The Great Escape
Perched high up on the very northern tip of Lake Chelan in the North Cascades is tiny Stehekin, a one-lane town with 100 or so permanent residents, spotty cell service, no grocery store, and very little to do other than chill out, fish, rent an electric bike, hike or horseback ride. And it is wonderful.
In the Salishan language, the word Stehekin means “the way through.” Native Americans used the river valley to pass between the mountains for at least 9,000 years. They used the mouth of the Stehekin River where it meets Lake Chelan as a place to store their canoes well into the 1800s.
The area was settled by prospectors in 1875 when word of gold and other minerals reached their intrepid ears. After a brief gold rush, the town fell victim to its own remoteness and slowly contracted to about the size it is today. Homesteaders arrived soon after to stake their claims. A post office was established in 1892, and a one-room schoolhouse was built in 1921. That little schoolhouse was used to teach the handful of resident children until 1988, when a new school was built up the road. It’s a fascinating must-visit spot along the meandering Stehekin Valley Road.
Today, the little village expands with tourists each summer, when the average temperatures are in the 80s, and the days are sunny and very dry. (It’s that dryness that contributed to 2024’s Pioneer fire, which came close to destroying the entire place. Visitors were evacuated, ferries were canceled and tenacious locals worked alongside firefighters to successfully save their homes.) In the winter, snow accumulations of four to seven feet make visiting tough, but if it’s serious isolation you’re seeking, Stehekin is the place for you.
Getting There
The journey to Stehekin is part of the experience and requires some preplanning. Accessible only by boat, plane or a hike — by boat is by far the easiest—visitors have their choice of two fleets. Each one runs a daily round trip and makes quick, on-demand stops along the way at private docks and camping spots.
The Lake Chelan Boat Company runs the Lady of the Lake (ladyofthelake.com), which has been transporting passengers since 1945, when the slow boat was the only option. These days the fleet offers express trips as quick as 90 minutes for $49 each way and leaves from the town of Chelan. (The slow boat takes 4 hours and costs $25 each way.)
A new catamaran service, the Stehekin Ferry (stehekinferry.com), launched in 2020 and offers 90-minute trips for $39 each way. It leaves from Fields Point Landing, which is a 30-minute drive from Chelan. Both companies offer overnight parking for a fee.
Your choice between the two will likely come down to timing. The Stehekin Ferry leaves Fields Point to head north at 12:25 p.m. and heads south from Stehekein at 10:40 a.m. The Lady of the Lake leaves Chelan earlier at 8 or 8:30 a.m., and Stehekin later, between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., depending on the boat.
Each company has slightly different luggage allowances, but in general keep your freight to under 75 lbs. Make it easy on yourself and the crew and use wheeled bags or plastic bins with tight-fitting lids to make loading a breeze. Pets are allowed for an extra fee but must be kept in a crate during the voyage.
Where to Stay
For such a small place, Stehekin has a lot of lodging options, ranging from riverside camping to rustic cabins deep in the woods. Many places come with a vehicle for guest use, which is essential to have if you’re not on a bike or a serious walker. The Stehekin Valley Ranch (stehekinvalleyranch.com), the valley’s most extensive resort, has a shuttle that heads up and down the main road regularly, stopping at popular spots along the way. (The National Park Service also has a bus that goes as far as the road goes and can be waved down at any point along the way.)
The Ranch has four different accommodations, from rustic Tent Cabins for two, quirky Ranch Wagons, to the recently built Ranch House that sleeps 6-9 people and has all the modern conveniences. There is an onsite restaurant, and all meals are included in your stay. The staff can hook you up with all the activities in the valley, including kayak tours, mountain and electric bike rentals, fishing and horseback riding. The Ranch is a great choice for people who don’t want to worry about bringing up all their food and who like a more organized itinerary. Two-night minimum stays start at $285 per guest.
