A Guide for Thru Hiking The Enchantments
If you have been researching hikes to do in Washington, this trail has no doubt come up a few times. The Enchantments is one of Washington State’s most popular hiking destinations
The most sought-after way to hike this route is over a period of 2-3 days. However, the park service has implemented a permit lottery system for overnight trips due to its popularity.
Check out the Forest Services website for more info about times, dates, and operation of the lottery system!
Sarah and I did not have an overnight permit for this hike, so we decided to do what most people do, and thru hike it in a day!
When planning your thru hike, you will have two major things to decide beforehand:
Which end do you want to start/Finish at.
The Stuart and Colchuck Lake Trailhead or the Snow Lakes trailhead.
Going up from Snow Lake is a more gradual climb that will continue for almost 12 miles before you go back down. It would definitely make for a long day
Starting from the Stuart and Colchuck side is what most thru hikers end up doing. With one major climbing going up Aasgard pass, you are then spending the rest of the day letting gravity help you back down to your car!
2. How you want to get back to where you started from
It’s about a 30 minute drive to get from one trailhead to another at the Enchantments.
If you’re with a group and have multiple vehicles, the easiest and cheapest plan is to drop one car at the finish, then everyone carpool to the start of the trail.
If you’re flying solo or did not have an extra vehicle like us, you have 2 choices: Hitchhike back to your starting point or take one of the shuttle services! (We opted for the shuttle)
The shuttle services are typically $25-$30 per person and have a range or starting/ending times. So plan your hike accordingly. We used the Loop Connector Shuttle Service.
We arrived at the Snow Lake Trailhead the night before and just slept in the parking lot. This seemed to be a super normal and allowed thing to do.
We woke up around 5am to prep our lunches and pack our bags. The shuttle would be arriving at 6am to pick us up at the Snow Lake Trailhead. They did have a 5am pickup time, but it fills up quite quickly on the weekends. They seem pretty strict on times, only hanging around for about 15 or so minutes before heading to the Stuart/Colchuck Trailhead. The shuttle ride is a good time to chat with other thru hikers, and do what Sarah did and ask a nice lady behind her to braid her hair (I tried but the lady said “Oh this is bad..”).
Once you are dropped off, you will need to fill out the free day permit at the entrance to the trailhead (Bring a pen!). After you fill out everything they ask for, be sure to tear it in half and drop the bottom section in the box at the start. You will take the top part with you and leave it at the trailhead you finish at.
Once the permit has been packed away, you’ll begin your hike! The first few miles are really beautiful. Spending the entire time hiking through large evergreen trees and crossing bridges over crystal clear rivers. Keep an eye out for wildlife! We came right up on a deer that could have cared less about us.
At 4 miles in you’ll arrive at Colchuck lake! This alone would be a Wonderful day hike. Definitely a spot that you could spend an entire afternoon exploring and swimming at!
Enjoy the views and look across at Aasgard Pass looming over you. You’ll continue counter clockwise around Colchuck. You’ll eventually come hiking into a boulder field. I loved this part. It’s like one giant playground being able to jump from boulder to boulder.
Aasgard Pass is definitely the crux of this hike. Over the next mile you will climb over 2,000ft to get to the top. We passed 36 people on our way up! There wasn’t a great trail to follow, so pay very close attention to cairns and don’t just follow people blindly. We saw so many people that would just walk randomly without looking for any kind of route up. Turn around occasionally to enjoy the view above Colchuck Lake!
It’s a great feeling when you crest the top of Aasgard. Being met with high alpine lakes, beautiful views of the ridges surrounding you, and in our case, some mountain goats!
From here, you are in for a treat! This is the start to everything you’ve been hearing about. The trail is super easy to follow and very straight forward as you work your way along at this point.
Each lake you come across is unbelievably clear and so tempting to jump into! You’ll spend the next 4 miles from the top of Aasgard Pass working your way down along these high alpine lakes.
**Please try to stay on trail as best you can through many of these areas. We saw lots of rehabilitation areas due to people going off trail and destroying native plants!
Eventually, the trail will get steeper as you head down and you will slowly begin to drop down into a more forested area. This is nice because later in the afternoon the sun can be pretty brutal up high.
If you have ever done long day hikes, you know the last section always just feels like it takes forever… Well, this is that section!
Once you first reach Snow Lake, you have about 8 miles left until you finish. This part follows the river down, so you’ll see lots of waterfalls and many other lakes that the trail takes you by!
We thoroughly enjoyed this 19 miles for the entire day! Lakes, animals, mountains, waterfalls. What’s not to enjoy??
Here are a few final tips we have for thru hiking The Enchantments:
Bring lots of food! This is one of the most important things for any all day adventure. Staying fueled is super important.
Take a waterfilter. On a trail like this, there is no shortage of places to refill. Bringing a filter allows you to stay hydrated, and carry less water!
Bring layers! The temps in any alpine environment can range drastically. We almost bring a rain jacket, light gloves, a buff, and a sun hoody.
Be aware of your abilities. So many people underestimate the environment and overestimate their physical capabilities. Make sure you are used to being on your feet for 8+ hours
Start as early as you can. This helps beat lots of the crowds and also gives you more time to enjoy the area you will be in!
Bring a headlamp. You will likely be starting in the dark, and possibly finishing in the dark as well. Make sure your headlamp is charged and you have extra batteries.
Its almost certain you will run into some kind of wildlife on this hike.. Be sure to get them plenty of space and be respectful of the areas you pass through.
Most important of all.. HAVE FUN! Enjoy the area you’re in!
