LAKE CHELAN-SAWTOOTH WILDERNESS
Okanogan National Forest
1240 South Second Ave.
Okanogan, WA 98840
(360) 826-3275
Web site http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/oka/

Wenatchee National Forest
301 Yakima St., PO. Box 811
Wenatchee, WA 98807
(509) 662-4435
Web site http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/

Established by the 1984 Washington Wilderness Act, the 145,700 acre Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness drapes over the Sawtooth range that runs southeast from the Cascade Crest and separates the Methow Valley and Lake Chelan. To the north the wilderness includes Wolf Creek, a tributary of the Methow River but otherwise tends to be long and narrow. It joins the North Cascades National Park Complex on its west and northwest side and comes near the Glacier Peak Wilderness to the south.

The diverse mixture of dense forest, lush meadows, alpine slopes, geology and high country motivates visitors to climb from lowland trailheads through the forges and forest. It draws backpackers, horsepackers, fisherman, and hunters alike. Trails tend to be steady climbs into high basins and glacial cirques with lakes. The south facing portion of the range has more open, rolling high country that falls off very steeply into the Lake Chelan valley. Many parts of the wilderness can be visited on a day trip and those areas are often crowded, particularly on weekends. With a little work, you can explore quieter, more remote parts of the wilderness that are just as scenic. Snow often covers much of the area from mid or late October through late June.