Golden larches, granite peaks, mountain goats with zero respect for your lunch schedule: the Enchantments near Leavenworth is Washington's most requested overnight trip. Demand long ago outgrew the trailhead, so access runs through a lottery — and if you want a summer or fall overnight permit, February is when you raise your hand.
Trailhead briefing
Overnight stays in the Enchantments Permit Area require winning an advance lottery. The application window typically opens mid-February and closes in early March, with results by mid-March (confirm exact dates on the Forest Service page each year). The Core Zone — the postcard lakes basin — draws longest odds; Snow Lakes, Colchuck Lake, and Stuart Lake zones draw somewhat easier. Day hiking needs no permit, but trailheads fill at dawn on weekends. And if you don't win: the wider Alpine Lakes Wilderness offers world-class overnight trips on free self-issue permits.
Best for: backpackers planning their one marquee alpine trip of 2026.
Key takeaway: apply even with modest odds — the application costs little, and zone flexibility multiplies your chances.
How the lottery works
The structure, per current Forest Service rules:
- Application window: typically mid-February to early March.
- Pick multiple date ranges and zones in one application; ranking more options improves odds substantially.
- Results post mid-March by email/account; winners pay the fee to confirm.
- Unclaimed permits release later in a secondary window — a real second chance for flexible schedules.
Group size caps apply (small groups draw easier). Fees cover the ranger program that keeps this place from being loved to death.
The zones, honestly ranked
| Zone | What it is | Odds reality |
|---|---|---|
| Core | The full lake-basin traverse, larches, goat central | Longest odds; late Sept–Oct golden-larch dates hardest |
| Snow Lakes | Southern approach via steep Snow Lakes trail | Easier than Core; still competitive |
| Colchuck Lake | Iconic lake + Aasgard Pass approach | Popular for good reason |
| Stuart Lake | Stuart's north face scenery | Often the most attainable |
Every zone delivers genuine Enchantments-quality scenery. The Core traverse end-to-end is special — but Colchuck at sunrise isn't a consolation prize by any standard.
If you don't win: the wider wilderness
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness surrounds the permit area with dozens of equally stunning overnight options requiring no lottery:
- Ingalls Lake area (early season): red rock, goats, a lake worth the carry — day-use focused but classic.
- Jade Lake & Pea Soup Lake: turquoise glacier water off the Dorothy Lake trail; moderate miles, huge payoff.
- Spectacle Lake via Pete Lake: gentle grades, real wilderness feel, excellent first backpack.
- Snowshoe-butte-free alternatives east: Teanaway ridges for shoulder-season wildflower camps.
Self-issue wilderness permits are free at trailheads. Check fire restrictions and group-size rules per area before you go.
Goat rules matter here
The Enchantments' mountain goats are habituated and hungry for salt:
- Never feed or approach — all species, all distances.
- Urinate on rocks or bare ground well away from trails and camps (goats seek the salts in soil).
- Pack out every crumb; keep food and wrappers secured whenever you're not actively eating.
- Give lactating nannies extra room in spring.
The February checklist
- Confirm this year's lottery dates on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Enchantments page.
- Build your account on the permit system before the window opens.
- Rank every zone and several date windows — flexibility wins.
- Line up two backup wilderness trips so a loss doesn't stall the season.
- Calendar the secondary-permit release date as your safety net.
Sources Checked
- USDA Forest Service Okanogan-Wenatchee — Enchantments Permit Area lottery structure and zone rules.
- Leave No Trace guidance adapted for goat country.
- WTA trip reports — access and conditions context.