It's 8.0 miles round trip to Colchuck Lake, with about 2,200 feet of elevation gain. The parking area can be busy, as visitors access the Enchantments and Stuart Lake from this trailhead. Colchuck Lake by Samanthazon. bring sunblock You can go about 3/4 of the way in a decent, high clearance, AWD, 4WD - I saw at the top trailhead, a 3rd Gen 4Runner and built Toyota Tacoma pickup. It was COLD! Trail is in good condition except some part has water but not hard to pass with hiking shoes. http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/lake-stuart Road Beta: Snow free to lower TH. Continue on this washboarded dirt road for 3.8 miles to a parking lot and the trailhead. First of all - the gate to the trailhead closes on Monday 11/9 so if you don’t want to walk up the road and add those miles to an already difficult hike - this Sunday is your last chance! you'll also need to register your guests in case anyone gets lost This was a bucket list trail for me. Got a late start so wasn’t able to finish without it getting dark on us. Started from Icicle Creek Road and headed on up to Colchuck Lake via the 'winter route' which adds 8 miles! Trail is in decent condition though, very rocky and icy at some points. It hits all at once and feels so surreal to be looking down on Earl, Navaho, etc from so high above. One very apparent thing - there were so many hikers and parties of hikers on this trail. After the walk through the woods, you will cross the creek on a bridge before beginning the first real incline of the hike. Colchuck lake. You need a special ($$) permit to camp there after June 15th but what a great place to camp. The trail to Stuart Lake was pretty easy and enjoyable. Made the way up much more manageable, much like driving up in our 4X4 rig with no slippage. Good hiking boots helped and for me micro spikes were not needed. Used microspikes on the way down for some of it. We ended up snowshoeing down with the last 6 miles in the dark with the moon illuminating the snow here and there. I hit the start of this at 3:30 in the am, so most of my hike was done in the dark with headlamps. After many switchbacks Colchuck Lake was in sight throught the trees at the top of the trail. Heading back to hike up Colchuck Lake the trail was immediately different than Stuart Lake. Head southwest on the Stuart Lake Trail. If you’re kind of in the middle like me, you’ll also be fine! Ice was present on the trail as well. Had the trail and the lake all to ourselves. Parking is only allowed in the Eightmile and Stuart/Colchuck Trailhead Parking Lots. If not, return the way you came. The trail continues past Colchuck Luck up Aasgard Pass to the Enchantment Lakes if you choose to extend your hike. Mount Stuart rises above you at the southwest end of the lake with Sherpa Peak to its east. Looking forward to go again in the summer. I had to put on my thermal to keep warm. We saw lots of chipmunks and no mosquitoes, thankfully. you complete an envelope with your license plate and insert $5 cash to park. It was a good, hard hike, but nothing crazy – we took maybe 2:15 or so on the way up and flew down in 1:45 or so after the technical icy bits toward the top. At the time in august it was perfect, the trail condition was a great intro to what is now what I consider my favorite alpine forest I’ve hiked into since being in Washington. A Northwest Forest Path is required to park here. If you plan on spending the night you will need a pass from the Leavenworth Ranger Station. The summer route had a single summit when we got to the top, and about 5 of us took the route down. There were several people coming from the lake asking if I was heading to the Enchantments - they took a wrong turn. Easy plunge stepping down. Right before the Colchuck trail departed from the creek we decided to fish it, with good results. We opted to don our snowshoes for the route down and used them all the way to Icicle creek. road is in good shape (but last turn off road closed for the season tomorrow 11/9), no snow or ice, yes to potholes but not too deep. For a good part of the hike the trail follows Mountaineer Creek, which flows out of Stuart Lake. Colchuck lake is very pretty, much better than Blanca Lake I think. Absolutely Spectacular! Hiked 10/17, parking lot overflow very badly on a Saturday people may have to walk almost a mile. It’s much colder than trailhead. The University of Michigan Saginaw Forest is an 80-acre woods with