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The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a large
wilderness area Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural) are Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human activity, or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally ...
spanning the Central Cascades of
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
state in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The wilderness is located in parts of
Wenatchee National Forest Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and most populous city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and has increased to 35,508 as of 2020. Located in the north-central part of the stat ...
and
Snoqualmie National Forest Snoqualmie might refer to: People * Snoqualmie people, a Coast Salish people of Washington state :* Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, a federally recognized tribe of Snoqualmie people Places * Snoqualmie Indian Reservation *Snoqualmie Valley, ancestral ho ...
, and is approximately bounded by
Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
and
Snoqualmie Pass Snoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 (I-90) through the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Washington. The pass summit is at an elevation of , on the county line between Kittitas County and King County. Snoqualmie Pas ...
to the south and
U.S. Route 2 U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected ...
and
Stevens Pass Stevens Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass through the Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County and Chelan County in Washington, United States. U.S. Route 2 travels over the pass, reaching a maximum elevation of . The Pacific ...
to the north. The Alpine Lakes is the largest wilderness area near the population centers of
Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...
, counted at following the 2014 expansion.


History

The wilderness was originally designated the Alpine Lakes Limited Area in 1946, but this designation did not offer protection from resource extractions and was exclusively regulated by the
United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...
. The definition of wilderness was defined by law as "... an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. An area of wilderness is further defined to mean in this Act an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions..." The region and adjacent areas were being extensively used for
mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
,
timber extraction Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks
, and
fur trapping Animal trapping, or simply trapping or ginning, is the use of a device to remotely catch and often kill an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including for meat, fur/feathers, sport hunting, pest control, and wildlife man ...
leading to roads, clear cuts and ecological degradation. Efforts to further protect the lower valley forests of Alpine Lakes began in the 1950s by the North Cascades Conservation Council formed in 1957 and in October 1968 the Alpine Lakes Protection Society was formed. However, it was the plans of the
Snoqualmie National Forest Snoqualmie might refer to: People * Snoqualmie people, a Coast Salish people of Washington state :* Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, a federally recognized tribe of Snoqualmie people Places * Snoqualmie Indian Reservation *Snoqualmie Valley, ancestral ho ...
to expand timber sales and build a road up the
Miller River The Miller River is a river in King County, Washington. Named for 1890s prospector John Miller, it is a tributary of the Skykomish River, which it joins near the community of Miller River (which was, prior to World War I, known as Berlin). Th ...
valley to
Lake Dorothy Lake Dorothy is a lake in King County, Washington, King County, Washington (U.S. state), Washington. First labeled on Oliver P Anderson's "New Map of the County of King, State of Washington, 1894"; the name was bestowed by Anderson for his daughter ...
and then onto the Middle Fork of the
Snoqualmie River The Snoqualmie River is a long river in King County, Washington, King County and Snohomish County, Washington, Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. The river's three main tributaries are the North, Middle, and So ...
to the city of North Bend that started a grassroots campaign to remove the unilateral decision-making authority away from the Forest Service. In addition, there was much criticism by conservationists that recreational usage should not be exclusive to the upper alpine terrain as the regional forestry leadership advocated saving the lower forests for possible timber sales. A powerful and key amendment to the Wilderness Act by
Wayne Aspinall Wayne Norviel Aspinall (April 3, 1896 – October 9, 1983) was an American lawyer and politician from Colorado. He is largely known for his tenure in the United States House of Representatives, serving twelve terms as a Democrat from 1949 to ...
, a Colorado congressman, gave Congress and not federal land agencies the ability to propose, debate, and vote on new wilderness designations. After exhausting debates, public meetings and with even a request by the Forest Service to veto, President Ford signed the Alpine Lakes Area Management Act into law on the afternoon of July 12, 1976, reportedly saying "anywhere so beautiful should be preserved." Following this designation four properties in the Alpine Lakes Area were listed in the National Register of Historic Places:
Stevens Pass Stevens Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass through the Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County and Chelan County in Washington, United States. U.S. Route 2 travels over the pass, reaching a maximum elevation of . The Pacific ...
Historic District, Salmon La Sac Guard Station, the Blewett Arrastra and the townsite of Liberty.


