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Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Wilderness Area: Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area

Location: Washington, United States, North America

Lat/Lon: 47.56556°N / 121.17833°W

Elevation: 9415 ft / 2870 m

Seasons Open: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall 

Managed by: The Forest Service

Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a very large wilderness area that extends through parts  the Cascade Range in Washington state. The Wilderness area is located in parts of Wenatchee National Forest and Snoqualmie National Forest, and runs in between Interstate 90, Snoqualmie Pass to the south and U.S. Route 2 and Stevens Pass to the north. The Alpine Lakes is the largest wilderness area in the Puget Sound area , the wilderness area covers approximately 390,000 acres (1,600 km²)

Map of Area

Popular Features 

 Sprite Lake

Dragontail ridge

Prusik Peak

Crystal Lake

Jewel Lake

Its only Obvious where the Alpine Lakes Wilderness got its name from! and if its to hard for you to see its because of the 700+ mountain lakes found sitting in and around the soaring rocky peaks and dense foresty hillsides in the central Cascades.

The official Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area was created by Congress in 1976 via the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Act as an effort to protect the region in its natural form. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is approximately 394,000 acres. There are currently 47 official trailheads and 615 miles of backcountry trails within the wilderness area.

In 2009, legislation would be reintroduced to expand the western side of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness by over 22,000 acres, as well as grant the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and Pratt River which are both National Wild and Scenic Rivers.  

Bald Eagle Peak and Silver Eagle Peak

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness has over 22 notable mountains, ranges and peaks. 

They are split up into 5 different sections of the wilderness area including:

Guye Peak

Snoqualmie peaks

Chair Peak — 6,238 ft (1,901 m)

Guye Peak — 5,168 feet (1,575 m)

Snoqualmie Mountain — 6,278 ft (1,914 m)

Lundin Peak- hieght couldnt be found

Red Mountain-hieght couldnt be found

Kendall Peak — 5,784.03 ft (1,763 m)

Mount Thomson — 6,554 ft (1,998 m)

  

                             Dutch Miller Gap peaks

Chikamin Peak — 6,960 ft (2,121 m)

Lemah Mountain — 7,480 ft (2,280 m)

Chimney Rock — 7,721 ft (2,353 m)

Overcoat Peak — 7,432 ft (2,265 m)

Summit Chief Mountain — 7,464 ft (2,275 m)

Mount Hinman — 7,492 ft (2,284 m)

Mount Daniel

Mount Daniel — 7,899 ft (2,408 m)

Wenatchee Mountains 

 
Cashmere Mountain — 8,501 ft (2,591 m)
Eightmile Mountain — 7,996 ft (2,437 m)

Chiwaukum Mountains

Big Chiwaukum — 8,081 ft (2,463 m)

Snowgrass Mountain — 7,993 ft (2,436 m)

Stuart Range

Mount Stuart — 9,415 ft (2,870 m)

Argonaut Peak — 8,453 ft (2,576 m)

Dragontail Peak — 8,840 ft (2,694 m)

Chinook Tribe

The Natives 

Before European explorers arrived, two major tribes, the Chinook and Nootka, had developed a language to facilitate trade among various tribes. It became known as the Chinook Jargon. When the European explorers first appeared there were about 80 words in Chinook. The jargon became the language for general communication and spread rapidly. By the 1830’s missionaries preached, prayed and sang hymns using Chinook. This jargon was supplemented by English, French and Spanish terms so that by 1880’s more than 250,000 people from Klamath County Oregon to the Alaska Panhandle spoke and traded using the dialect.

Nootka Tribe

Native american names identify many places in the wilderness. Chetwoot, the Chinook word for bear, is the source of Chetwoot Lake in the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The Talapus/Olallie Lake Trail is a popular hike in the Alpine Lakes. Talapus, meaning coyote or prairie wolf, is important in Indian legend as having supernatural powers. Olallie means berry, and originally, the salmonberry. Could it be assumed that the original peoples would travel to the mystical Talapus Lake to receive special powers and pray for a favorable harvest at Lake Olallie. 

