Colchuck Lake – Best Hike in Seattle

​I’ve gone on many hikes during my time in Seattle, but Colchuck Lake is by far my favorite one. This hike is on the longer and more strenuous side, but the views are absolutely worth every ounce of effort. The lake is hidden deep in the Enchantments surrounded by rocky mountains all around, and the water is a bright turquoise blue from the glacier water. The views are so beautiful and it’s just so surreal to see Colchuck Lake in person.

​Colchuck Lake is located just outside the Bavarian town of Leavenworth, about 2.5 hours away from Seattle. While 2.5 hours is quite lengthy, it is a scenic drive with beautiful views the entire way.
 
The hike itself is 8 miles roundtrip with 2280 ft of elevation gain. It’s pretty much a steady climb into the Enchantments until you hit Colchuck Lake, and there weren’t any sections that were particularly difficult. I’d say the difficulty of the hike stems mainly from the distance and less so from the elevation.
 
From the parking lot, the hike goes through wooded areas and passes by a couple of wooden foot bridges. We also spotted a few chipmunks waiting on strategically placed rocks acting cute in the hopes for some food in return.

The trail eventually opens up and we saw just how tall and grand the Enchantments were. We crossed another foot bridge to the foot of a massive rock scramble, but luckily the trail veered to the side without going through the scramble.

​I’ll admit, the last mile of the hike was rough because I was eagerly anticipating to see Colchuck Lake. Once we came over the last incline, we saw the bright turquoise lake nestled in between giant rocky mountains. The lake extended from one end where it meets the blue skies to the other end with the low clouds and dramatic mountains as the backdrop. It felt like a scene straight out of a fantasy movie with such a surreal view. 

​We also ventured down to the water and explored the shores of the lake. It offered a very different vantage point, which left us equally as amazed as we were from the higher viewpoint.