XC Skiing/Snowshoeing

XC Skiing/Snowshoeing Areas

• Chelan Ranger District

  WELCOME TO THE CHELAN RANGER DISTRICT

  Split by the 51 mile Lake Chelan, the Chelan Ranger District borders the Entiat Ranger District to the south along the Chelan Mountains divide and the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area and the Methow Ranger District to the north as part of the Lake Chelan- Sawtooth Wilderness Area.

  Chelan Ranger District offers unique recreational opportunities on Lake Chelan and miles of recreational trails for all ages and experience levels. There are recreation opportunities for mountain bikers, hikers, motorcyclists, backpackers, hunters, fishermen, bird watchers and more.

  Lake Chelan Boat-in and Drive-to Campground Guide and Map

  Kayaking and Canoeing Lake Chelan

  Sawtooth Backcountry - brochure and map (Methow Valley and Chelan Ranger Districts)

  Sawtooth Backcountry - map only. This is a GeoPDF which can be downloaded into phone apps such as Avenza so that you can locate yourself on the map while out on the trails. 

• Echo Ridge Winter Trails #1290-1291
• Cle Elum Ranger District

  A 419,554 acre outdoor playground is closer than you think. With 200 days of sunshine, only 20 inches of rain and 80 inches of snow, recreation opportunities are endless. Whether you enjoy the serenity of an alpine lake sunset, wildflowers in spring, vibrant fall colors, or hitting the snowy trails of winter, the Cle Elum Ranger District is the place you can find it all, just an hour’s drive from the Puget Sound Metro area.

  The District stretches from its western boundary at the crest of the Cascades east to where the forest gives way to the prairies and sage steppe of Central Washington near Ellensburg. To the north are the Wenatchee Mountains, to the south, Manastash Ridge. From craggy peaks, to rolling hills, dense forests of Douglas fir and western hemlock in the west, open pine forests in the east, meadows and secluded valleys, the district has many diverse personalities.

  Recreation opportunities abound here. 400 miles of non-motorized trails, much of which lies within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, 400 miles of trails open to motorized use, 300 are single track and 100 double track, 100 miles of groomed snowmobile trails and 21 miles of set track ski trails offer options for all trail users. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail is the western boundary of the district. South of I-90 it passes through dense forests and old clear cuts that offer expansive views and berry patches in the fall. North of I-90 you are treated to one of the most rugged and scenic segments of the trail between Snoqualmie Pass and Deception Pass.  Whether you are drawn to jeep trails, secluded valleys or lofty peaks, you won’t be disappointed. Three large reservoirs, each with developed boat ramps offer water sports in spring and early summer. Lake levels drop below the ramps in summer and fall as the water is sent to irrigate the vast orchards, crop and pastureland in the Kittitas and Yakima valleys. If it is camping that calls you to the forest, Cle Elum Ranger District has large developed campgrounds, small primitive campgrounds and secluded dispersed camping areas.

  An abundance of wildlife inhabit the district. Mule deer, elk, black bear, cougar, bobcat, coyote, wolves, and mountain goat are some of the bigger critters you might see. Snow shoe hare, raccoon, pine marten, squirrels, chipmunks, and wolverine also call the district home. A wide variety of birds will keep the most avid birder busy. Great horned, spotted and barred owl, red tail hawk, bald and golden eagle, ruffed and blue grouse, mountain chickadee, gray jay, Clark’s nutcracker, stellar jay, crow and raven are but a few.

  Whether you are looking for a short day hike, a drive in the woods, a picnic, a challenging day on the trails with your jeep or motorbike, mountain bike, horse or your feet, or a relaxing evening around the campfire, come visit us. 

  The two links below are for map sets of ORV trails on Cle Elum Ranger District. 

  • Cle Elum RD ORV Trails - West [PDF: 19 mb, 13 pages]
  • Cle Elum RD ORV Trails - East  [PDF: 11 mb, 10 pages]

  The maps above are large files so it is best to right-click on the link, "save" the file to your computer and then open it with Acrobat.

• Black Diamond Trail #XC3517.4
• Blewett Pass Sno-Park
• Cabin Creek Sno-Park
• Cayuse Ski Trail
• Cle Elum Valley Snowmobile Trails
• Crystal Springs Sno-Park
• Dunning Ranch Trail #XC120
• French Cabin Sno-Park
• Gold Creek Sno-Park
• Kachess Sno-Park
• Pipe Creek Sno-Park
• Porky Basin Trail #XC121
• Salmon La Sac Sno-Park
• Swauk Campground Sno-Park
• Swauk-Table Mtn Snowmobile Trails
• Taneum Sno-Park
• Taneum-Manastash Snowmobile Trails
• Teanaway Guard Station
• Entiat Ranger District

  The Entiat Ranger District is a tapered slice of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, located in the more arid eastern edge of the Cascade Mountains. It extends from the Chelan Mountains in the northeast to the Entiat Mountains in the west.  The Entiat River Valley splits the Entiat Mountains from the Chelan Mountains, with the Columbia River flowing to the south and the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area standing majestically to the north. The landscape is dominated by wildfire ecology. Many areas of the Entiat Ranger District are excellent to observe examples of forest restoration, after large wildfires have occurred. Elevations range between 800 to more than 9,000 feet. The total acreage is 272,101 acres, which includes the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area at 25,557 acres.

  High-quality recreation of all types exists in the Entiat Ranger District. The broad range of campgrounds and hiking trails provide access into relatively undeveloped zones of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest that are excellent for hiking and fishing in solitude. Deep in the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area, at the end of the Entiat River Trail you can observe the last remaining remnants of the once massive Entiat Glacier. The glacier still clings to the impressive Entiat headwall, home to three 9,000’ peaks: Mt. Maude, Seven Finger Jack and Mt. Fernow. The Entiat Ranger District is also home to one of the nation’s most extensive multiple-use trail systems. This beloved trail system parallels lush alpine meadows, passes with pristine mountain lakes and climbs to lofty summits with breathtaking views of the wild North Cascade Range. Much of this trail system can be traveled by off-road motorcycles, mountain bikes, horses or hiking. 

