Chelan Activities
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Stehekin
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Considered one of the most remote towns in the lower 48, Stehekin feels like another world. No roads lead to Stehekin so you can only arrive by boat, small plane, or about a 30 mile hike over the Cascade mountains (Justin has done this before although he recommends taking the ferry if you’re looking for a quicker Stehekin experience). The ferry takes you the full 50 mile length of Lake Chelan and offers gorgeous scenery as you make your way into the wilderness with the mountains towering above you. Stehekin can be done in 1 day (it’s a full day and you probably want to take the fast ferry in one or both directions) OR you can spend a night in Stehekin at one of the local lodges. Ferry details can be found at https://ladyofthelake.com/ Recommended activities in Stehekin: Bike rentals (strongly recommended to quickly get to most activities in Stehekin - there’s no Uber here) Fishing Hike to Rainbow falls Stehekin Pastry company “The Garden”
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Bowling
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Chelan Lanes is a cute little bowling alley near downtown Chelan. They have affordable lane prices and good drinks/food. Kellie and Justin enjoy going here whenever they are in town.
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Casino
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Located in Manson (about 10 minutes from Chelan) this casino has lots of slot machine/video gaming options as well as table games. Dealers are friendly and it has a nice small town feel. https://colvillecasinos.com/lake-chelan-casino/
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Kayaks & Paddle Boards
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Many places rent kayaks and paddle boards near downtown Chelan. You can often see fish (usually Kokanee, Chinook and trout) through the clear waters as you paddle along.
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Boat Rentals
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There are several companies that rent boats on Lake Chelan. You can rent a boat and take it to Stehekin but we don’t recommend going that far. It would be a long day and gas options are slim as you head up lake. You also have to keep a close watch for large driftwood as you get further North. Pontoon boat rentals are popular on a nice day. Get a cooler of drinks and just putz along the shore taking in the beauty of the lake. Jump in for a dip if you’re so inclined! Jet ski rentals are also fun/popular. When the ferries are going by, you’ll often see people jumping the wake on Jet skis.
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Fishing
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The Ace hardware in downtown Chelan offers fishing licenses and has everything you need when it comes to tackle/gear. You can fish off the boardwalk near town or rent a boat to go further out. Day licenses are fairly inexpensive.
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Shopping
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Vacation-type shopping/browsing is great in downtown Chelan up and down Woodin Avenue. Justin’s mom's favorite store is Culinary Apple. It’s a kitchen shop packed with cool stuff for yourself or as gifts (or gifts you end up keeping for yourself!) You simply MUST go in there. They have homemade fudge too! There’s also Lake Life - packed with great things including clothes - especially upstairs. Other good clothing stores are Lake Chelan Sports (men and women) Starry Owl, Posh and Whalen’s General Store - they have a great pet section too. Justin's mom also loves Spirals. It’s got spiritual stuff like singing bowls, crystals, incense, etc. Bear Foods is a great health food store with tons of unique items. The Chelan Farmers Market is on Thursday afternoons and runs through October. There will be people selling apples and other fruits along with other crafts, jewelry, etc. A couple other spots worth mentioning are Riverside Books and an old fashioned hardware store that sells pretty much everything - Kelly’s Ace Hardware. Justin's mom often browses in there for hours! Lastly: if you find you actually NEED something like a razor or sunscreen or underwear - your best bet is Safeway or a store a bit out of town that starts with WAL…..
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Golfing
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Three courses in order from easy to more difficult that also increase in vistas and beauty. None will break the bank. Lake Chelan Golf Course This City of Chelan Municipal course is fun and mostly flat and open. Hooks and slices are not heavily penalized. This course sees a lot of play but should still be in good shape. Close to downtown and easy to find. https://www.cityofchelan.us/184/Lake-Chelan-Golf-Course Alta Lake Golf Course About a 30 minute drive north of Chelan near Pateros this course is slightly more hilly with some elevated T boxes and trees. Pretty views of Cowboy Mountain on the front nine while the back nine is laid out on a level glacial bench courtesy of the last ice age 17,000 years ago. www.altalakegolf.com Bear Mountain Golf Course Just up the hill from Justin’s Mom’s house this course sits on a ridge top that overlooks Lake Chelan on the front nine and views down the Columbia River Valley to Wenatchee on the back nine. This is a more challenging course. Some sloped fairways make ball placement important. A popular course for regular golfers. www.bearmtgolf.com
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Hiking
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Elephant Head This is Justin’s favorite hike in Chelan (4 miles and 1100 feet of elevation gain). Gorgeous views of the lake and the Columbia River, easy to get to (just a few minutes SE of the town of Chelan) and takes about 3 hours. https://www.guyevansrealestate.com/blog/the-path-to-elephant-head Echo Ridge This is a little further out of town (25 minutes or so to drive to the top of the ridge). Since most of the elevation gain is done via car, you can find lots of mostly flat trail options with nice views of the surrounding mountains and lake views every now and then. For the most part, this is more forested than the Elephant Head hike but it depends a bit on which trail you pick. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/okawen/recarea/?recid=57199
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Wine Tasting
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There are around 40 different wineries in the Lake Chelan area. Many of which Kellie and Justin have never even been to! So feel free to explore and find a great winery to tell us all about! Below are a few of our favorites if you are looking for recommendation. Note: If you have a group of people, limo wine tours are a popular way to explore a bunch of wineries and not have to worry about the driving - https://www.chelanlimo.com/ Rio Vista This is one of Kellie and Justin’s favorite wineries in the area. Especially the river location (call ahead to make sure they are open). The river location is about 25 minutes out of town but it has a gorgeous spot along the Columbia river. Very casual winery where you can swim in the river, play with the winery dogs, play yard games, or just sit and enjoy the view while sipping one of their excellent wines! Also a great spot for bird watching (Kellie demanded that we include this). Tsillan Cellars Beautiful winery with incredible views of Lake Chelan. Make sure to stroll through their gardens and check out the Koi ponds while you sip some delicious wine. The restaurant (Sorrento's) has some of the best food in the area although it’s a bit pricey. You probably want reservations if you plan on eating here. They have a nice little gift shop in the wine tasting area too! Lake Chelan Winery This winery has something for everyone. They have a cheese counter with an excellent assortment of fine cheeses. Recommend going here early in your visit and picking up some cheese to nibble on during the rest of your stay. Good shopping located near the cheese counter and if wine isn’t your thing (they have great wines) then they also sell hard cider made with local apples.