2025_JULYd Natural Wonder The Enchantments

< Back to Table of ContentsPerfection LakeADOBE STOCKWASHINGTONThe Magic of The EnchantmentsExperience the Pacific Northwest like never before—lace up your hiking boots and wander through its stunning, storybook wilderness where each rugged trail rewards you with unforgettable vistas.By Maria Lenhart
The Enchantments—a tucked-away kingdom of crystalline alpine lakes, meadows of grass and heather, bright-yellow larches among deep-green firs, intrepid mountain goats and soaring granite crags in Washington’s Cascade Mountain Range—is a rare reward reserved for experienced hikers and backpackers. Once the domain of the Yakima, Wenatchi and Chinook peoples, the beguiling area received its present name from 19^th-century topographer Albert Hale Sylvester. Dauntless mountaineers made their way to The Enchantments in the 1940s, bestowing names from Norse mythology on many of the natural landmarks, resulting in Gnome Tarn, Lake Freya (officially Tranquil Lake) and Valhalla Cirque. The Enchantments’ network of trails is generally steep and challenging, and affords dazzling views of places like the aptly named Perfection Lake with its mirror-like waters and tiny island beneath the Little Annapurna mountain peak. Today, access to The Enchantments, located about 15 miles southwest of the popular Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth, is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, which offers free permits for day use and paid permits for overnight use from May 15 to Oct. 31 at recreation.gov.Experience breathtaking views of The Enchantments.ADOBE STOCKPrusik Peak as seen from Gnome TarnWASHINGTON STATE TOURISM/ANDY PORTERLeavenworth, Washingtonadobe stockTalk to a knowledgeable AAA Travel Agent for planning your vacation to The Enchantments.Here Are More Great Stories for You to Read!All-Inclusive Resorts in the United States5 Iconic Amtrak VacationsRoad Trip: Sunflower SojournAAA Savings—Tickets, Shopping & Morea Cover-Best of Americab Contentsc AAA NEWSd Natural Wonder The Enchantmentse Visit Mackinaw Cityf Road Trip Sunflowers South Dakotag Visit Thoroughbred Countryh best shrimp and gritsi Hertz Savingsj Road Trip Floridak All-inclusive resorts in the USAl ProtectMYID Savingsm Amtrak Vacations Across the USAn AAA TICKET SAVINGSo How To Visit The Washington Monumentp AAA CAR WASH SAVINGSq Forest Bathingq AAA Savingsr Finding Your Retirement Havens Local Eventst AAA GUIDESu User-guidezz TEMPLATE