Among the first trails to open in the Spring, and the last to close in the Fall, the Lakeshore Trail provides amazing views throughout the seasons. With little elevation change, this trail is great for all hikers, and the scenery never disappoints. A must do for any hikers visiting the Lake Chelan area.
Want to beat the heat and avoid the huge crowds which flock to this trail?
Ride the Stehekin Ferry! Here’s why:
The majority of hikers tend to try to squeeze the hike into the fewest days possible, and thus ride on the earliest boat (Lady Express) to arrive at the Prince Creek trailhead early enough in the day to hike all the way to Moore Point on that first day. If you are in a hurry, that is probably the way to go, but we actually think you’ll enjoy your trip a whole lot more if you break from the swarm, and do a more relaxed hike.
By taking the Stehekin Ferry, you’ll get to sleep in a bit longer before your big hike, and arrive at the Prince Creek Campground after the crowd has headed up the hot trail in the afternoon sun. Instead of following them, you can set up camp at Prince Creek – an awesome campground that gets much less use than the crowded Moore Point – drop your heavy pack there, and do a little exploring up the Prince Creek Trail, which has some great views that those in a rush will miss. Then the next morning you can get an early start and hike the exposed Lakeshore Trail in the cool of the morning rather than in the sweltering heat of the afternoon. By the time you get to Moore Point, the large crowd has moved on towards Stehekin, and you should have a much more enjoyable experience there as well.
The Lakeshore Trail
This may be the most popular trails in the Stehekin area. With an overall length of 17 miles, this makes for a great overnight trip. There are several great campsites all along the way, making it easy to customize to the needs of your specific group.
Multiple Points of Access
The “beginning” of this trail is Prince Creek Campground. The Stehekin Ferry can dock here, and send you on your way. You can set up camp and then spend the rest of the day exploring this area, or head on up the trail to your next destination. Meadow Creek and Cascade Creek campgrounds are nice places to stop for the first night.
Continuing uplake, you will come to Moore Point Campground – a popular boaters destination, and then on up over Hunt’s Bluff (amazing views from here) and back down to Flick Creek. Another 4 miles from here, and you will reach Stehekin, where it’s always a grand idea to head to the local bakery for a cinnamon roll!
If you are looking for a shorter hike, the Stehekin Ferry can drop you off (or pick you up) near Moore Point. This is 10 miles from Prince Creek, or 7 miles from Stehekin, depending on which way you decide to travel.