A Hidden Gem-In North Central Washington

 Living in Coeur d’Alene means being accustomed to having access to a lake with approximately 135 miles of shoreline and a host of water activities, public access points, restaurants and downtown amenities that serve locals and tourists alike. 

That is likely why surprisingly few Coeur d’Alene residents have made the three-and-a-half-hour drive west to Lake Chelan in North Central Washington State. 

After a 2021 group hiking trip to Switzerland was canceled because of the pandemic, my husband and I opted to stay stateside and led the group to several destinations in North Central Washington instead. A highlight was an overnight stay in Stehekin, at the far reaches of Lake Chelan. 

Similar to Coeur d’Alene Lake, Lake Chelan has approximately 110 miles of shoreline. It is roughly 50 miles long and, on average, over a mile wide. Interestingly, it is the third-deepest natural lake in the country behind Lake Tahoe and Crater Lake. In fact, the lake reaches a depth of 400 feet below sea level! The city of Chelan lies at the southeastern end of the lake and, in summer months, is abuzz with tourists, many from the greater Seattle area. Approximately 50 miles to the northwest lies the outpost of Stehekin.

Stehekin, in the North Cascades National Park, is one of the most remote places in the continental United States and can only be reached on foot from Rainy Pass in the North Cascades, by plane, or by boat. On this trip, we boarded a passenger ferry in Chelan to transport us to Stehekin for an overnight camping trip. Two ferry companies operate out of Chelan to provide daily services to the outpost of Stehekin, and the rides range from a scenic four-hour ride to an expedient one-and-a-half-hour ride. I opted for the latter for my group. 

I boarded the shuttle boat with my party in tow, the boat hand released the dock lines, and we headed up the lake. We gained distance from the sun-kissed shores of Chelan’s desert climate and hillsides dotted with wineries and orchards. Gradually, the hillsides disappeared out of view, and the focus became peaks as high as 9,500 feet in the North Cascades. Our boat stopped briefly in the outpost of Holden, once a robust mining town, later purchased by the Lutheran Church, that serves as an encampment for religious retreats today. Alas, we reached the end of our journey and the northwest end of the lake. 

The ferry workers tossed all of the passengers’ gear on the dock for us to sift through. We claimed our packs, walked past the North Cascades Lodge and Visitors’ Center to the Lakeview Campground, and set up our tents before hiking on the Lakeshore Trail. The Lakeshore Trail climbed up and paralleled the lake’s shore, its water azure in color from silt and particles deposited by glacial snow melt.

Given the hot weather that day, we opted to dine at the nearby lodge rather than firing up a camp stove that evening, a rare treat when tent camping.

I slept without a rainfly on the tent that night. It was warm, and I wanted an unobstructed view of the stars dancing across the incredibly dark sky. I lay in my tent staring up at the sky, watching shooting stars and satellites crisscross the night sky until my eyes couldn’t stay open any longer. 

The following day, we had breakfast in camp and wandered down the beach to the Discovery Bikes shack, where I had reserved bikes for the group to ride.

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We embarked on a lovely two-wheeled tour of the area, stopping first at the organic garden run by Karl,a salt-of-the-earth organic gardener, beekeeper and goatherd who sells a delightful array of his garden’s bounty. We chatted with Karl about life in Stehekin in the winter months. We listened intently to Karl as he shared stories of his adventures in Stehekin over the decades since he had settled there. We purchased some of Karls’s honey, goat cheese and a bag of cherries, all of which were divine. Our next stop was to Rainbow Falls Mist Trail to see Rainbow Falls careen 312 feet down to the valley floor from Rainbow Creek above. Back at the road, we dismounted our bikes and waded in Rainbow Creek to cool our feet in the crystal clear, yet frigid, water. 

We pedaled to Buckner Orchard for a step back in time as we toured the 160-acre Buckner Homestead and Orchard, developed by the Buckner family between 1889 and 1910. Now protected as a Historic District, the Buckner Homestead offers a glimpse into how early settlers and homesteaders in the Stehekin Valley lived. Wandering through the apple orchards, we observed the thoughtful organization of buildings that supported the farm. There was the milk separator, chicken house, sundial, root cellar, woodshed, playhouse, outhouse, packing shed, swimming pool and cabins to cultivate the farm and maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

We couldn’t help but stop to photograph the original Stehekin one-room, log schoolhouse. Replaced by a modern school built in 1988, the old school is a testament to the early pioneers of the Stehekin Valley, such as Lloyd and Amy Bell, who founded the school and taught there for decades. The year-round population of Stehekin is said to be 85, and the school’s enrollment has fluctuated from two to 27 students, according to the National Park Service.

Our cycling tour primed our appetites; like clockwork, we cruised by the Stehekin Pastry Company. We claimed a table inside the timber-framed building with a cozy wood stove, wooden floors, tongue and groove wood walls and ceilings, and exposed timber beams. We ordered cappuccinos and an array of delights from the menu, including freshly baked pastries, soup, sandwiches and pizza. It’s no wonder so many hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) deviate from the PCT at High Bridge, 11 miles up the valley from Stehekin, and catch the red shuttle bus from High Bridge to Stehekin to devour some of the Stehekin Bakery’s offerings. Of course, the PCT hikers can utilize public showers and purchase provisions at the North Cascades Lodge, making it doubly worth the side trip before continuing on the PCT. 

Back at Discovery Bikes, we returned our trusty mounts and walked over to the lodge. We sipped a cold beer on the lodge’s deck while we waited for our boat shuttle to arrive. On board the ferry for the return trip, I basked in the sun and read my book, glancing up every few minutes to take in the ever-changing landscape en route to Chelan. 

We would have to take a rain check for wine touring and fine dining in Chelan, which was not on the itinerary for the hiking group. We were off to the nearby Bavarian town of Leavenworth to hike in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area to conclude our trip.

The boat trip to Stehekin on Lake Chelan was memorable for my group, and even if you have a beautiful lake in your backyard, you will find it would be for you, too.

Cheers!

Denise Lundy is a local real estate broker and second-generation leader of overseas hiking trips. N

Story by Denise Lundy

Photography by Denise Lundy