The parking lot had plenty of spots when we arrived, and we began hiking around 8 am. We saw maybe five people total along the trail, mostly trail runners.

The trail offers stunning views throughout the hike. We encountered a variety of wildflowers and many birds, but no other wildlife. There were lots of small bugs clinging to us, so consider bug spray.

The trail is quite dusty, and there are some steep areas, so be careful.

Overall, it was a gorgeous hike!

We decided to hike Chelan Butte, inspired by #HikeTheState 2024, Tiffany Chou's recommendation.

Getting there: Fairly straight forward drive. 3.5 hours each way for us (from/to east side of Seattle). We took US-2 (avoiding I-90). This ended up being a quiet and stress-free drive. It was fun driving thru Leavenworth, town was busy with Memorial day weekend visitors. Chelan itself was not busy given this was fairly early in the summer season.

Trailhead: Parking lot is somewhat small (accommodates about dozen cars). There is a port-a-potty near the parking lot. We licked out finding a spot in the parking lot. But there is also plenty room on both sides of the street. You can find a well outlined map of the trail in the parking lot. No pass needed to park.

Chelan Butte: Cross the road and start walking up the trail. You will find a post indicating directions pointing the hiking trail. Elephant Head 1.5 miles and Butte 4 miles from the starting point. This is really one of the well maintained trails. I found the trail to be very steep and intense at times (even tho it is not the most hard trail elevation gain wise). The day was not overly hot. It was mellow but fairly windy. I also saw all age groups of hikers on the trail. Young kids and Old kids alike. It was a pleasant hike with not overly crowded but pleasant fellow hikers for company.

Few things to note:

• You will not find shade on this trail. Sunscreen and bug spray are good things to keep.
• Wind was not bad on the day we were on the trail.
• One of the best, well-maintained trails in Washington. Trail can get narrow. Just enjoy!
• Besides the amazing views, we also enjoyed butterflies, birds and wild flowers on our hike.
• Well placed benches on this trail. Sit and take a breather but also enjoy the views.
• I would suggest bringing poles on this hike - given the narrow trail and the incline.
• We did not see any snakes. But the trail had a warning posted about snakes sunning during summer months. Read up on Dos and Dont's when/if you come across snakes on hiking trails. Common sense.

We wrapped up our day with some late lunch in the parking lot and headed back home. Just a gorgeous day in this gorgeous Washington state.

#HikeTheState

Trail was snow free when I went Saturday. Ran into 10 hikers over the course of the hike and 2 dirt bikers near the top. Flowers are just starting to bloom.

Wanted to take this trail because of the opportunity for views, and we got ‘em! Trail was 90% dry, with some light mud and some snow still on the trail at the last 3/4 mile before the summit. Clear, chilly day, with some wind. Could see over the lake and the Columbia river. 

Was in Chelan for the weekend to ski at Echo Ridge and finished the weekend with a hike up Chelan Butte. There was a half inch of fresh snow which made the landscape pretty. I loved the big ponderosas and would love to see all the balsamroot in the spring. There was some deeper snow toward the top, but nothing requiring snowshoes. Was very happy to have microspikes on the way down. Without the fresh snow, I imagine it would be ok without them. Clouds obscured distant views, but the local views were still good. I enjoyed the hike far more than expected. But, yes, there were lots of false summits. Only saw two others on trail. Took us about 4 hours round trip. Nice, paved parking lot. Portapotty had TP, but don't confuse the soap for hand sanitizer as I did.