         

Early 19th 
century explorer and 
naturalist David Douglas was 
one of the first to refer to the 
mountains of the Pacific 
Northwest as the Cascades.

David Douglas

Explorer/botanist David Douglas is best remembered for a predominant  species in the PNW , the Douglas fir. During his expeditions to the northwest between 1824 and 1827, he refers to a range of rugged, rocky snow-capped mountains as the Cascade Range. However, no name took hold until the government-sponsored Wilkes Expedition of 1841 officially charted and recorded the mountains as the Cascade Range. 

Many geographic place names retain tribal identity. For example, today 16 counties are named after Indian tribes. They are also are remembered in other ways. The name Snoqualmie is associated with a city, river, mountain, and mountain pass. 

Alexander Ross, also spent time in the area during his 1811 exploration on behalf of John Jacob Astor and the Pacific Fur Company, traversed what was once the Indians’ northern trade route across Cascade Mountains. Ross’ exploration left from Cascade Pass. 

Natural History & Ecology

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness features some of the most rugged mountains in the Cascade Range with craggy peaks and ridges, deep glacial valleys, and granite walls spotted with over 700 mountain lakes. Geological events occurring many years ago created the diverse topography and drastic elevation changes over the Cascade Range leading to the various climate differences. These climate differences lead to vegetation variety defining the ecoregions in this area. The elevation range of this area is between about 1,000 feet (300 m) in the lower elevations to over 9,000 feet (2,700 m) on Mount Stuart.

The history of the formation of the Cascade Mountains dates back millions of years ago to the late Eocene Epoch. With the North American Plate overriding the Pacific Plate, episodes of volcanic igneous activity persisted. In addition, small fragments of the oceanic and continental lithosphere called terranes created the North Cascades about 50 million years ago. 

Over 2 million years ago, glaciation advancing and retreating repeatedly scoured the landscape leaving deposits of rock debris. The last glacial retreat in the Alpine Lakes area began about 14,000 years ago and was north of the Canadian border by 10,000 years ago. The “U”-shaped cross section of the river valleys are a result of that recent glaciation. Uplift and faulting in combination with glaciation have been the dominant processes which have created the tall peaks and deep valleys of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area.

Mount Stuart

Intrusive Igneous

Intrusive Igneous

The most common rock type in this area is intrusive igneous, which are highly fragmented granitics, this includes most of the Foss Lakes and Enchantment Lakes area. The other major rock types are sedimentary, metamorphics, ultrabasic rock complex and the extrusive igneous group that include basalt, andesite, and ryholite. The metamorphic rocks are primarily in the northern part and the southern area is made up of volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The Wenatchee Mountains are mostly composed of peridotite.



Ecology

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to be in the North Cascades ecoregion, dominated by forests, subalpine, and alpine ecozones. Indicator tree species of individual zones include the Western Hemlock, Silver Fir, Subalpine Mountain Hemlock, Subalpine Fir, and Grand Fir/Douglas Fir.

Subalpine Mountain Hemlo

Western Hemlock

Silver Fi

Douglas Fir

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness offers an abundance of diversity in both plant and animal species. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness and its old growth forests offer critical habitat for many species on the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife’s “Species of Concern” list which includes:

Western Spotted Frog

Townsend’s Big-eared bat

Fisher

Wolverine

Lynx

Alpine Lakes Wilderness has diverse wildlife, as well. Large mammals such as black bear, elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, cougar, and coyote can be found throughout the region. Small mammals such as bobcat, beaver, otter, badger, wolverine, mink, and weasel are also found in sporadic populations. Grizzly bears and wolves are also found in the region, but with still very small populations. Birds commonly seen throughout the area include ruffed grouse, white-tailed ptarmigan, Stellar's jay, ravens, chickadees, hawks, eagles, and woodpeckers. The region is also home to multiple amphibian species of frogs and salamanders, as well as multiple reptile species of lizards and garter snakes. Various fish species of salmon and trout, including native cutthroat trout, inhabit alkes, rivers, and streams within the area.

Federal & State Regulation/ Management

Federal & State Regulation/ Management

Management

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is managed by two different national forest, the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the west and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in the east.

