Things to do at Lake Chelan: A Guide for Outdoor Adventurers
Lake Chelan is located on land historically associated with the Chelan tribe.
Lake Chelan is a popular vacation destination in Washington State.
It is Washington’s longest lake, at 50.5 miles long, and the third deepest lake in the US.
Lake Chelan is located in central Washington, about a 3-4 hour drive away from both Seattle and Spokane. This accessible location makes it an ideal destination for both a long weekend trip or an even longer getaway.
This area is a tourist destination with plenty of resorts, wineries, shopping, and dining opportunities, but if you’re looking for more outdoorsy things to do at Lake Chelan, this is the guide for you.
Know Before You Go
- Most drive-up activities are located along the southern end of the lake; the northern end of the lake is only accessible by boat or hiking in.
- Lake Chelan is located east of the Cascade Mountains in a region that is sunny and dry. Pack plenty of water and sunscreen for daytime activities, but know that temperatures will drop sharply once the sun goes down. When we visited in June, temperatures almost reached 90 degrees in the day and plummeted down to the 50s at night.
Things to do at Lake Chelan
Camping
There are two state parks along Lake Chelan’s southern shore where you can camp.
Lake Chelan State Park is the biggest of the two parks with over 100 tent spaces. About half of the spaces are designated as walk-in, but if you’re willing to walk a little bit further between your car and your tent, your reward is a campsite with waterfront views.
This campground has fancier amenities than most, with both modern restrooms (no pit toilets) as well as hot showers. We also had cell service in the park.
There are also 25 campsites at Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park, located about halfway up Lake Chelan’s shore.
While the much smaller campground means you’re likely to have a quieter camping experience at Twenty-Five Mile Creek, there are also fewer amenities here than at Lake Chelan State Park. Aside from the campground, this state park is mostly some docks and a “swimming area” to dip your feet in, but not much of a beach. We also didn’t have cell service at this park.
Although there are a lot of campsites available between Lake Chelan and Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Parks, these campgrounds fill up quickly, especially in the summer. You can reserve a campsite at both of these state parks here.
Up for a bigger adventure than car camping? There are over a dozen boat-in campgrounds managed by the US Forest Service and National Park Service. Just remember that Lake Chelan is 50 miles long, so you may have to boat quite a ways to get to one of these campgrounds!
These boat-in campgrounds are first come first serve and require a federal dock permit.
Hiking
Little Bear trail
- Distance: 2.5 mile loop
- Elevation gain: 250 feet
Little Bear trail is the only trail in Lake Chelan State Park. It’s made up of two loops: the Bitterbrush and Forest Loops.
The Bitterbrush loop provides views of Lake Chelan for much of the trail, but the shorter Forest Loop is worth tacking on for some extra distance and relief from the sun.
Allow about an hour and a half to walk to the trailhead from your campsite and complete both loops.
The Little Bear trailhead is located next to the restroom in the RV/trailer area of the campground.
Fourth of July Mountain
- Distance: 2.5 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 1216 feet
Some hikers claim that the Fourth of July Mountain trail has some of the best views of Lake Chelan. This hike is moderately steep, but worth it for the views.
The trail is located about thirty minutes from Chelan, WA on the northern shore of Lake Chelan.
Chelan Butte (and Elephant Head trail)
- Distance: 7.5 miles roundtrip
- Elevation gain: 2500 feet
The Chelan Butte and Elephant Head trails are one in the same, though the Elephant head trail veers off the path about halfway up the Chelan Butte trail.
The trail is REALLY steep and has no shade, so bring plenty of water. But if you push through and make it all the way to the radio tower at the top of Chelan Butte, you’ll get sweeping views of Lake Chelan, the Columbia River, and snow-capped peaks off in the distance.
The Chelan Butte Trailhead is located in Chelan, WA, near the southern tip of Lake Chelan.
Start your hike on the jeep trail across the street from the Chelan Butte Trailhead parking lot.
After about two miles, you’ll reach an unlabeled fork in the path. The end of the Elephant Head trail is to the left and the remainder of the Chelan Butte trail is to the right. The end of the Elephant Head trail is not far from the fork, so you could end your hike there or take a quick detour to the viewpoint before heading back to the fork and continuing on to Chelan Butte.
Swimming
Lake Chelan State Park has a designated swimming area on the beach. This area is marked off with a rope but there is no lifeguard on duty.
But like most bodies of water in Washington, the lake water is pretty cold. Temperatures typically reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the warmest time of year. It was too cold for me to stay in the water very long, but there were plenty of other swimmers, so maybe I just have a lower tolerance than others.
Also keep in mind that the bottom of the lake is rocky, so bring good water shoes to make walking in and out of the water less painful.
Watersports
If you don’t have your own boat or other equipment to get out on the water, there are plenty of options to rent when you get to the lake.
Lake Chelan State Park offers rentals for kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and hydrobikes.
There are also private companies in Chelan and the surrounding area that provide rentals for parasails, jet skis, boats, and more. You can find a listing of some of these companies through the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce.
Take a Ferry to Stehekin
Stehekin is a small, remote village at the northern end of Lake Chelan. The unique thing about Stehekin is that it’s not accessible by car – only by boat, plane, or foot!
Stehekin may be small, but there are plenty of outdoor things to do. The village has opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking, camping, boating, and fishing.
You can get to Stehekin by taking the Lady of the Lake ferry from Chelan, WA. To guarantee getting on the ferry you must buy tickets in advance. If you don’t want to stay the night in Stehekin, same-day routes are available; on these routes, the layover in Stehekin can last 3, 4 and a half, or 6 hours.
Visit Stehekin’s website to find options for lodging, hiking, dining, and more.
As always, enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Leave no trace on all of your adventures.
