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The Enchantments: a still from my film

Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington · August 2020 · Solo

The Enchantments

34.4 KM · 1 DAYS · 1,410 M

A one-day through-hike in Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Watch the film 11:27 · 355K views

At a glance

Where
Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington
Distance
34.4 km (21.4 miles)
Days
1, as a day hike. Overnight trips need a permit from the lottery
Climbing
About 4,630 ft (1,410 m) up and 6,740 ft (2,050 m) down
Route
Stuart Lake Trailhead to Snow Lakes Trailhead
When I went
Tuesday, August 4, 2020, solo
Relief map of the The Enchantments route: the route drawn in red, labelled Stuart Lake Trailhead, Snow Lakes Trailhead, Colchuck Lake, Aasgard Pass and Snow Lakes.
Highest 7,840 ft (2,389 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 7,840 ft (2,389 m), lowest 1,300 ft (395 m).

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The film

Photos

  • Colchuck Lake in the morning, with Dragontail Peak above it, Day 1.
    Colchuck Lake in the morning, with Dragontail Peak above it, Day 1.
Colchuck Lake, still and clear, from the boulders at its far end.
Colchuck Lake, still and clear, from the boulders at its far end.

The guide · 35-page PDF + GPX file · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

A one-day through-hike in Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

  • My day, section by section
  • My GPX file
  • Permits, explained
  • Getting there
  • Maps and profile

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Look inside the guide

Free sample

Try Day 1 free

The whole Day 1, Stuart Lake Trailhead to Snow Lakes Trailhead page from the guide as a PDF, plus my hut-to-hut packing list: the 35 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

Gear on this trip

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What I carried in 2020

  • Packmy Hyperlite packIt flattens pretty easily, so I used it as a day pack. I was thinking about getting a proper trail-running vest, like a Salomon, because I wanted to do more day hikes like this, and it's better to have a smaller, tighter pack.
  • WaterKatadyn BeFree AC · 1LMy 1-liter filter bottle. Lakes and streams all along the route, so I refilled it.
  • Foodjerky, cashews, nut butter and a Clif bar

Filming kit

What I'd take now

My current kit

Everything I use, in Tools

The Americas and New Zealand bundle

This guide is in The Americas and New Zealand Hiking Guide Pack: 36 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.

Short answers

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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.

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