Colchuck Gear Checklist
A Colchuck Zone permit parks you at one lake, about 4 miles and 2,300 feet up the trail from the Stuart Lake trailhead, with Aasgard Pass standing over the south end as a day trip. People who wrote about it pack for a base camp, not a traverse: a big water bag, a day pack for the pass and layers for a lake that sits in a cold bowl. The loudest complaints are mosquitoes in early summer, a 45-pound pack on the climb in, and running out of water on the hot slabs above the lake.
What shapes your gear on Colchuck Zone
- The climb in
- The Washington Trails Association lists Colchuck Lake as 8.0 miles round trip with 2,280 feet of gain. One group hauling 45-pound packs needed a little over 3 hours to reach the lake.
From Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, Aasgard Pass (trip report, June 8, 2020) and Washington Trails Association: The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 27, 2025)
- The day trip over Aasgard Pass
- A 2006 party put the pass about 2,200 feet above the lake, at 7,800 feet. A 2008 pair gained roughly 2,000 feet in under half a horizontal mile and topped out in a bit under 2 hours. A 2021 group also took about 2 hours up.
From Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, The Enchantments (trip of September 2006), Oregon Hikers Forum and Washington Trails Association: The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 29, 2021)
- What the zone allows
- The permit area has five zones. A permit for a lower zone lets you camp only in the zone on the permit, while a Core Zone permit lets you camp in any of the five. Overnight permits are required from May 15 through October 31.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments Overnight Permits
- Odds of a permit
- About 75% of permits are drawn in the advanced lottery, which runs February 15 through March 1, and the Forest Service says under 10% of applicants win. Canceled permits return to Recreation.gov at no set time.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments Overnight Permits
- Camps at the lake
- A June 2020 group counted three marked campsites, the middle one by a small lake west of Colchuck with room for five tents and the southern one prettier but good for two or three tents. A 2021 camper liked the sites near the toilet for their water access.
From Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, Aasgard Pass (trip report, June 8, 2020) and Washington Trails Association: The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 29, 2021)
- Cold shoulder-season nights
- In late September 2008 two campers estimated the night at 25 degrees F, and snow squalls crossed the lake during the day.
From Oregon Hikers Forum
What the agency requires on Colchuck Zone
A printed, signed permit and photo ID
The group leader prints the permit from Recreation.gov, signs it and carries it with a photo ID. Every group member carries a copy, and an unsigned permit on a phone is not valid.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments Overnight Permits
A way to hang food
The Forest Service asks campers to hang food, toiletries and other attractive items in camp and keep food and waste out of reach of bears, mice and other animals. The pages we read name no canister rule.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments
A gas or liquid-fuel stove, not a wood stove
Fires are banned above 5,000 feet and within half a mile of any lake. Wood and solid-fuel stoves are banned above 5,000 feet too, while butane, propane and white gas stoves are fine.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments Overnight Permits
Water treatment
Treat all water by boiling, purification tablets or filtering.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments
Toilet kit
Use toilets where they exist. Away from one, dig a hole 6 to 8 inches deep and at least 200 feet from water and campsites, and carry out your toilet paper. Urine goes on bare rock, not plants, because it draws goats.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments
Leave the dog home
Dogs and other pets are banned in the permit area. Only service animals as the federal rules define them are allowed.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments
What hikers carry on Colchuck Zone
Head net or bug suit, early in summer
A group that arrived in the last days of June 2021 called the mosquitoes atrocious, and one camper took more than 30 bites despite a bug suit. A group in early June 2020 and a camper in late June 2025 both said the bugs were not too bad, so timing matters.
From Washington Trails Association: The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 29, 2021), Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, Aasgard Pass (trip report, June 8, 2020) and Washington Trails Association: The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 27, 2025)
A big camp water bag
Two campers in 2008 found the shoreline at their site hard to reach and walked to fill a 6-liter bag. A 2021 report says the sites near the toilet have easy water access, which is worth knowing before you choose a spot.
From Oregon Hikers Forum and Washington Trails Association: The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 29, 2021)
Extra water or a filter for the pass
A group in June 2020 ran dry on the sunny descent from Aasgard and drank from clean snowmelt. A 2021 camper suggests carrying a filter up the pass because the Core is hot and exposed.
From Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, Aasgard Pass (trip report, June 8, 2020) and Washington Trails Association: The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 29, 2021)
A day pack for Aasgard
Both the 2006 pair and the 2008 pair left their big packs at the lake and climbed with light gear. The 2006 pair said parts of the route felt like a rock climb with hands needed for balance, and they were glad not to carry heavy loads there.
From Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, The Enchantments (trip of September 2006) and Oregon Hikers Forum
Trekking poles for the trail in
The 2006 pair, with packs around 44 to 49 pounds, were glad to have poles on the rocky trail that needed big steps up. A 2021 hiker found poles neither a help nor a hindrance on the pass itself, so many leave them at camp for the scramble.
From Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, The Enchantments (trip of September 2006) and Washington Trails Association: The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 29, 2021)
Boots that grip scree and soft snow
A June 2025 camper found the snow above Aasgard sloppy but easy on boots. A June 2020 group crossed a couple of snowpacks by walking in earlier boot prints and warned about meltwater rivers hidden under the snow.
From Washington Trails Association: The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 27, 2025) and Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, Aasgard Pass (trip report, June 8, 2020)
Warm layers and a shell for September
The summit of Little Annapurna in late September 2008 brought 30 to 40 mph wind, snow and wind chills the authors put below 20 degrees. Clouds swung between sun and snowfall within minutes, and the camp night dropped to about 25 degrees.
From Oregon Hikers Forum
Wind-ready tent staking
A June 2025 camper slept between gusts, pitched behind a large boulder among stout larch and pine, and trusted the stakes. A 2008 pair also named very blustery nights at the lake.
From Washington Trails Association: The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 27, 2025) and Oregon Hikers Forum
A small fishing kit with spinners
One group of eight caught 5 trout in 2 hours from a log jam in a western bay, mostly small fish on small spinners. Check the current Washington fishing rules before you pack it, because this page does not cover them.
From Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, Aasgard Pass (trip report, June 8, 2020)
An early start and sun protection
The 2021 group suggests leaving by 9 a.m. to climb in shade. They watched a rockslide come off Dragontail Peak down Aasgard one evening, so a morning start also keeps you off the slope at that hour.
From Washington Trails Association: The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 29, 2021)
8 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Colchuck Zone
A flask in place of water
One member of the June 2020 group toasted at the Core with whiskey, then admitted water would have been the better fill once the group ran dry on the descent.
From Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, Aasgard Pass (trip report, June 8, 2020)
A 45-pound pack
A hiker from the flatlands hauled one up and took over 3 hours. The 2006 pair, at 44 to 49 pounds, also felt it on the uphill sections and noted that gear is lighter today.
From Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, Aasgard Pass (trip report, June 8, 2020) and Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, The Enchantments (trip of September 2006)
A pack on the Aasgard scramble
Two campers who hoped for a zone upgrade and missed out called it good luck, because they climbed the pass with light day packs. They had expected to carry full loads up the same slope.
From Oregon Hikers Forum
Open bite valve on the hydration bladder
One camper's bladder squeezed out 2 liters in the car-to-room shuffle the night before the trip, which taught the lesson to close the valve before it tips in the pack.
From Oregon Hikers Forum
Gear questions for Colchuck Zone
Do you need a bear canister in the Colchuck Zone?
The Forest Service pages we read ask campers to hang food, toiletries and other attractive items and to keep them away from bears, mice and other animals. They name no canister rule, so bring rope and a food bag and check the pages again before you go.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments
Can you cook on a wood stove in the Colchuck Zone?
No. Wood and solid-fuel stoves are banned above 5,000 feet, and fires are banned above that elevation and within half a mile of any lake. Butane, propane and white gas stoves are allowed.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments Overnight Permits
Can you camp above Aasgard Pass with a Colchuck Zone permit?
No. A zone permit covers camping only in the zone on the permit, and only a Core Zone permit lets you camp in any of the five. Trip reports describe camping at Colchuck Lake and climbing the pass as a day trip.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments Overnight Permits, Oregon Hikers Forum and Washington Trails Association: Colchuck Lake, The Enchantments (trip of September 2006)
Are dogs allowed in the Colchuck Zone?
No. Dogs and other pets are prohibited in the Enchantments permit area, with an exception only for service animals as the federal rules define them.
From Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Enchantments
Sources
- Enchantments · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Enchantments Overnight Permits · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 29, 2021) · Washington Trails Association, moorecaitlin · Trip report
- Colchuck Lake, The Enchantments (trip of September 2006) · Washington Trails Association, Quantum Guru · Trip report
- Colchuck Lake, Aasgard Pass (trip report, June 8, 2020) · Washington Trails Association, Greg-Vil · Trip report
- The Enchantments, Colchuck Lake (trip report, June 27, 2025) · Washington Trails Association, KRad · Trip report
- More than we bargained for in the Enchantments! 9/20-9/23 · Oregon Hikers Forum, jeffstatt · Forum thread