Leavenworth Activities
Backpacking, Hiking & Climbing

You will find hundreds of miles of walking, hiking and backpacking trails around Leavenworth, most of which are within the Wenatchee National Forest.

Trails vary in length and difficulty and you are encouraged to contact the Leavenworth Ranger District or the Lake Wenatchee Ranger District for more information. Additionally, descriptions of many of the hikes can be found in hiking books that cover the area. A couple of these books are listed in the column at right and others can be found listed within the pages of our Go Northwest Bookstore under Washington hiking.

Also, some trails require a Northwest Forest Pass, which can be obtained locally from vendors or from the nearest district ranger office. You also will want to be aware of regulations either allowing or prohibiting mountain bikes and or motorized bikes. Information about these regulations can be found at the nearby ranger stations, the addresses of which are listed below.

The closest walking and hiking trails are in Waterfront Park where you will find two miles of trail along the Wenatchee River.

For more adventure, try the trails leading off the Icicle Creek Road in Icicle Canyon. These trails include easy loop and interpretative trails as well as strenuous hikes of many miles. We've listed a couple of trails here and will be listing more in the future. So check back with us from time to time for updates and feel free to send us an email with your suggestions of other trails to include. The Icicle Creek Road is at the west end of town on Highway 2 and can be identified by the big Osprey Rafting Company sign located at the intersection.

Ski Hill Loop Trail. Length:0.4 Miles, USGS Map: Leavenworth

From downtown, go west on Highway 2 from the Leavenworth Ranger Station. Turn right on Ski Hill Drive and follow it to the top of the hill, which is about two miles, and park in the lot. You will find the trailhead behind the gated fence to the right of the shed.

Icicle Gorge Loop Trail, No. 1596. Length:3.5 miles, USGS Map: Leavenworth.

Easy valley-bottom trail along the Icicle River. Leashed dogs allowed. No mountain bikes nor motorized bikes allowed.

Getting there: Follow Icicle Road about 16 miles from the intersection with Highway 2 to the trailhead parking area which is about 1/2 mile past the Chatter Creek Guard Station on the left side of the road.

Icicle Gorge Upper Tie Trail, No 1596.1, Length: 2 Miles.

This is a trail between Chatter Creek and Rock Island Campgrounds. No mountain bikes nor motorized bikes allowed.

Additional trails are near Lake Wenatchee and Fish Lake, both of which are a short distance north of Leavenworth.

Wenatchee National Forest Offices

Wenatchee River Ranger District. 600 Sherbourne, Leavenworth, WA 98826. Phone: 509-548-2550 or 509-548-2551: Fax: 509-548-5817.

Northwest Forest Pass

The Northwest Forest Pass is good at most USDA Forest Service fee sites throughout Oregon and Washington, as well as some fee sites in North Cascades National park. An annual pass is $30, a daily pass is $5.

Annual Northwest Forest Passes are good for a year from the month of purchase.

Northwest Forest Passes usually are available at all USDA Forest Service offices, and from many other vendors. They will also be available over the Internet in the near future.

Related Hiking Links

Bavarian Volkssport Association. Phone: 509-548-4084 or 509-886-9526. E-mail or E-mail

Bavarian Volkssport Association is a walking and biking group for all ages and levels for those who wish to improve their health, meet new people and see beautiful places.

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

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