As a young pup growing up in Seattle, my family used to make an annual trip to Lake Chelan. I have fond memories of endless sunshine and hanging on for dear life while my cousins tried to flip the innertube in the wake of the circling boats. Until recently, I hadn’t been back for over two decades. While my memories circle the lake, the newfound adult in me cheers with excitement as we can now legally enjoy a glass of the renowned Lake Chelan Wine. Going back to visit Lake Chelan as an adult opened up much more of the town. And while my body may not bounce back as fast from being skimmed across the water like a flat stone, being wine drunk numbs any soreness the next day.
Lake Chelan is about a 5-hour drive from Seattle. You can make this a weekend trip, but I recommend giving yourself a couple of extra days to sit back and enjoy all the relaxation Chelan offers. We went for a Dirty Thirty Birthday celebration, but many people go for bachelorette parties, weddings, family reunions, or just to straight-up have a good time. Lake Chelan has many reasons to celebrate regardless of your reason for visiting.
When to visit Lake Chelan?
Summertime is Peak Season at Lake Chelan. July is the best month weather-wise, but also the most crowded. August is slightly less crowded, but you may have to deal with smoke from the seemingly annual forest fires. I would say June is the best time to visit Lake Chelan.
While summertime is the most popular season for Lake Chelan and its wineries, most are also open in the Winter. It’s a whole different vibe. We’ve never been there in the Winter, but a few bartenders we talked to told us we had to come back in December when the valley is a winter wonderland. Lake Chelan gets a decent amount of snow in the Winter, but the lake doesn’t usually freeze.
Where to Stay in Lake Chelan
There aren’t a lot of places to stay in Lake Chelan, so you’ll want to book a spot far in advance. As a kid, we would stay at the Lake Chelan Shores, although it was way cheaper back in the day. But it has the most accessible access to the lake. There is also Campbell’s Resort, but I have never stayed there.
There is also an RV park if you bring your hotel.
We’d recommend gathering a few friends and renting an Airbnb, VRBO, or vacation rental. They have some incredible places around the valley. They may not have lake access, but they provide better experiences, in my opinion. Most recently, we booked a stay inside of the Siren Song Winery. It was excellent, and the owners completely undersold how nice it was. We had the whole winery to ourselves after closing. Drinking wine on the patio while watching the sunset in your private winery is hard to beat.
Fun Things to do Lake Chelan
The lake (obviously)
If you look at a map of Central Washington State, you find Lake Chelan (pronounced “shuh·laan”) trying its best to be a river. At 55 miles long but only 1-2 miles wide, It’s an extraordinarily long and narrow natural lake. It was formed more than 10,000 years ago by a glacier slowly meandering its way from the Cascade Mountains to the Columbia River. (Sort of like a snail leaving a slime trail, although it’s much prettier, I promise.) As a former glacier, the lake is pretty cold, but it’s perfect for swimming in the hot, dry heat of the summertime.
At 1,486 feet, Lake Chelan is the third deepest freshwater lake in the US. While deep water makes the mind race, don’t worry; no sharks or dangerous creatures are hiding in its depths. Maybe some 20+ lb salmon, but those are delicious fish, not to be feared.
If you don’t have a boat or don’t want to rent one, you can still have a memorable lake vacation. There is always a way to get on out on the water. My new favorite way is parasailing, or as I like to call it, the human kite experience. Strapped to a giant parachute, you’ll drift off the back of a speed boat, lifting you higher and higher until the world goes quiet, and it’s just you and your tandem buddy kicking your legs in the air like children in booster seats. You cannot beat the views!
Lake Chelan Wineries
Lake Chelan is the land of water and wine. Lake Chelan may be your paradise if you consider yourself to be outdoorsy by way of drinking wine outside on the patio. Almost every winery is a small family-owned business with a tasting room overlooking the lake. It’s like Napa valley without all the pretentiousness. Every winery we visited was super friendly, and they didn’t expect you to be an amateur sommelier, with no quizzes or demands for tasting notes. They happily described the wine and let you sit back and enjoy the views and vino. Most wineries will have some small plates of regional meats and cheeses to enjoy with your world-class glass of Lake Chelan wine. Some have full restaurants, like Sorrentos’s inside Tsillan Cellars; others might have a food truck on-site depending on the time of day.
There is a dizzying amount of wineries to choose from, but here are some unique ones that we would recommend:
- Nefarious Cellars (Beautiful Patio Views)
- Benson Vineyards Estate Winery. (great views from the far side of Lake Chelan)
- Succession (take a tour of their cellars!)
- Hard Row To Hoe (inside a former brothel, take a closer look at the wallpaper)
- Lake Chelan Winery (Where wine-making in the valley started)
- Siren Song (Also an Airbnb)
If wine isn’t your thing, how about cider? Washington has the best apples, so visiting at least one cidery while in town is only fitting. We’d recommend Chelan Craft Cider. The owners are super cool and have a great story. Completly Self-taught by youtube videos, they started brewing cider only a few years ago after falling in love with the process. They collaborate with all kinds of fruit growers and wineries in the area to make some delicious ciders with flavors like Peach Apricot, Apple Lemon, and Ginger Pear. They were nice enough to give us a tour while things were slow and let us try some new creations they were concocting.
Restaurants in Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan is a small area, and your restaurant choices are limited, but the food is top-notch. Skimming through maps and brochures, you’ll see a good variety of options. Restaurants range from fancy places with the perfect backdrop for engagement photos to local taprooms for grabbing some grub after boating on the lake all day. But because of the limited options, it’s best to make reservations where you can.
Recommended Restaurants:
- Breakfast: Lake Chelan Artisan Bakery
- Lunch: Local Myth Pizza
- Dinner: Tsillan Cellars & Sorrento’s Ristorante
Things to avoid doing in Lake Chelan
There aren’t many things you can do wrong in Chelan. It’s not super touristy, so there aren’t any traps to be aware of except one, and it’s the fault of other bloggers misrepresenting it as an attraction.
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake Boat is often listed as a top attraction. But that’s only fun if you plan on hiking or visiting the town of Stehekin. People often mistake it for a boat tour of the lake, but it’s just a ferry. And it’s a 4-hour round trip. Don’t burn half a vacation day on a slow-moving boat to nowhere. I shouldn’t say “nowhere”; Stehekin is a beautiful town with some incredible hiking wilderness and is only accessible by the ferry. But this is a whole other trip on its own.
Is Lake Chelan worth visiting?
Yes. The age-old question of any traveler, “is it worth visiting?” Besides the long drive to get there, I can’t think of a reason not to visit Lake Chelan. It’s the land of wine and water sports! Spend the day splashing on the lake, followed by a nice dinner and celebration with wine. What’s not to like?
Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.