’ve thought about and want to start researching, read on and get to planning this adventure for yourself.
In this Post
HIKING THE LAKESHORE TRAIL TO STEHEKIN: LOGISTICS
Basic Details
Mileage: About 17-18 miles total, from Prince Creek to Stehekin
Elevation: 4,030 ft from Prince Creek to Stehekin
Difficulty: Moderate. Be prepared for the elevation and the heat.
Transportation: A ferry or private boat is required to access this trail. Ferries can be take from downtown Chelan or Field’s Point. Both points have paid parking available.
Danielle’s tip: While taking the ferry from Chelan seems the most logical, the quick 20 minute drive up to Field’s Point is worth it. It save you about an hour of ferry time, and from there it’s just one more stop up to Prince Creek.
For the latest on trail conditions, always reference recent trip reports:
The Ferry Rundown
To book your ferry, there are a few options. I found it a bit confusing at first as there are more than company servicing this route. See the options below. I think the Lady Express is probably your best bet, which a very convenient 9:20am departure, however it is slightly more expensive than other options.
If you are looking for something that departs in the afternoon, Stehekin Ferry might be a better choice.
Also, be aware that just because you skip Chelan and start your trip farther up the lake, the price doesn’t change. It’s the same price whether you go all the way from Chelan to Stehekin, or just hop off at Prince Creek. Oh well. Just enjoy the crowded ride.
Lake Chelan Boat Company: Offers the Lady Express, Lady of the Lake, and Lady Liberty
Campsites on the Trail
Once you hit dry land, there are several campsites along the Lakeshore trail to choose from. Decide what mileage per day seems reasonable for your group and plan accordingly. Camp options are listed in order as located on the trail.
Prince Creek: 0 miles
When you depart the ferry, this campground is the first immediate option. If your ferry gets in late or your group just isn’t feeling ready to hike, make this your first stop.
This camp has has 1 dock , 6 tent sites, 5 fire rings, 5 tables, 2 toilets and a bear box.
Cascade Creek: 5 miles
This wooded camp is about 5 miles up the trail from where you start. Another good option if you get a late start, but note there are only 2 official sites.
This camp has 2 tent sites, 1 picnic table, 1 fire ring and a backcountry toilet. Note it does NOT have a bear box. There are also six dispersed camping sites in the area.
Meadow Creek Shelter: 6 miles
Moore Point: 10 miles
This is the camp most people will be aiming for. It’s 10 miles up from Prince Creek and 7 miles from Stehekin, making for a challenging but doable first day. It is located about ½ a mile to the west of the Lakeshore Trail on the Moore Point Trail.
This camp has a dock, 1 shelter, 4 picnic tables, 4 campfire rings, 2 toilets and a bear box. There are plenty of dispersed camping sites in the wooded areas and in the field directly in front of the lake.
Flick Creek: 14 miles
This is the last official site before Stehekin. Even if you aren’t staying here, it’s a fun little spot to have a bit to eat and use the toilet, if necessary. It is located only about 3 ½ miles south of Stehekin.
Note that this a very small camp, and looks like it would be very popular with boaters. I wouldn’t rely on it as a camp spot unless you get there early.
This camp has 1 dock, 1 shelter, 2 tent sites, 1 table, 1 fire ring, 1 toilet and a bear box.
Camping in Steheken
Once in Stehekin there are two camping areas in town to pick from, Lakeview and Purple Point.
Note: Before Memorial Day weekend, camp sites in Stehekin are not reservable in advance; first come, first served, and they are free.
After Memorial Day, reservations are required. You must reserve a spot on recreation.gov. These book out months in advance, particularly for weekends. Sites are $20/night. Occasionally walk-ups are available, but I cannot determine the rhyme or reason on how those are determined.
Lakeview Camp
This is the first camp you enter as you arrive into Stehekin. Amenities include a very nice bathroom with running water, picnic tables, and bear vaults. Glamorous!
9 spots available.
Purple Point Camp
This camp is on the other side of town. Walk thru Stehekin, up the road, about an 8-minute walk from the ferry landing.
6 spots available.
Our Lakeshore Journey
Day 1
We met our friend Gabi at the Field’s Point ferry parking. From there we took the 9:20 Lady Express.
We arrived at Prince Creek a little after 10am. We then began our 10 mile hike from Prince Creek to Moore Camp.
The day was just gorgeous. Spring came early this year and we were able to complete this hike the weekend before Memorial Day. That made for less crowds, thankfully.
Although the temps weren’t extreme, it was still HOT. The trail is mostly exposed, with VERY LITTLE shade, so bring a sun shirt, sunscreen, and lots of water. We were drenched in sweat.
The hike has a lot up and down, but the trail is overall easy to traverse with gorgeous views of the lake throughout.
We didn’t see any snakes, but definitely keep your eye out.
We arrived at Moore camp around 4ish, and it was already filling up. All the wooded and private spots were taken ( and ALL the spots with picnic tables), so we set up camp next to the water in the open field section.
Despite being more exposed, it was lovely to wake up to a view of the lake and the mountains.
