The Wenatchee Valley in eastern Washington attracts visitors for its wineries and orchards, sunshine and the Apple Blossom Festival, the oldest festival in the state. There’s also a large collection of prehistoric Clovis points found in the area in 1987 at the Wenatchee Valley Museum.
 But for more physical action, the valley, rivers and nearby mountains and national forests are the magnets for outdoors enthusiasts.
Who better to turn to for outdoors information than the “Voice of Wenatchee Recreation,” Andy Dappen, content editor of www.wenatcheeoutdoors.org? The former Seattleite can tick off many reasons for moving from Seattle to Wenatchee: sunny weather, central location and a variety of recreation opportunities.
“I came here because I wrote about the outdoors … I can get to stuff right from the outskirts of town without getting into a car,” says Dappen. “If I’ve got a little nook of time, I can get a little adrenalin fix.”
Nearly nirvana for a man who climbs, skis, paddles and pedals.
“If you want to go rock climbing, you have to drive a little bit for it (but) some of the best climbing in the state is here,” he adds. “I can mountain bike from town, without getting in the car, and be in our foothills with first-class (rides).”
Recreationally, some things have changed over the last decade, including the trail system just west of town.
“The foothills network of trails is the most visible change and the most delightful. A network has evolved so there are more trails although it’s still not a super-formalized trail system,” Dappen explains. “But it’s a lot more formalized than it was. There are designated trailheads now and more rules of the road in terms of using the trails (because) of different agencies and private involvement.”
Dappen recommends several recreational pursuits for visitors.
Whitewater paddling
Wenatchee River’s Peshastin to Cashmere stretch is the most popular run for thrills. It’s a wild Class III ride but not as dangerous as more serious stretches such as Tumwater Canyon and the upper Icicle River (Class IV+).
For tamer rides, Cashmere to Wenatchee (Class II) is suited to advanced-beginner kayakers and intermediate canoeists.
Road biking
Known for its apples, ride through Wenatchee Valley’s beautiful orchards
in late spring.
Options include the Wenatchee-Monitor Long Loop, Wenatchee Heights Short or Long Loop (more climbing), Badger Mountain Training Ride (great views, fast descent, lots of climbing), Columbia Colockum for desert scenery, and the 10-mile-plus Apple Capital Loop Trail with several access points, including one in downtown Wenatchee.
For riding with friends and strangers, there are plenty of organized bike rides. See Bike Tours below.
Hiking
Flowers are still blooming in the foothills adjacent to town. Great picks are Sage Hills Horse Lake via Lone Fir Spur or the complete system of Sage Hills. Trails up Twin Peaks, which hover over the valley at nearly 4,000 vertical feet higher, lead to wildflowers still at their peak in May.
The trails off Main Road provide interesting variations. Nearer Leavenworth, the local favorite mountain this time of year is Sauer Mountain, which is a great wildflower walk.
Mountain biking
The best choices include the complete Sage Hills trail system and the trails of Twin Peaks, Saddle Rock in Wenatchee and Freund Canyon out of Leavenworth.
Flatwater paddling
The Columbia River is the nearby place to paddle the flatwater. Outings include the short paddle at the Wenatchee Confluence (Wenatchee and Columbia rivers), which is “amazingly wild given your location right by town,” says Dappen.
Other options: Columbia River Turtle Rock and Columbia River Pictograph paddles are fun routes with nice scenery. The Pictograph paddle is much wilder. Columbia River’s Rock Island to Vantage is a two- to three-day trip and goes along a wilder part of the river (no major roads for portions of this).
If You Go
Wenatchee Valley Visitors Bureau and Sports Council: Click the “brochures” icon for the .pdf about trips and trails; (800) 572-7753; www.wenatcheevalley.org.
Wenatchee Valley Sports Council: www.wenatcheevalley.org/sports
www.wenatcheeoutdoors.org: Trail descriptions, paddling routes, maps, recreational reports and updates.
Apple Capital Loop Trail: Crosses the Wenatchee River at north and south points in Wenatchee; http://www.chelanpud.org/apple-capital-loop-trail.html
Peshastin Pinnacles State Park: Easy to difficult climbing routes; 14 miles west of Wenatchee; www.parks.wa.gov or www.parks.wa.gov/parkpage.asp?selectedpark=Peshastin%20Pinnacles
Bike tours:
Sunrise Rotary Apple Century Ride, June 6, 50 or 100 miles between Wenatchee and Chelan, www.applebikeride.com; Hot August Days – Tour of the Columbia Basis, Aug. 15, 50-150 miles, www.ncwsportsevents.com; Tour de Vine Bike and Wine Tour Sept. 19, Wenatchee Valley, (509) 663-0425; Dam 2 Dam Thumbs Up! Bike Tour Sept. 26, along the Columbia River, (509) 294-4683.
Duathlon/Triathlon:
Aug. 22 – 23, sprint and Olympic distances, www.triwenatchee.net
Outdoors guides:
www.wenatchee outdoors.org, the area’s best resource for area recreation because of its scope and the ability to update at any time. Use Guidebook or Index of Guidebooks.
www.Greentrails.com, for detailed hiking maps of the area. |
