Colchuck Lake
A steep Alpine Lakes Wilderness climb to a glacier-blue lake under Dragontail Peak.
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Length
- 8.7 mi
- Elevation Gain
- 2,280 ft
- Duration
- 6–8
- Best Season
- Jul–Oct
- Permit
- Required
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Features
- Turquoise alpine lake, Talus
About the trail
Colchuck Lake sits in a granite bowl beneath Dragontail Peak and Colchuck Peak, and its color — a milky, tropical turquoise — is startling in central Washington. The trail climbs 2,280 feet through pine forest, then up a talus chute and a short rock scramble onto the lake's shore. Advanced hikers add Aasgard Pass, a 400-foot scramble up the steep wall above the lake for one of the finest views in the state.
Trailhead map & directions
Turn-by-turn route
- Park at the Colchuck Lake Trailhead on US-2 east of Leavenworth.
- Follow the trail through pine forest along the creek.
- Climb the talus slope and the short rock scramble above it.
- Reach the lake shore and the dam.
- Return the same way, or continue up Aasgard Pass for the scramble crowd. Total: 8.7 miles.
Parking
Colchuck Lake trailhead on US-2 — Northwest Forest Pass plus a day-use permit in summer; the lot fills before 7 a.m.
Tips from the trail
- A Northwest Forest Pass and summer day-use permit are both required.
- The talus section is loose — helmets are common among scramblers.
- Snow blocks the trail into early July most years.
- Water is available at the lake, but treat it.
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