over 3 miles of trails and Third Sister I went 11/8 and had nanospikes which helped tremendously. Enjoy the beauty and views of The Enchantments in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The incline is challenging and walking poles are helpful. parking is limited and was almost full when we arrived around 720am on a weekday Stay to the left and you will happen upon another log bridge, stunning vistas that act as the gateway to the wilderness. Made for a frozen trek up. We didn't wear our spikes but had them with us. It’s about 9 miles and I’ve never hiked with this significant elevation change. The scenery was an absolutely gorgeous winter wonderland. With multiple stops for Starbucks, gas, Deli, and bathroom breaks, I arrived at Icicle Creek Road around 10:00 AM. Beautiful! my favorite hike of all time! Colchuck Lake is gorgeous and has a jaw-dropping scenery with jagged peaks surrounded. The meadow to Stuart Lake is at its best time of fall colors. Would do this hike again and again! Saw many people fall, good hiking shoes recommended. The Colchuck Lake hike has been on our Pacific Northwest Bucket List ever since we could remember, so we were almost too excited to sleep when we finally decided to do it. Just take your time. The climb remains pretty consistent rocky, and with tree roots but manageable. I'm so glad I did as there was no one else heading to Stuart Lake. Mt. Drive beware. It's considered to be a difficult hike, so … The section to Colchuck Lake is rocky and steep, but if you pack enough food and water and take rest it'll be fine. Very windy at Colchuck lake. No snow on trail until the very end and even then, it was just a trace. Truly beautiful. Pack warm clothes if you’re going in the fall or spring. Very few people at Stuart Lake. This Lake Has The Absolute Bluest Water In Washington. Many layers and gloves highly recommended. It is about a 30 acre lake with clear water and easy fishing access in many places. Luckily I found a spot and was on the trail within minutes. Length 9 miElevation gain 2283 ftRoute type Out & back Stuart Lake is at 5600 feet elevation in the Enchantment Mountain range. A magical day. After crossing the bridge and walking along the bottom of a talus field, the trail heads more steeply uphill. I was stoked to hike to see Colchuck for myself and I dragged my family members with me. 6-12-04 We can also serve the Pacific Crest Trail at Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, or Trinity. The road in was paced, compact snow and ice but manageable for most cars, even 2 wheel drive - however, I expect after last night's storms road and route condition have already changed drastically, as Blewett and Snoqualmie pass both had a lot of snow as we drove home. There is a $5 cash for park fee unless you have the NW Forest Pass. Carried axes and some MSR snowshoes just for extra weight. Everything about it was so dreamy. On both my joints and my mind. It was amazing to have the trail and lake to ourselves - quite the opposite of the other seasons. Colchuk Lake - 9.4 Miles Round-Trip Colchuk Lake (5,570') is located 4.7 miles from Stuart Lake Trailhead in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Not only do you get the views of the icy deep aqua blue glacier water, you are surrounded by the tall Glacier Walls of Dragontail and Colchuck Peaks. Overly populated, so keep that in mind before trekking- not everyone will be following the mask guidelines. www.nimitpatel.com. I went past the TH to Washington, and the hairpin turn to the upper TH prior to turning around as my hiking partner did not like the road conditions. Colchuck Lake with a view of Dragon Tail Peak and Aasgard Pass. Cold, so multi layers help. Check out my photos A Subaru with MaxxBoards was parked about 3/4 of the way up the road, and a Honda Pilot reversed down the road as I never saw it parked. A pretty easy hike for such an amazing reward (the views/icy blue lake). A LOT of people on Colchuck lake trail, less on Stuart. Also many parts of the trail are wide so no one needs to stop at all. Some people enjoy a fast hike and some slow. Seemed harder the second time around for some reason. Trail was snow covered in a lot of places. When I arrived at the split I decided to head to Stuart Lake first. The trail was in good condition but icy for the last 1-1.5 miles to the top. Not too busy for a Tuesday, I'm glad I got an early start to beat the heat and get decent