Colchuck Lake: A Jewel of the Enchantments

Great destination! Enjoyed the open trail and peaceful outdoor atmosphere.

Amazingly beautiful, trail is easy to walk

Great destination! Enjoyed the open trail and peaceful outdoor atmosphere.

A long but rewarding hike, the best I’ve done!

HIKED ON OCTOBER 10TH, 2024 This hike is one of the more popular hikes in the PNW for a reason! The views of forest, streams, boulder fields, and peekaboos of the mountains as you climb and then the lake and peak itself will take your breath away (for more than one reason)! It's marked hard because there is a pretty good amount of elevation gain and climbing over boulders and up rocky and root covered steep hillside. Also something to consider: I don't exercise regularly and am in my late 30s so I was huffing and puffing but this was slightly easier than I anticipated. Be prepared to share the trail with other hikers and guard your snacks! The chipmunks are BOLD and I caught one digging through someone's pack to get to the good stuff and trying to drag away his prize! The long version: There's a ton of parking, as long as you arrive early. It's a loop parking lot but once full the loop itself was really tight for some of the larger sprinter vans. I arrived during Larch season, shortly after sunrise, and the parking lot was BUSY. There was a pit toilet as well as two port-o-potties, all well stocked but also well used. Plenty of parking for overnight campers in designated spots if you have permits! The trail was well maintained and had everything from dusty loose dirt to small stream crossings, log crossings, large boulders, and many, many roots. It's a hike, up a mountain, so, ya know....watch your step! I'm terrible at finding the trail, and there were a few times I had to actually look for footprints to see that the trail went up the steep tree roots in a switchback pattern. I also would have totally missed the right hand turn after the double log bridge at the boulder field if someone else wouldn't have pointed out the small path (this is why you carry a copy of the trail map!). Once you arrive at the lake, get ready to explore! There are multiple little paths to get down to the lake via boulder, or you can follow the trail around to the right of the lake and it will eventually lead down to another area near the outlet stream where we all sunned ourselves on the rocks while we ate. The larches were glowing, and watching the sun transform the lake from frosty muted tones to its infamous blue felt like I had VIP access to the best show in town! I was alone and set my phone down to take a selfie and a chipmunk attempted to drag it away! It came right up to my boot as I sat there admiring the lake, so keep an eye on your stuff! Eat your lunch (or breakfast or beer) and savor the views before you continue onto Aasgard pass or turn around and head home. This is a great little taste of the enchantments and I will definitely be back again!