Hiking the Enchantments in Washington
Kraig AdamsAug 4, 2020 · Solo
- Days
- 1 day
- Cost
- Not given
- Lodging
- Not given
North America · United States
The Enchantments
Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington
- Distance
- 21.4 mi34.4 km
- Days
- 1 day
- Elevation gain
- 4,629 ft1,411 m
- High point
- 7,841 ft2,390 m
- Season
- The season
- Lodging
- Not given
Hikes / North America / The Enchantments
On August 4, 2020, I hiked the Enchantments in Washington in one day, alone: 21 miles from the Stuart Lake Trailhead, up to Colchuck Lake, over Aasgard Pass, through the high granite basin of lakes they call the Core, and down past the Snow Lakes and Nada Lake to the Snow Lakes Trailhead outside Leavenworth. It took me about 11 hours.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Very hard · about 21 mi (34 km) and 4,629 ft (1,411 m) of climbing a day over 1 day, up to 7,841 ft (2,390 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
Relief map
The route, day by day
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
Download GPX617 KB · free
The film
Watch it first
Hiking the Enchantments in Washington
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- Stuart Lake Trailhead, 3,430 ft (1,045 m)
- Finish
- Snow Lakes Trailhead, 1,300 ft (395 m), 4.3 miles from Leavenworth
- Usual difficulty
- Hard. It climbs about 2,200 ft (670 m) in 1.3 miles on loose rock and boulders to about 7,840 ft (2,390 m); it took me 82 minutes. The Forest Service says it's especially hazardous with snow on it. The whole day is about 4,630 ft up and 6,740 ft down on my GPS.
- Best time
- The season. Overnight permits run May 15 to October 31, and the Forest Service opens Eightmile Road, the road to the Stuart Lake Trailhead, by May 15 each year. Aasgard Pass "typically melts out by late June", the Forest Service says, but snow often stays there all year. The road to the Stuart Lake Trailhead is closed in winter.
- Permits
- Day hike: free, self-issued at the trailhead. Overnight: May 15 to October 31, by lottery
- Getting there
- I was in Leavenworth the day before, prepping for the hike, with a rental car. On the morning of August 4, I left my car at the Snow Lakes Trailhead, and a shuttle van took me about half an hour up to the Stuart Lake Trailhead. The driver was actually super chill; we chatted the entire way up. My record doesn't show what I paid. At the end I walked down to my car and drove back to town.
- Lodging
- Not given
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
What Kraig carried
my Hyperlite pack · Katadyn BeFree AC · 1L · jerky, cashews, nut butter and a Clif bar · Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 · PATH Projects Lomond Hoodie · Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket · Nitecore NU20 Classic · PATH Projects Pyrenees T19 Hoodie and 12 more.
Bookings and permits
When bookings open, from the sources named under each. Dates move: confirm on the official site.
Enchantment Permit Area overnight lottery (May 15 to October 31)
The advanced lottery takes applications February 15 through March 1; results around March 15; leftovers go back on recreation.gov on April 1. Day hikes need only a free self-issued permit.
Next: Feb 15, 2027 to Mar 1, 2027
Book on recreation.gov.
Source: Kraig Adams's Enchantments guide: Permits (from the Forest Service and recreation.gov, Oct 1, 2026). Checked October 2026.
Alert me when bookings open
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: 911.
Phone signal
- My record doesn't show whether I had any.
- Plan as if you won't, and carry a way to call for help if you can.
Insurance
- Medical treatment in the US is expensive, and some hospitals ask non-residents for a deposit.
- Make sure your travel health insurance covers medical treatment and repatriation.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, Stuart Lake Trailhead to Snow Lakes Trailhead. Before Aasgard Pass, turn around: Colchuck Lake is 4.2 miles back down to the Stuart Lake Trailhead. Once you're over the pass, there's no easy way out. From the top, going back down Aasgard is shorter (6.8 miles to the Stuart Lake Trailhead, against 14.6 miles on to the Snow Lakes Trailhead), but it means descending steep, loose rock, which the Forest Service doesn't advise for anyone not prepared and equipped for steep snow travel.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 1 day.
Hiking the Enchantments in Washington
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Typical: 1 day (the hike's facts).
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Planning questions about The Enchantments, answered only from this page's facts, the creators' versions and hikers' public tracks, with where each answer comes from. When the data doesn't say, the answer says "not given".
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for The Enchantments?
Kraig Adams hiked it in 1 day, about 21 miles.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike The Enchantments?
The season. Overnight permits run May 15 to October 31, and the Forest Service opens Eightmile Road, the road to the Stuart Lake Trailhead, by May 15 each year. Aasgard Pass "typically melts out by late June", the Forest Service says, but snow often stays there all year. The road to the Stuart Lake Trailhead is closed in winter.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a permit for The Enchantments?
For a day hike, a free self-issued day-use permit at the trailhead, plus a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful pass for your car. To camp anywhere in the Enchantment Permit Area from May 15 to October 31, you need an overnight permit from the lottery on Recreation.gov.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Can you hike the Enchantments in one day?
Yes. I did the through-hike in one day in August 2020: 21.4 miles from the Stuart Lake Trailhead over Aasgard Pass and through the Core to the Snow Lakes Trailhead, in about 11 hours. For a day hike you only need a free day-use permit you fill out at the trailhead.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How does the Enchantments lottery work?
The advanced lottery is open on Recreation.gov from February 15 through March 1, with results around March 15. Unclaimed dates go back on April 1, and a daily lottery lets you apply the day before your start date, from within 1 mile of the ranger station in Leavenworth. The Forest Service says typically fewer than 10% of advanced lottery applicants win a permit.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How hard is Aasgard Pass?
Hard. It climbs about 2,200 ft (670 m) in 1.3 miles on loose rock and boulders to about 7,840 ft (2,390 m); it took me 82 minutes. The Forest Service says it's especially hazardous with snow on it. The whole day is about 4,630 ft up and 6,740 ft down on my GPS.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How do you get between the Enchantments trailheads?
It's point to point, not a loop. I left my car at the Snow Lakes Trailhead and took a shuttle van up to the Stuart Lake Trailhead. In 2026 two companies run it early in the morning: the Loop Connector Shuttle ($27 a passenger) and Leavenworth Shuttle & Taxi ($60 for one, $30 each for two or more).
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Can you bring a dog to the Enchantments?
No. Dogs and all pets are prohibited in the Enchantment Permit Area, for day hikes too, except service animals.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.