parking. Colchuck Peak/East Route. NW Forest pass is required. You pay at the trail head. The road was frozen and slick in the AM, and a Ford Pickup was in the ditch past the lower TH. That was the only bummerl. Conditions were good and the snow was packed enough to need only micro-spikes for the way up. Not a problem with AWD. There're larch trees on the mountains at both Stuart and Colchuck. Highly recommend but considering the amount of people better do it on a weekday. The winter route is in super condition. I slipped multiple times, even as a self-proclaimed avid hiker. The trail is steep and reaches Colchuck Lake via switchbacks in 1,100 feet of elevation gain and 1.6 miles. unbelievably beautiful, especially with the larch trees in full yellow. http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/passes-permits/?cid=fsbdev3_053607. being a water filter- plenty of water sources Beautiful sunrise hike. Start early. I was scared based on the hard rating and other people’s stories but it was easier than I actually thought. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking and is best used from May until October. A northwest forest pass is required. There are also campgrounds surrounding the lake. Many people going uphill welcome the opportunity to pause and let a downhill person go first. Conditions were good - no wind, no precip, decent visibility - could see all the peaks but clouds obfuscated the sun. Slippery due to ice patches throughout the trail. We knew we wanted to arrive at sunrise, so after some hiking time estimates and driving times, we realized we had a shocking 12:30 am wakeup call ahead of us. The elevation gain to Lake Stuart is 1700 feet, but spread out over 5 miles, it really is not a very tough hike. If you’re worried about that, I’d suggest a different hike. At the junction take the left fork, the Colchuck Lake Trail. There is a NO PARKING restriction for the entirety of Road 7601, from the start at Icicle Road 7600 to its terminus at Stuart Lake Trailhead. Next to Stuart Lake, this has to be one of the most glorious day trips in the area. From milepost 99 on US 2, on the western end of Leavenworth, follow the paved Icicle Creek Road (Forest Road 76) for 8.4 miles, turn left onto Eightmile Road (FR 7601). The turnoff for the Colchuck Lake trail is clearly sign posted. The snow covered everything and the environment was so different compared to my previous two hikes up Colchuck this past summer. Start early to finish before dark. I arrived at the Lake Stuart TH at 5:30am and there were already tons of cars. You will need a high clearance, lifted vehicle to make it. Views are incredible! Totally doable with good hiking boots. Otherwise, you can park about 3/4 of the way up in a usual good trail car. Great fishing in this lake. If you drive vehicles similar to those in the last pic, you can make it all the way up. A little smoke on the trail but not too bad. On one hand, I would say if you’re a beginner, if you go in the summer you can definitely do it. However, there are no fires allowed at the lake. Do wear gaiters for the occasional posthole or tree well. A true alpine lake wonderland, the Colchuck Lake Trail spans 8 miles, and the views are endlessly beautiful. You will need a permit if you plan to camp overnight anywhere in the area (you do not need a permit for a day hike beyond the self-issue permit at the trailhead). The lake was completely snow covered, frozen and arctic-like. There is a second sturdy (although slightly sloping) log bridge shortly after the turnoff. …#donate #mestiza #mestizahiker #WAtrails #alltrails #explorewashstate #washingtontrails #training #hiking #teampinsans #stongereveryday #11of52hikechallenge … Initially, past the hairpin turn, it looked dicey, but becomes bare and wet for at least half the road. Larches are at peak here but this isn’t a very larchy hike. IG @ nimitpatel_ Some folks had microspikes, some shared a single pair, saw some cool short snowshoes, and one or two somehow scrambling up in only boots. nayyef Hrebid / alltrails.com Located in the Central Cascades, Colchuck Lake is an alpine gem that sits nestled in between two tall peaks. The trail was full of large boulders, rocks and the incline instant! You’ll be hot on the hike, but it is cold when you stop. We saw many post holes from a prior day - must have been a calorie, thigh-burning, suffer-fest. 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