Day 2
The next morning was beautiful yet again, and we were up and out about 8am. Our friend Gabi, who enjoys the solitude of the morning much more than we do, hit the trail around 7am. This ended up working very well in our favor, given she reached Stehekin well ahead of us and was able to secure a tent site for us. What a blessing!
The seven miles over to Stehekin was mostly as uneventful as the day before. Thankfully the cool morning air kept us from overheating, and our pace quickened due to the lack of intense heat beating down on us.
We made a few rest stops, one of which was at the Flick Creek camp, about 3 miles shy of Stehekin. Highly recommend at least peaking in. Such an adorable camp right on the water. Have lunch in the shelter or at least use the very clean toilet before you jump back on the trail.
As you start to enter the outskirts of Stehekin, the first camp you will arrive at will be Lakeview. As mentioned there are only 9 spots here, so we were so grateful Gabi went on ahead and snagged one of the final few for us.
Of course after Memorial Day, you will need to get a permit for camping, so plan ahead.
To me, a walk-in site with a picnic table and proper bathrooms is such a luxury! The sites are arranged with just enough space for privacy between each, neatly nestled in the woods, with good shade to boot.
Best part, getting there so early we had the rest of the day free to explore the once mysterious Stehekin!
Based on recommendations from Gabi, our first stop was the bike rental shop. This would save us 4 miles of walking up the road towards the bakery and Rainbow Falls, an interesting waterfall hike.
While you can catch a shuttle up to the bakery (bus stop is right by the ferry dock), this option is WAY more fun.
Snagging a couple bikes was super easy and only $10/hour.
On the way up (or on your way back) be sure to stop at the honey farm and garden for incredible honey or other tasty treats. We came back with two jars of local honey that I’ve been using almost daily since. SO good. Absolutely worth a stop.
As you continue up the road the bakery will eventually come within view. But don’t stop there yet. Pedal a bit further up to discover an old one room school house, and then, Rainbow Falls.
When you arrive, take a short walk on the path towards the falls and follow it to the right. This will take you directly in front of the falls and is worth a photo or two. While this is a nice view, the real excitement lies further up.
To the left a path ascends upwards via a rocky staircase of sorts. Depending on the season, almost immediately you may notice a slight misting that gets thicker and heavier as you climb up.
I was actually completely unprepared for this, having NO idea I was about to get drenched attempting this 5-minute walk, which quickly turned into a run.
Pictures do not do this justice. I felt like we were in a legit rainstorm. But c’mon, look at Theron’s smile. Worth it.
Catch my short video on Instagram if you want to get a better idea of what I mean. It was nuts!
Life is too short not to dive in when the moment presents itself, am I right? Wet shorts be damned.
BUT, we were so lucky that the day was warm, and an easy 10 minute ride back down to the bakery basically had us mostly dried off. A rest on the lawn with some pastries in hand gave us even more time to dry out before hitting the road again.
Once back in town we visited the well stocked gift shop which had good quality gifty items and clothing, cold drinks, and lots of snacks.
With time to kill before dinner, seemed like the perfect chance to take a dip. If you are anywhere on Lake Chelan, you have to get in the water. WARNING: It’s incredibly cold. Ease your way in. The extreme cold can be shocking.
Thankfully it wasn’t as cold as I remember (probably the real melt off is still coming), so all in all the water was quite tolerable, although I was still in and out in under 2 minutes!
Dining options are few, so we had dinner at the only proper restaurant in town, the North Cascades Lodge, right across from the ferry dock. Think burgers, fries, salads, etc. Nothing fancy, but there are some veggies and even vegetarian options to be found.
The night was mostly uneventful, but rumor was going around town that a wee bit rain might be headed our way. Having not really tested my trust tent in real rain yet, believe or not, we buttoned down the hatches as best we could and turned in for the night.
I am happy to report that yes, my tent does just fine in the rain (phew, sometimes you wonder if your tent is ACTUALLY waterproof …. check, it is), AND, we had our first thunderstorm under the stars!
It was a bit unnerving honestly, but thankfully the lightening was quite far off. We were fine, but the mind worries nonetheless.
The next morning our tents dried out quickly as we packed up. We grabbed the noon ferry back to Fields Point.
Naturally we had to make a quick pit stop in Leavenworth on the drive home. Always worth a quick detour, if you ask me. Leavenworth is my happy place.
Quick note: Did you hear that Leavenworth is getting (or I guess I should say, now has) an alpine roller coaster?
So I stop for gas right outside of town, and the clerk was joking around with me in a flirty kinda way (I was buying tampons of all things, how embarrassing), and he proceeds to tell me about this new roller coaster being built.
My honest to goodness first thought was, what a jerk, he thinks I’m going to fall for this? I would have heard of this already. Would have come up in my news feed. [insert indignant attitude]
Didn’t think of it any further until 2 weeks later …. there it was on the news. So yeah, a frickin’ roller coaster.
Check it out for yourself.
Super duper thanks to my new friend Gabi for letting us two hooligans join her on this incredible Washington hike. To invite two new people who you just met a month or two ago is no small thing, and I am truly grateful. Washington hikers are the best.
And to Stehekin … you are no longer a mystery, thanks to the Lakeshore Trial. I hope we can grace your paths again soon.