Expansion

On December 12, 2014, Congress passed legislation expanding the Alpine Lakes Wilderness by 22,000 acres in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley and granting
National Wild and Scenic River The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-f ...
status to sections of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers. The legislation was included as part of a package of 100 public lands bills attached to the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act. President Obama signed the legislation into law on December 19, 2014, marking the first major wilderness area designation in Washington State since the addition of
Wild Sky Wilderness The Wild Sky Wilderness is a wilderness area in the western Cascade Range of Washington state. The wilderness is within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest north of the U.S. Highway 2 towns of Index and Skykomish. The wilderness fla ...
in 2008.


Geology

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness features some of the most rugged topography in the
Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
with craggy peaks and ridges, deep
glacial valley U-shaped valleys, also called trough valleys or glacial troughs, are formed by the process of glaciation. They are characteristic of mountain glaciation in particular. They have a characteristic U shape in cross-section, with steep, straight s ...
s, and
granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
walls spotted with over 700 mountain lakes. Geological events occurring many years ago created the diverse topography and drastic elevation changes over the Cascade Range leading to the various climate differences. These climate differences lead to vegetation variety defining the
ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...
s in this area. The elevation range of this area is between about in the lower elevations to over on
Mount Stuart Mount Stuart is a mountain in the Cascade Range, in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is the second highest non-volcanic peak in the state, after Bonanza Peak (Washington), Bonanza Peak and seventh-highest overall. Mount Stua ...
. The history of the formation of the Cascade Mountains dates back millions of years ago to the late
Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...
Epoch. With the North American Plate overriding the Pacific Plate, episodes of volcanic igneous activity persisted. In addition, small fragments of the
oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places * Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...
and
continental lithosphere A lithosphere () is the rigid, outermost rocky shell of a terrestrial planet or natural satellite. On Earth, it is composed of the crust and the lithospheric mantle, the topmost portion of the upper mantle that behaves elastically on time sc ...
called
terrane In geology, a terrane (; in full, a tectonostratigraphic terrane) is a crust fragment formed on a tectonic plate (or broken off from it) and accreted or " sutured" to crust lying on another plate. The crustal block or fragment preserves its d ...
s created the
North Cascades The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and ...
about 50 million years ago. During the
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
period dating back over two million years ago, glaciation advancing and retreating repeatedly scoured the landscape leaving deposits of rock debris. The last glacial retreat in the Alpine Lakes area began about 14,000 years ago and was north of the Canada–US border by 10,000 years ago. The U-shaped cross section of the river valleys is a result of that recent glaciation. Uplift and faulting in combination with glaciation have been the dominant processes which have created the tall peaks and deep valleys of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area. The most common rock type in this area is intrusive igneous, which are highly fragmented granitics; this includes most of the Foss Lakes and Enchantment Lakes area. The other major rock types are
sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are types of rock formed by the cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or deposited at Earth's surface. Sedime ...
, metamorphics,
ultrabasic Ultramafic rocks (also referred to as ultrabasic rocks, although the terms are not wholly equivalent) are igneous and meta-igneous rocks with a very low silica content (less than 45%), generally >18% MgO, high FeO, low potassium, and are usual ...
rock complex and the extrusive igneous group that include
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
,
andesite Andesite () is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predomina ...
, and
rhyolite Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture (geology), texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals (phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained matri ...
. The metamorphic rocks are primarily in the northern part and the southern area is made up of volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The
Wenatchee Mountains The Wenatchee Mountains are a range of mountains in central Washington State, United States of America. A major subrange of the Cascade Range, extending east from the Cascade crest, the Wenatchee Mountains separate the drainage basins of the Y ...
are mostly composed of
peridotite Peridotite ( ) is a dense, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting mostly of the silicate minerals olivine and pyroxene. Peridotite is ultramafic, as the rock contains less than 45% silica. It is high in magnesium (Mg2+), reflecting the high pr ...
.