  The Entiat Ranger District is also part of a larger success story occurring on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Proper land management practices have made the ranger district an amazing place for viewing a wide variety of wildlife. This includes elusive species like wolverine, moose, deer, bear, eagles, salmon and steelhead that frequent the Entiat Ranger District.

  Entiat River Road Mileage chart -- shows distance to campgrounds and road junctions from Highway 97A.

• Entiat Sno-Park
• Methow Valley Ranger District

  With its big valleys, open wildspaces, high ridges and beautiful rivers, the Methow Valley Ranger District's 1.3 million acres extends from near the town of Twisp Washington to the crest of the Cascade Mountains in the Pasayten Wilderness.  Alpine lakes are a hideaway for anglers while diverse wilderness awaits explorers of all types.  There are bassalt formations for rock climbers and winter sports opportunities abound. 

  The highest peak is Jack Mountain at 9,066 feet, with many other peaks above 7000 feet.  The Methow Ranger District offers hundreds of miles of trails with a hiking season that averages from June through October.  Some trails are open to motorcycles and mountain bikes, however, no mechanized vehicles are permitted within Pasayten or Lake Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness Areas.

  During summer months, The North Cascades Scenic Highway 20 provides a direct link to the west side of Washington State, enticing both motorized and non motorized travelers to make the scenic trip.  An Overlook at Washington Pass gives a spectacular view of massive Liberty Bell Mountain (7790 elevation) and Early Winters Spires. The highway is closed during the winter months.

  Methow Valley Ranger District Recreation / Roads Report

  Prescribed Fires Information

• Black Canyon Sno-Park
• Chickadee Trailhead
• Eightmile Sno-Park
• Goat Creek Sno-Park
• Loup Loup Alpine Ski Area
• North Summit Sno-Park
• South Fork Gold Creek Sno-Park
• South Summit Sno-Park
• Twisp River Sno-Park
• Yellowjacket Sno-Park
• Naches Ranger District

  The Naches Ranger District encompasses approximately 518,000 acres and extends from near the town of Naches to the crest of the Cascades in the William O. Douglas, Norse Peak, and Goat Rocks Wilderness Areas, and White Pass area. It is bordered by the Cle Elum Ranger District to the north along the Manastash Ridge divide, by the Yakama Indian Nation to the south, and Mt. Rainier National Park to the west.To the west of the district is the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Mt. Rainier National Park, and Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

  Snowshoeing Information for Naches Ranger District [4-page PDF]

  See the Washington State Snowmobile SnoParks site or Non-Motorized SnoParks site for Naches area which has maps and information about groomed trails, passes you will need (Discover or SnoPark pass) and other updates.

• American Ridge Lodge
• American River Guard Station
• Bumping Lake Sno-Park
• Clear Lake Cross-Country Ski Trail
• Crow Lake Way Trailhead / Sno-Park
• Goose Egg Sno-Park non-motorized
• Hell's Crossing Sno-Park/Trailhead
• North Fork Tieton Cross-Country Ski Trail
• North Fork Tieton Sno-Park
• North Fork Tieton Trail #1118

  This trail is within Goat Rocks Wilderness. The last 2 miles of this trail are steep. The trail accesses the Pacific Crest Trail and Hidden Springs Trail #1117.

• Pleasant Valley Loop Trail #999
• Union Creek Sno-Park/Trailhead
• Yellow Jacket
• Wenatchee River Ranger District

  

  The Wenatchee River Ranger District encompasses approximately 696,000 acres and extends from the near the city of Wenatchee and the Columbia River to the crest of the Cascades in the Glacier Peak and Alpine Lakes Wilderness areas. It is bordered by the Entiat Ranger District to the north along the Entiat Mountains divide and by the Cle Elum Ranger District to the south along the Wenatchee Mountains - Mt. Stuart divide. To the west of the district is the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

  Winter Recreation
  See the Washington State Snowmobile SnoParks site or Non-Motorized SnoParks site for Leavenworth / Lake Wenatchee area which has maps and information about groomed trails, passes you will need (Discover or SnoPark pass) and other updates.

   

  Midnight and Noontime Rocks and vicinity are annually closed to entry April 1 through July 31, to protect nesting raptors. 

  Attention Climbers: Raptor nesting behavior has been observed on both Midnight and Noontime Rocks. To protect these birds during the nesting period, these rocks and the area immediately above and between them is closed to all entry. Once nesting is confirmed, restrictions will be lifted on the rock not being used. If you know where the raptors are nesting, please contact the Leavenworth FS office. More Information

• Chiwawa Sno-Park

   

  See info and map link below.

  Lake Wenatchee and Entiat Valley Groomed Snowmobile Routes - Info and Map
  [PDF: 1.8 mb, 3 pages]

• Flying Loop Cross-Country Ski Trail
• See & Ski Trail
• Squirrel Run Cross-Country Ski Trail
• Fish Lake Sno-Park

  This Sno-Park offers access to groomed snowmobile trails. See info and map link below.

  Lake Wenatchee and Entiat Valley Groomed Snowmobile Routes - Info and Map
  [PDF: 1.8 mb, 3 pages]

• Chiwawa Groomed Snowmobile Route
• Fish Lake Snowmobile Loop
• Leavenworth Ski Hill
• Nason Cross-Country Ski Trail
• Nason View Cross-Country Ski Trail
• Ski Hill Cross-Country Trails
• Tronsen Meadow Cross-Country Trail