Conveniently located at the ferry landing, the North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin is basically the business hub of the village. It’s got a gift shop, a small minimart with basics like eggs, milk, snacks, beer and wine and a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner (until 7:30 p.m.). Guests have their choice of standard hotel rooms, cabins (some with kitchens) and a waterfront Lake House for larger groups. Prices per night start at $185.
There are several privately owned cabins available for rent and they tend to book up quickly. The Stehekin Creekside Cabin (stehekincreeksidecabin.com) sits peacefully on the banks of a lovely creek and has stables for two to four horses should you want to ride into town, likely via the Pacific Crest Trail or from the nearby Methow Valley. If you’re a kayaker or canoer, check out the Stehekin Lake Cabin, which sits right on the lake edge, and has a private dock from which to launch.
There are three campgrounds in and around Stehekin, Lakeview, Purple Point and Harlequin and all can be reserved at recreation.gov. The closest to the landing is Lakeview, which is just up from the Lodge. Purple Point — about 8 minutes away — is a good spot to camp for a night to get yourself oriented, but there are other, prettier spots further up. Most of the campsites at Purple Point are very close to the road. The Harlequin campground is the most scenic. Set on the banks of the river under the distinctive, red-trussed Harlequin bridge — one of only three that cross the Stehekin River — you’ll have your own private beach and little piece of paradise.
Where to Eat
Stehekin has two restaurants, one bakery, a garden that sells fresh vegetables and no grocery store. Most visitors, especially those camping or staying in cabins with kitchens, arrive in town with food in tow. Keep that in mind as you ponder how you’re going to use your 75 lb. freight allowance. No tobacco products are sold in Stehekin. Also, there’s no ATM and businesses prefer payment by card.
In addition to the mini-mart, the Lodge operates the more accessible of the two restaurants and is open for a casual, filling breakfast, lunch and dinner. The other option, the Stehekin Valley Ranch, features a hearty, homespun buffet that changes often. Reservations for dinner are required at the Ranch for non-guests.
The Stehekin Pastry Company is a yummy must-visit. Open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, this is the place to get your morning latte and house-made cinnamon roll. There’s a small menu of savory options, and a visit in the afternoon for some ice cream should be worked into at least one day’s itinerary. The bakery also has two log cabins to rent on-site as well as a new off-grid cabin seven miles from the landing for adventurous visitors who really want to get away from it all.
A few bends in the road from the bakery is a lush and lovely organic farm known simply as the Garden. Owner Karl Gaskill has lived in Stehekin since 1978 and once ran the Honey Bear Bakery, the precursor to the Pastry Company. Eventually he traded his apron for a shovel and turned his attention to organic vegetables, flowers, honey and goat cheese. You may miss this unassuming spot on your first pass, but keep looking. Chances are high that a barefoot Karl will greet you and welcome you into his little tranquil oasis. Karl’s farm is usually open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but he does run on Stehekin time, which, like island time, means that opening hours are flexible and subject to the owner’s whim.
What To Do
The beauty of Stehekin is that you can do whatever you want, even if it’s nothing but sitting on the lakefront in an Adirondack chair enjoying the sounds of nature. But chances are you’ll want to squeeze in all the outdoor adventures you can during your visit.
There are numerous trails and hikes along the main road. The Lakeshore Trail is good for families with little kids who tire easily. The trek up to Rainbow Falls is moderate yet manageable, and the falls themselves offer a great payoff. If you’re up for a more difficult day hike, check out the eight-mile ascent up McGregor Mountain.
Also on the must list is the Buckner Homestead (bucknerhomestead.org), a historic apple orchard and homestead dating back to 1889 that provides a fascinating glimpse into what life was like in Stehekin in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is now owned and managed by the National Park Service, which picks the apples and maintains the structures year-round.
Stehekin is so small that everyone knows who leads guided fly-fishing trips and trail rides and who rents bikes and canoes, so you’ll have no trouble making plans. Your host can also lead you in the right direction, but pretty much all you need to know is at stehekin.com.
