Lake Chelan Snowmobile Tour (North Side)

Check it out Distance: 66 miles Difficulty: Mostly easy Riding time: 3-5 hours Season: December through March Maps: Lake Chelan Area Snowmobile Trails map Info: Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce, (800) 424-3526

Snowmobiling trip notes

Access: From Chelan, drive west on State Highway 150 toward Manson 1-1/2 miles and bear right on Boyd Road. Drive 7 miles to Echo Valley Ski Area. Parking for snowmobilers just beyond base of alpine ski lift area. Washington Sno-Park permit required.

Attractions: Route samples best of 160-mile groomed trail system on north side of Lake Chelan. Numerous options for off-trail riding, but scenery spectacular without getting off well-groomed trails. Best views look west to North Cascades and south over 55-mile-long Lake Chelan and beyond to Stuart Range. Easy access to trailhead on well-maintained roads. Much longer rides possible from here, including 100-plus-miler north to Concunnully. Trails begin in open ponderosa pine before climbing to young clearcuts and burns with great visibility.

Comments: Ride up Gulch Trail about 2 miles to Five Corners (also called North Junction) and bear left on wider trail to Four Corners and junction with Antilon Lake trail. Follow signs toward Black Canyon.

Pass junction with trail down to Anton Creek, then take spur at left up to Cooper Mountain viewpoint for spectacular view of Lake Chelan. At night, see lights glow from Waterville, Mansfield, Quincy, Wenatchee, Mission Ridge Ski area. Look across to Stormy Mountain and beyond to Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness Area.

Return to main trail and continue. At 14 miles, come to Black Canyon-Gold Creek junction. Go about 1 mile and take spur down 1/2 mile to shelter (Collapsed under deep snow in December. Will be rebuilt for next season.)

Return to main trail and continue toward Gold Creek junction. At 17 miles, come to Oss Peak trail junction. Shorten trip by heading left toward Oss Peak. But featured route continues straight toward End Mountain.

At 19 miles, trail comes to T at top of ridge. Left leads short way to viewpoint. Bear right to continue, then plunge down into thicker timber past Fox Peak, a singular rock knob on left. At 23 miles, come to junction with Gold Creek Trail and trail to North and South Navarre peaks. Expert riders can follow unmarked ridge about 4 miles up to top of End Mountain for awesome view. But some slopes very steep and dangerous in certain conditions.

Double back on main trail to Oss Peak Trail (mileage will be about 30 miles at junction) then continue loop. Trail heads down to Lower Joe Creek on snaking trail, with more good views of Lake Chelan.

At about 39 miles near Antilon Lake (signs warn that sledding on lake is prohibited), bear left at junction toward Antilon Lake Sno-Park.

At about 49 miles, ride past Antilon Sno-Park and down plowed road short way. Watch carefully for acute left turn, which leads back up nearly 9 miles to Four Corners junction. From this familiar ground, head back toward Five Corners (North Junction) at about 64 miles, and head 2 miles down to trailhead at Echo Valley.

Trail system fed by four Sno-Parks: Antilon, Echo Valley, Black Canyon and Gold Creek.

Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce has maps and complete listings for lodging and services. Snowmobile rentals and overnight packages available from Shoreline Rentals, (800) 682-1561 or (509) 682-1515.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Map of area

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