Area guide
Lake Chelan
A 55-mile-long glacially-carved lake in central Washington, one of the deepest in North America, surrounded by dry hills and, increasingly, world-class wine country.
The lake
Lake Chelan is extraordinary by almost any measure. At 1,486 feet deep, it's the third deepest lake in the United States and the third deepest in North America. It stretches 55 miles from the town of Chelan at its southern end to the remote village of Stehekin at its north, where the Cascade Mountains rise steeply out of the water.
The southern end, where Manson and Chelan are located, lies in the rain shadow of the Cascades, creating a dry, sunny climate more similar to eastern Washington than to the rainy Puget Sound. This means warm, clear summers with water temperatures that reach swimming comfort (65–70°F) by July.
Getting there
From Seattle
~3 hours via US-2 (Stevens Pass) or ~3.5 hours via I-90 (Snoqualmie Pass). Both are scenic mountain passes.
From Spokane
~2.5 hours via US-2 west. Flat eastern Washington highway driving until Wenatchee, then scenic lake valley to Chelan.
From Portland
~4.5 hours via I-84 / US-97 through the Columbia River Gorge. A beautiful drive in its own right.
Nearest airport
Pangborn Memorial Airport (EAT) in Wenatchee, 40 min away. Alaska Airlines serves it from Seattle. SEA (2-3hr drive) has far more options.
The town of Chelan
The city of Chelan (population ~4,000) sits at the southern tip of the lake. It's a compact, walkable downtown with restaurants, boutiques, a year-round grocery store, and a historic feel. Lake Chelan State Park, just south of town, offers a public beach and boat launch.
From Wapato Point, Chelan is about 25 minutes south. Most resort guests make at least one trip for supplies, a nicer dinner out, or to catch the ferry to Stehekin.
The Stehekin ferry
The Lady of the Lake passenger ferry runs from Chelan to Stehekin at the head of the lake, a 4-hour journey through increasingly dramatic mountain scenery. Stehekin is a remote community with no road access; the ferry and small airstrip are the only ways in.
A day trip to Stehekin is one of the most memorable things to do in the region. The ferry departs Chelan in the morning, you have a few hours to explore the village, hike to Rainbow Falls, or ride the historic shuttle bus up the valley, then return in the afternoon.