It has been 10 years since I visited the Enchantments in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area outside Leavenworth, Washington, and unlike many people, I think once is going to be enough for me.
In those 10 years, there has been no shortage of stories about the crowds on the trails, parking nightmares with people blocked in and emergency vehicles not able to access the trailhead and Leave No Trace violations to rival summits like Mount Whitney (so much poop).
The Enchantments have become more bragging rights or social media content than an opportunity to be out in nature. I always thought I might go back but if it is going to be as busy as Disneyland, I don’t think it is worth it.
This news segment that came out last week highlights how bad things have gotten:
Now I don’t know how this compares to when it was decided to begin a permitting process for The Enchantments zone, it must have gotten pretty bad. I can imagine, however, it was not nearly to the extent it is now that hiking and backpacking have exploded in popularity.
From Wikipedia:
The number of visitors to the Enchantments has exponentially increased largely due to the fast growing population in the western region of Washington state. By the late 1970s, up to 300 people would be found camping in the basin on summer weekends. The Forest Service installed toilets in 1966, restricted horses in 1972, and banned dogs in 1982. By 2019, 100,000 people would visit The Enchantments annually.[6] In 1987*, a permit system was implemented to prevent further destruction of the region, restricting access to only 60 campers into the region at any given time.[14][6] After the ban on dogs, the population of mountain goats and ptarmigan recovered.[15][16]
100,000
Some estimate that during the summer months, the area can receive 1,000 hikes A DAY.
For a season that is roughly May to October, that is an insane amount of people recreating in what is basically a 5×4 mile area. And with more and more federal cuts to budgets that are normally underfunded, we are sure to see an increase in problems. On top of the damage to The Enchantments and wildlife themselves, there is also the increase in number of search and rescue missions with the overcrowding, especially if hikers come unprepared because social media made it look like a walk in the park. One only has to follow Chelan County Mountain Rescue on Facebook to realize the frequency.
You can do a search and come up with any number of articles talking about the current state of The Enchantments:
What Will Fix The Enchantments’ Crowding Issues?
Enchantments Buckling Under Trash, Waste and Overcrowding
Summer Hiking Crowds Leave Concerns Piling Up
It’s Time To Stop Hiking The Enchantments
Not a new problem, just an exacerbated one. And I for one do not plan on adding to the problem. There are plenty of great hikes in Washington State and beyond with just as much beauty as the Enchantments. Sure, most are popular. But nothing like what is happening to the Enchantments.
What do you think? Are there trails you are glad you got to experience but don’t feel the need to revisit due to their extreme popularity? Are you willing to give trails like the Enchantments a break?
If you are reading this post in its entirety on any website other than musthikemusteat.com, it was stolen without permission.
*I found conflicting dates for the beginning of a permit system in The Enchantments. The earliest was 1981.
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