Add this peak to your next trip to Lake Chelan as it stands right over the town of Chelan. A county road will take you to the summit for great views of the area. Many walk the road if it is muddy from rain or snowmelt. The Butte makes for a good winter destination as well to ski or snowshoe. Chelan Butte is Washington's 103rd-most prominent peak and a popular hang-glider destination.
Drive west along Highway 97A along Lake Chelan. At Millard Street, between Mileposts 233 & 232 in the community of "Lakeside", turn left (south). (There might be an sign indicating "Chelan Butte Road" at this road intersection). Follow Millard Street which becomes Chelan Butte Road, all the way to the summit area. The total distance from Highway 97A to the summit is 4.5 miles, one-way. The road is paved for the first 1.2 miles, at which point a "Primitive Road" sign marks the beginning of the road becoming dirt and gravel afterward.
Chelan Butte
Distance: Drive-Up
Elevation Gain: 0 feet unless you ski/snowshoe up
Summit Elevation: 3,835 feet
Access: Gravel & Dirt road - conditions vary
WillhiteWeb.com
Access:
Chelan Butte from Deer Mountain
Lake Chelan from the summit
Sunset from the summit area of Chelan Butte
Columbia River from the Chelan Butte Road
The first tower was a 40 foot pole L-4 in 1936 but burned down. It was replaced in 1939 by a 28 foot treated timber tower with L-4 cab. The lookout was staffed sporadically into the 1990's. In 1995, the tower was moved to the Columbia Breaks Fire Interpretive Center in Entiat, right alongside the Highway.
Historic Lookout:
Looking North in 1936
The Lookout
Looking Southeast in 1936
Looking Southwest in 1936
Located at the Columbia Breaks Fire Interpretive Center in Entiat (2015)