There are four separate Ranger Districts: 

Cle Elum

Leavenworth

Snoqualmie

Skykomish

Even though this area is protected by wilderness act and no vehicles or bicycles are allowed in this area, there is still heavy foot traffic and camping throughout. Because of this heavy foot traffic managing the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is not an easy task. 

 

The Forest Service has taken many steps to mitigated the environmental impacts due to the heavy recreational use. Education and information is the primary method used by the Forest Service in the area.  Other things being done to make it easier to maintain the area are;  Wilderness Ranger contacts, regulation, permits, restoration efforts, and trail clearing. Permits are required because of the popularity of the Enchantment Lakes area in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Wilderness . These permits must be applied for long before your visit and all are selected at random.

Protection  

ALPS website

Alpine Lakes Protection Society 

The wilderness was originally designated the Alpine Lakes Limited Area in 1946, the designation didn't offer protection from resource extractions and was exclusively regulated by the United States Forest Service. The region was being extensively used for mining, timber, and fur trapping which lead to roads, clear cuts and ecological degradation. Efforts to further protect the lower valley forests of Alpine Lakes began in the 1950s by the North Cascades Conservation Council formed in 1957 and in October 1968 the Alpine Lakes Protection Society was formed.

Uses (Prohibitions and Permits)

A wilderness permit system has been implemented for this wilderness. This is use-limiting permit system with quotas and reservations. Wilderness permit system is implemented to collect information on use levels and patterns and as an education and information tool. These systems help distribute visitor use throughout the season and help minimize crowded conditions at popular areas. People interested in visiting the Alpine Lakes Wilderness should contact the national forest office for more information about this permit system, which may vary by location or time of the year. 

*Overnight Wilderness Permits are required in The Enchantments from June 15-October 15, and an application must be submitted for each new trip. Permits cost money and have limited availability. 

 

Recreation

In this wilderness, you can enjoy many recreational activities like hiking, backpacking, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, horse packing, bird watching, stargazing, and extraordinary opportunities for solitude and one on one nature time.

 Although backcountry camping and campfires are permitted within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, some locations have specific rules and regulations. 

Before you plan to visit the Alpine Lakes Wilderness check with the Wenatchee Ranger District in Leavenworth, WA (509) 548-2550 for current conditions and restrictions.

Camping is allowed ONLY AT DESIGNATED CAMPSITES when within 1/2-mile of the following locations: 

Gem Lake, Gravel Lake, Island Lake, Lower Tuscohatchie Lake, Mason Lake, Melakwa Lake, Olallie Lake, Pratt Lake, Rainbow Lake, Snow Lake, Talapus Lake, and Williams Lake, Big Heart Lake, Copper Lake, Lake Dorothy, Little Heart Lake, Malachite Lake, Surprise Lake, and Trout Lake, Caroline Lake, Chain Lakes, Colchuck Lake, Doelle Lakes, Headlight Basin, Ingalls Lake, Lake Mary, Little Caroline Lake, Nada Lake, Snow Lakes, and Upper Lake Florence.

Surprise Lake Below Spark Plug Mountain

Ridge Lake

Cashmere Mountain Reflecting On Colchuck Lake

 Campfires also have special rules and restrictions:
No campfires are permitted above 4000' elevation in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. No campfires are permitted above 5000' elevation in the Wenatchee National Forest.

No campfires are permitted within 1/2-mile of the following locations:
Lower Tuscohatchie Lake, Olallie Lake, Pratt Lake, and Talapus Lake, Lake Dorothy and Trout Lake, Deep Lake, Glacier Lake, Lake Ivanhoe, Rachel Lake, Rebecca Lake, Shovel Lake, Spectacle Lake, and Upper Park Lake, Eightmile Lake, Hope Lake, Josephine Lake, Leland Lake, Little Eightmile Lake, Mig Lake, Nada Lake, Swimming Deer Lake, Square Lake, Trout Lake, Lake Wolverine, Lake Susan Jane, and the junction of the French Creek & Icicle Creek Trails.

Talapus Lake

Trout Lake

Glacier Lake

Eight Mile Lake