Lake Chelan

Lake Chelan is a beautiful, narrow lake located in the Chelan County in northern Washington, USA. It is 50-mile (80.4 km) long and is fed by several streams from the Cascade Range. This lake is the ninth deepest lake in the world and the third deepest in Washington. It has a maximum depth of 1,486 feet (452.9 m). It is 1.5 mile (2.4 km) wide and is situated at an elevation of 1,098 feet (335 m) above sea level.

Lake Chelan got its name from the Salish Indian word “Tsi – Laan� that means ‘deep blue water’. The back-and-forth movement of the two competing glaciers, the continental ice sheet and the Chelan Glacier, carved the narrow upper lake and broad lower lake.  Initially, the site of the lake was used as a hunting area by the Native Americans. A military post was established on the shores of Lake Chelan in 1880 by Col. John Merriam. It was in 1886 that civilian settlers first arrived in the Town of Chelan.
The water of the lake flows into the Chelan River via the hydroelectric Lake Chelan Dam. At the southeast tip of the lake is the beautiful city of Chelan. The town of Stehekin is situated at the northwest end of the lake. One can access the far end of the lake only by float plane, boat, or hiking. Lake Chelan State Park is located on the southern shore of Lake Chelan whereas the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area is in the northern portion of the lake.

Lake Chelan State Park is a magnificent camping park spread in an area of 127-acre (0.51 km2). It has beautiful lawns meant for playing and strolling. It has 6,000 feet (1.82 km) of shoreline and offers breathtaking lakeside views. A major attraction here is the ‘Rhythms of the Lake� Festival that features dances, music, and storytelling. Favorite tourist activities in the park include fishing, swimming, bird watching, boating, water skiing, sail boarding, etc. Wildlife commonly found here includes Wrens, woodpeckers, quails, gulls, geese, eagles, Jays, deer, raccoons, chipmunks, bobcats, coyotes, etc.

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, on the other hand, is spread in an area of 62,000 acres (251 km2) and encompasses the southern area of the Stehekin Valley and the northern end of Lake Chelan. This beautiful lake is a great picnic spot and worth a visit when you plan your next holiday. The beautiful apple orchards down lake, alpine firs, and glaciers of the Cascade Crest make the Lake Chelan area a place that has a variety of unparalleled scenic and recreational experiences to offer to its tourists.

• Mailing Address: PO Box 216,102 East Johnson Avenue, Chelan, WA 98816
• Telephone: (509) 682-3503
• Toll-free: (800) 424-3526
• Website: www.lakechelan.com