Ecology

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is considered by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...
to be in the North Cascades ecoregion, dominated by
forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...
s,
subalpine Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...
, and
alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...
ecozones. Indicator tree species of individual zones include the
Western Hemlock ''Tsuga heterophylla'', the western hemlock or western hemlock-spruce, is a species of hemlock native to the northwest coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern ...
,
Pacific Silver Fir ''Abies amabilis'', commonly known as the Pacific silver fir, is a fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges and the Cascade Range. It is also commonly referred to in English as the white fir, red ...
, Subalpine
Mountain Hemlock ''Tsuga mertensiana'', known as mountain hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, found between Southcentral Alaska and south-central California. Description ''Tsuga mertensiana'' is a large evergreen conifer ...
,
Subalpine Fir ''Abies lasiocarpa'', the subalpine fir or Rocky Mountain fir, is a western North American fir tree. Description ''Abies lasiocarpa'' is a medium-sized evergreen conifer with a very narrow conic crown, growing to tall, exceptionally , with a t ...
, and
Grand Fir ''Abies grandis'' (grand fir, giant fir, lowland white fir, great silver fir, western white fir, Vancouver fir, or Oregon fir) is a fir native to northwestern North America, occurring at altitudes of sea level to . It is a major constituent of t ...
/
Douglas Fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is the tallest tree in the Pinaceae family. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Or ...
. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness offers an abundance of diversity in both plant and animal species. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness and its old growth forests offer critical habitat for many species on the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife's "Species of Concern" list which includes the Western spotted frog ('' Rana pretiosa''), Common Loon (''
Gavia immer The common loon or great northern diver (''Gavia immer'') is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds. Breeding adults have a plumage that includes a broad black head and neck with a greenish, purplish, or bluish sheen, blackish or ...
''), Western Grebe (''
Aechmophorus occidentalis The western grebe (''Aechmophorus occidentalis'') is a species in the grebe family of water birds. Folk names include "dabchick", "swan grebe" and "swan-necked grebe". Western grebe fossils from the Late Pleistocene of southwest North America we ...
''), Goshawk (''
Accipiter gentilis The Eurasian goshawk (; ''Astur gentilis'', formerly ''Accipiter gentilis'') is a species of medium-large bird of prey in the Family (biology), family Accipitridae, a family which also includes other extant diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzar ...
''), Golden eagle (''
Aquila chrysaetos The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of p ...
''), Bald eagle (''
Haliaeetus leucocephalus The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a Species complex, species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies ...
''), Peregrine falcon (''
Falco peregrinus The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...
''), Merlin (''
Falco columbarius The merlin (''Falco columbarius'') is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia. A bird of prey, the merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical ...
''), Flammulated owl ('' Otus flammeolus''), Spotted owl ('' Strix occidentalis''), Vaux's swift ('' Chaetura vauxi''), PIleated woodpecker ('' Dryocopus pileatus''), Lewis' woodpecker ('' Melanerpes lewis''), White-headed woodpecker ('' Picoides albolarvatus''), Black-backed Three-toed woodpecker (''
Picoides arcticus The black-backed woodpecker (''Picoides arcticus''), also known as the Arctic three-toed woodpecker, is a medium-sized woodpecker ( long) inhabiting the forests of North America. Taxonomy The black-backed woodpecker was described and illustrat ...
''), Horned lark ('' Eremophila alpestris''), White-breasted nuthatch ('' Sitta carolinensis''), Sage thrasher ('' Oreoscoptes montanus''), Loggerhead shrike ('' Lanius ludovicianus''), Vesper sparrow ('' Pooecetes gramineus''), Sage sparrow ('' Amphispiza belli''), Townsend's Big-eared bat ('' Plecotus townsendi''), Fisher ('' Pekania pennanti''), wolverine (''
Gulo gulo The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
'') and the Canada lynx (''
Lynx canadensis The Canada lynx (''Lynx canadensis'') or Canadian lynx is one of the four living species in the genus ''Lynx''. It is a medium-sized wild cat characterized by long, dense fur, triangular ears with black tufts at the tips, and broad, snowshoe ...
''). The Alpine Lakes Wilderness offers many ecological benefits. The wilderness offers exceptional
water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...
and holds portions, or all of, the headwaters for the
Skykomish Skykomish is a town in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 161 as of the 2020 census, down from an estimated peak of "several thousand" in the 1920s. Located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 49 miles east ...
, Snoqualmie,
Wenatchee Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and most populous city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and has increased to 35,508 as of 2020. Located in the north-central part of the stat ...
, and
Yakima River The Yakima River is a tributary of the Columbia River in south central and eastern Washington state, named for the indigenous Yakama people. Lewis and Clark mention in their journals that the Chin-nâm pam (or the Lower Snake River Chamnapam N ...
s. The Skykomish and Snoqualmie Rivers flow to the west into the
Snohomish River The Snohomish River is a river in Snohomish County, Washington, formed by the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers near Monroe. It flows northwest entering Port Gardner Bay, part of Puget Sound, between Everett and Marysville. ...
and the Wenatchee and Yakima Rivers flow eastward into the
Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...
. In addition to over 700 lakes this area offers over of Forest Service class one and two streams. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness plays a significant role in both domestic water use and irrigation in its surrounding region. This is critical with the increasing challenge to provide an adequate supply of clean water with the growing population and increase in agricultural demands. Expansion of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness into the
Pratt River The Pratt River is a river in King County in Washington. It is a tributary of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. It was named for prospector George A Pratt, who discovered nearby iron deposits in 1887. The river has its headwaters in tiny Up ...
area would allow for further protection of the lower elevation forests of this region and the lower water shed. In addition, those forests serve to reduce flooding.


