Buckner Orchard

Buckner Orchard is a historic homestead and preserved apple orchard in the Buckner Homestead Historic District, part of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. The present orchard is nearly 10 acres, with about 15 historic buildings dating from the 1880s through the 1950s. The much larger family-era orchard reached nearly 50 acres by 1924.

The orchard is 3.5 miles from Stehekin Landing along Stehekin Valley Road. NPS describes Buckner Lane, just south of Rainbow Creek, as a 0.3-mile walk. The longer Buckner Orchard Walk starts near the old one-room schoolhouse and is listed as 1.6 miles round trip; the Stehekin bus route serves the schoolhouse stop. Bikes and vehicles can use the dirt access road beyond the creek.

NPS lists auto parking, a picnic table, potable water, a vault or composting toilet, and historic exhibits. The page does not specify the exact facility locations.

Self-guided tour booklets are available at the entrance and near Buzzard Cabin. Walk among the trees, old farm equipment, and historic structures, with McGregor Mountain and the Stehekin River framing the setting. Some buildings are closed to protect them, so expect to explore the grounds rather than every interior. Rows of trees backed by the mountain make the clearest orchard view; the cabins and equipment add a closer look at farm life.

William and May Buckner arrived in 1911, bought land from earlier homesteader William Buzzard, and planted about 20 acres in 1912. They cleared stumps and dug an irrigation ditch that diverts water from Rainbow Creek. That hand-dug system still waters the orchard. The family kept expanding the planting until it approached 50 acres in 1924.

The orchard preserves Common Delicious, an heirloom strain no longer grown commercially, along with Rome Beauty, Jonathan, and Winesap. Common Delicious was once called Hawkeye; after Stark Brothers Nursery acquired it, selected strains with deeper red color contributed to the later Red Delicious.

NPS points to late summer or early fall for ripe apples to eat, but the exact picking dates and current availability vary. The fall harvest and cider-making have also been part of the community's seasonal life; plan around the orchard and its history rather than a guaranteed harvest event.

Harry Buckner became the first year-round resident at the homestead in 1915. The family sold its remaining property to NPS in 1970, and the orchard is now maintained by NPS and volunteers. A concrete foundation at the site has served local square dances, potlucks, and summer concerts, giving this old farm a role in Stehekin life beyond its fruit.