This portion of the trip balances slower moments—glamping, food, and vineyard hopping–with one of Washington’s most iconic hikes: Colchuck Lake Trail.
For an overview on the entire Washington trip, check out Hiker’s Paradise: 12-day Washington Road Trip.
Mount Rainier to Leavenworth
We departed Paradise Inn around 7am and made our way toward Leavenworth, where we’d be staying for one night. It fits perfectly into this 3-park road trip and gives you the opportunity to experience the stunning Colchuck Lake hike.
Before leaving Mount Rainier, we made one last stop at the Grove of the Patriarchs Trail—an easy 1.2-mile out-and-back that takes less than an hour and gets you up close with some massive, old-growth trees.
From there, it’s about a 4-hour drive to Leavenworth. We arrived around 12pm to an adorable Bavarian-style town with a stunning mountain backdrop, great food, and plenty of shops to explore. We stopped at a few local breweries, including Icicle Brewing Co. and Stein, then treated ourselves to an ice cream flight at Whistlepunk Ice Cream Co. We also popped into Cheesemonger’s Shop and Cured for some charcuterie snacks, and grabbed sausages from Sausage Garten to grill at our glamping site.
Before heading out, we made a quick grocery stop to stock up on beers and snacks, then made our way to our glamping site. After a few hard days on the trail, a relaxing night felt almost foreign. We cracked some beers, put our feet up, and just watched.
The sun dropped slowly behind the mountains, painting the sky in layers of pink and orange before fading to a deep quiet. It was the kind of evening that reminds you why you travel in the first place.
Travel tips
- Enjoy a slower-paced, relaxing day after two more intense hiking days
- Stop at a grocery store in Leavenworth to restock on hiking snacks and drinks
- Leavenworth is packed with great breweries and restaurants—take advantage
- Consider a luxury camping overnight stay to unwind and enjoy the scenery
Food
- Breakfast/coffee at Paradise Inn café before leaving
- Leavenworth has plenty of great food options to explore
Activities
- Hiking: Grove of the Patriarchs Trail
check trail conditions, bridge damage has impacted access, with repairs expected by 2027 - Explore Leavenworth: breweries, sausage and cheese shops, ice cream
Overnight: White Aspen Luxury Camping
A beautiful glamping site near Leavenworth that has unfortunately since been lost to wildfire. I highly recommend a similar luxury camping experience in the area. I might consider options such as: Leavenworth Rental Cabins or Washington Glamping
Colchuck Lake
Today is all about experiencing one of Washington’s most iconic hikes, the Colchuck Lake trail, which delivers views of dramatic peaks and a refreshing cold plunge into a crystal-clear glacier lake.
We woke up around 7am and had breakfast at our glamping site before making the 1-hour drive to the Colchuck Lake trailhead. The hike is roughly 9 miles round trip with over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. It’s a steady climb up, but all downhill on the way back. It’s definitely challenging, but very doable if you’re prepared. We hit the trail around 10am and reached the lake by noon.
Colchuck Lake shoreline doesn’t magically appear, as I originally expected. The trail ends above the shoreline and you get to pick your own way down to the water. We scrambled around until we found a wide flat rock right at the edge, impossibly blue water in front of us, jagged peaks behind it, and not another soul in sight.
If you’re thinking about taking a plunge (highly recommend) wear your swimsuit under your hiking clothes. Some hikers even pack inner tubes. The water is glacier-cold and absolutely invigorating.
We spent a couple hours at the lake, dipping in and out of the water, in no rush to leave. We eventually made our way back, ending the hike around 4pm and driving about 1.5 hours to Lake Chelan, and somewhere along the highway, we saw our first bighorn ram just standing on a rock like it was nothing.
Once we arrived, we checked into our motel, showered, and freshened up before heading to dinner around 7pm at The Landing for waterfront dining with a sunset view over Lake Chelan.
Travel tips
- Use the America the Beautiful pass for parking at the Stuart Lake/Colchuck Lake trailhead (we didn’t realize and paid…don’t be like us)
- Arrive early—the parking lot fills up quickly. We got there at 10am and it was already packed
- Bring plenty of water, trail snacks, a swimsuit, a packable towel, and even an inner tube if you want to float
Overnight: Midtowner Motel
A budget-friendly, no-frills stay that’s clean and comfortable, with a convenient location near downtown Chelan. Simple, easy, and perfect for a quick overnight stay.
Lake Chelan
Today is filled with food and wine tastings, so we put on something a little nicer for a change and enjoyed a slower day exploring Lake Chelan.
After checking out, we headed to Kave Roaster & Bakery for a fresh cup of coffee before making our way to Blueberry Hills Farm. Everything here is incredibly fresh and delicious. Breakfast is excellent, anything with blueberries is a solid choice, and the blueberry juice is a must-try.
Next, explore the plethora of local wineries and cideries. It’s a relaxing way to break up the trip, and many places offer non-alcoholic options for the driver as well.
The original plan was to drive to Winthrop, an Old West-style town with bakeries, restaurants, and breweries. It’s also a more direct route to North Cascades. However, due to surrounding wildfires, we had to take a different route and skip Winthrop entirely. With a bit of planning, we still made it to North Cascades to catch sunset at Diablo Lake. More on that in the next post.
Travel Tips:
- Arrive early at Blueberry Hills Farm. They don’t take reservations and you’ll order at the counter first before finding a seat.
- Take your time enjoying the Lake Chelan wineries.
- Wildfires are possible this time of year, be prepared to stay flexible.
Food / drink
- Kave Roaster & Bakery
- Blueberry Hills Farm
- Rootwood Cider Taproom*
- Succession Wines*
- Siren Song Wines Vineyard
- Cairdeas Winery
- Tsillan Cellars
- Lake Chelan Winery