Management

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is managed by the
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, ...
in the west and the Okanogan-
Wenatchee National Forest Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and most populous city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and has increased to 35,508 as of 2020. Located in the north-central part of the stat ...
in the east. There are four Ranger Districts—
Cle Elum Cle Elum ( ) is a city in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,157 at the 2020 census. About by car from Seattle, Cle Elum is a popular area for camping and outdoor activities. It is also unofficially considered ...
, Leavenworth, Snoqualmie, and
Skykomish Skykomish is a town in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 161 as of the 2020 census, down from an estimated peak of "several thousand" in the 1920s. Located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 49 miles east ...
—that administer this land. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness area is one of the most popular outdoor recreational areas in the State of Washington. Although this area has the wilderness designation and no motorized vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, or even bicycles can operate in this area, there is heavy foot traffic and camping throughout. Because of this heavy foot traffic, managing the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area to preserve its integrity is very challenging. This recreational area's popularity has led to physical, biological, and social impacts. The Forest Service has taken many steps to minimize the environmental impacts of heavy recreational use. Education/information is a primary method used by the Forest Service. Other methods include Wilderness Ranger contacts, regulation, permits, restoration efforts, and trail clearing. Due to the popularity of the Enchantment Lakes area within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, wilderness permits are required. These permits must be applied for well in advance of the visit and are awarded at random.


Recreation

The western end of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is accessible via the Middle Fork of the
Snoqualmie River The Snoqualmie River is a long river in King County, Washington, King County and Snohomish County, Washington, Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. The river's three main tributaries are the North, Middle, and So ...
northeast of
North Bend, Washington North Bend is a city in King County, Washington, United States, on the outskirts of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 7,461 at the 2020 census. The city is east of Seattle on Interstate 90 and lies in the foothills of the ...
.
Snoqualmie Pass Snoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 (I-90) through the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Washington. The pass summit is at an elevation of , on the county line between Kittitas County and King County. Snoqualmie Pas ...
provides access to the southwestern end of the wilderness. Salmon La Sac north of
Roslyn, Washington Roslyn is a city in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 950 at the 2020 census. Roslyn is located in the Cascade Mountains, about 80 miles east of Seattle. The town was founded in 1886 as a coal mining company town. ...
is a hub for trailheads and
U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...
roads providing entry into the southern and central regions. The
Stuart Range The Stuart Range is a mountain range in central Washington (state), Washington, United States. The range lies within the eastern extent of the Cascade Range immediately southwest of Leavenworth, Washington, Leavenworth and runs east–west. ...
on the eastern end of the wilderness is accessible by Ingalls Creek on the south and Icicle Creek, near
Leavenworth, Washington Leavenworth is a city in Chelan County, Washington, Chelan County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee, Washington, Wenatchee−East Wenatchee, Washington, East Wenatchee Wenatchee-East Wenatchee metropolit ...
, on the north. North of Icicle Creek are the
Chiwaukum Mountains The Chiwaukum Mountains are a north–south mountain range in central Washington, United States. They stretch from Snowgrass Mountain at , to . The mountains are made of schist, part of the Nason terrane. The original rock in the Nason terrane ...
which stretch northwards to Highway 2. The northern parts of the Alpine Lakes are accessible from Highway 2 and
Stevens Pass Stevens Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass through the Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County and Chelan County in Washington, United States. U.S. Route 2 travels over the pass, reaching a maximum elevation of . The Pacific ...
. A segment of the
Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...
leads from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass and includes the Kendall Catwalk on
Kendall Peak Kendall Peak is a mountain located on the county line separating King County and Kittitas County of Washington state. It is within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the crest of the Cascade Range. Kendall Peak is situated two miles northeast of ...
. This exposed section should not be attempted in snowy or icy conditions.


