About this campground
The popular Alpine Lakes Wilderness encompasses approximately 394,000 acres in the Central Cascades Region within Washington state. The area is accessed by 47 trailheads and 615 miles of trails. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT) enters from Stevens Pass on the north to follow the crest south, with a long westward bend to Snoqualmie Pass, a distance of 67 trail miles.. More than 700 lakes and mountain ponds dot the glacier-carved terrain of this wilderness. Tree covered valleys give way to rocky ridges and rugged peaks along the crest of the Cascades. Many peaks and slopes are permanently cloaked in snowfields. From wet forests of Douglas fir, cedar, and an understory of salal and berries, to firs and mountain hemlock, the landscape opens up to expansive meadows matted with low growth and ends with dry forestland of ponderosa pine and grasses. The Enchantment Lakes area contains the Cashmere Crags, which rate among the best rock-climbing sites in the western United States. Some of the names may cause you to think twice before heading up: Bloody Tower, Cruel Thumb, Cynical Pinnacle or Crocodile Fang. Dozens of solid granite spires offer routes from the low Class 5s to 5.11 and faces as long as 1,500 feet. Before you plan to visit the Alpine Lakes Wilderness check with the Wenatchee Ranger District in Leavenworth, WA (509) 548-2550 or the Cle Elum Ranger District in Cle Elum, WA (509) 852-1100 for current conditions and restrictions. Enchantment Permit Area contact Wenatchee River Ranger District (509) 548-2550. Key access points: Trail and trailhead information View larger map
Getting there
Trailheads that access Alpine Lakes Wilderness Blackpine Trailhead - access to Blackjack Ridge Trail #1565 Chatter Creek Trailhead - access to Chatter Creek Trail #1580 Chiwaukum Creek Trailhead - access to Chiwaukum Creek Trail #1571 Eightmile Trailhead - access to Eightmile Lake Trail #1552 and Eightmile - Trout Creek Trail #1554 Esmeralda Trailhead - access to Ingalls Way Trail #1390 Hatchery Creek Trailhead - access to Hatchery Creek Trail #1577 Icicle Creek Trailhead - access to Icicle Creek Trail #1551 Icicle Ridge Trailhead - access to Icicle Ridge Trail #1570 Ingalls Creek Trailhead - access to Ingalls Creek Trail #1215 Jack Trout Trailhead - access to Trout Creek Trail #1555, Jack Ridge Trail #1557, Jack Creek Trail #1558 Lake Ethel Trailhead - access to Lake Ethel Trail #1585 Pacific Crest Trail/Snoqualmie Pass Trailhead - access to Pacific Crest Trail Pete Lake Trailhead - access to Pete Lake Trail #1323 Rachel Lake Trailhead - access to Rachel Lake Trail #1313 Salmon la Sac - access to Waptus River Trail #1310 Snow Lakes Trailhead - access to Snow Lakes Trail #1553 Stuart Lake Trailhead - access to Stuart Lake Trail #1599 Tucquala Meadows Trailhead - access to Trail Creek Trail #1322, Deception Pass Trail #1376 White Pine Trailhead - access to White Pine Creek Trail #1582 White Pine Trailhead - access to Wildhorse Creek Trail #1592 Trails within Alpine Lakes Wilderness View additional trails within Alpine Lakes Wilderness at Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest See also: Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest - Apline Lakes Wilderness information
Activities
- HIKING
- HORSEBACK RIDING
- WILDLIFE VIEWING
Explore more Washington camping
Alpine Lakes Wilderness: Okanogan-Wenatchee doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby Washington campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.
Browse Washington camping →Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.