Notable mountains

Notable mountains and ranges in the wilderness include: *
Chiwaukum Mountains The Chiwaukum Mountains are a north–south mountain range in central Washington, United States. They stretch from Snowgrass Mountain at , to . The mountains are made of schist, part of the Nason terrane. The original rock in the Nason terrane ...
*
Mount Daniel Mount Daniel is the highest summit on the Cascade Range crest of Alpine Lakes Wilderness of the central Washington (state), Washington, United States. It is the highest point in King County, Washington, King and Kittitas County, Washington, Ki ...
— , the highest point in
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
and Kittitas counties *
Mount Stuart Mount Stuart is a mountain in the Cascade Range, in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is the second highest non-volcanic peak in the state, after Bonanza Peak (Washington), Bonanza Peak and seventh-highest overall. Mount Stua ...
— , the highest point in the wilderness area *
Stuart Range The Stuart Range is a mountain range in central Washington (state), Washington, United States. The range lies within the eastern extent of the Cascade Range immediately southwest of Leavenworth, Washington, Leavenworth and runs east–west. ...
*
Wenatchee Mountains The Wenatchee Mountains are a range of mountains in central Washington State, United States of America. A major subrange of the Cascade Range, extending east from the Cascade crest, the Wenatchee Mountains separate the drainage basins of the Y ...


Lakes

Notable lakes in the wilderness include: * Enchantment Lakes *
Mason Lake Mason Lake is a natural elongated lake south of Belfair, Washington, United States in Mason County. Named for Charles H. Mason, the first secretary of Washington Territory, the lake is on the isthmus of the Kitsap Peninsula between the Hood C ...
* Melakwa Lake *
Snoqualmie Lake Snoqualmie Lake is a lake in King County, Washington. It is an expansion of the Taylor River and is located a short distance downstream from Deer Lake. It is the largest of the three lakes along the upper reaches of the Taylor. The lake can ...


See also

* Jack Creek Fire


References


Further reading

* Beckey, Fred W. ''
Cascade Alpine Guide Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey (14 January 1923 – 30 October 2017), known as Fred Beckey, was an American rock climber, mountaineer and book author, who in seven decades of climbing achieved hundreds of first ascents of some of the tallest peaks and ...
: Climbing and High Routes: Vol 1- Columbia River to Stevens Pass'',
Mountaineers Books The Mountaineers is an alpine club in the US state of Washington. Founded in 1906, it is organized as an outdoor recreation, education, and conservation 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and is based in Seattle, Washington. The club hosts a wid ...
, 2000.
Wenatchee National Forest permit information
* Knibb, David ''Backyard Wilderness'', The Mountaineers, 1982.


External links


Alpine Lakes Protection Society
(advocacy)
Alpine Lakes Wilderness (Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest)
U.S. Forest Service
Alpine Lakes Wilderness (Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest)
U.S. Forest Service
Washington Wilderness Coalition
(advocacy)
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Wilderness.net (The University of Montana) {{Authority control 1976 establishments in Washington (state) IUCN Category Ib Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest North Cascades of Washington (state) Protected areas established in 1976 Protected areas of Chelan County, Washington Protected areas of King County, Washington Protected areas of Kittitas County, Washington Wenatchee National Forest Wilderness areas of Washington (state)