Parking
Use the marked Stehekin River Trailhead on the southwest side of the airstrip. From Stehekin Landing, go about 4.5 miles north on Stehekin Valley Road, cross Harlequin Bridge, then follow the signed road around the airstrip to the trailhead.
Overview
About Stehekin River Trail
Why go
- Views toward Rainbow Falls early, then meadow and the Buckner homestead across the river
- A gentle grade to Weaver Point’s lakeside campground
Heads up
- The full out-and-back is 6.4 miles
- Limited shoreline access means much of the walk is through forest rather than beside the river
Stehekin River Trail is a 6.4-mile out-and-back from the south end of the Stehekin airstrip to Weaver Point Campground. It rolls gently through forest on the valley’s west side, with about 200 feet of gain. Plan on about 3 to 4 hours for the return walk with short stops. It suits you if you want a full but easy-to-moderate walk with views across the valley and a destination at the lake’s edge.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the walk for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the North Cascades map
Full mapElevation1,135–1,309 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
7 active North Cascades alerts
- ClosureStehekin Valley Road closed after landslidesMentions Stehekin Valley Road, referenced in this guideStehekin Valley Road is closed because landslides damaged it; additional precipitation and flood-related hazards persist.Official details
- InfoLimited services at Stehekin Landing after flood damageMentions Stehekin Landing, referenced in this guideSome services at Stehekin Landing remain limited after the December 2025 flood damaged the wastewater treatment plant and other basic infrastructure.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North Cascades Tour Guide
Your drive to Stehekin River Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for North Cascades National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the North Cascades audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Harlequin Bridge and the River Walk0:00 / 0:30
“You're coming up on Harlequin Bridge over the Stehekin River. It's worth a brief pause for the river view and the story of the crossing.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf North Cascades Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Rainbow Falls: Two Views of the Drop
- Company Creek: Mountain Views and Hilgard Pass
- Buckner Orchard: Heirloom Apples and a Working Ditch
- Two Teachers, One Salary
- 83 audio storiesacross North Cascades’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Mule Deer, and 10 more
- Works offlinemaps, 88 trails, 76 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Stehekin River Trail
Along the riverThe path enters forest almost at once and gradually rises and falls.
The path enters forest almost at once and gradually rises and falls. It crosses Blackberry Creek and smaller streams before the Stehekin River comes into view. In the first third, look east toward Rainbow Falls. A little over a mile in, meadow and mountain views open across the river toward the historic Buckner homestead. You are not beside the river the whole way; shoreline access is limited. Beaver ponds and birds are noted along the route, and red salmon may appear in the river and side pools in fall.
About half a mile before Weaver Point, the route meets Devore Creek Trail; stay on the river trail to reach the campground. Weaver Point has vault toilets and picnic tables, and it is also reached by boat on Lake Chelan. Camping is allowed there without a backcountry permit.
Is this the walk for you?The marked airstrip trailhead is 3.2 miles from Weaver Point, one way.
The marked airstrip trailhead is 3.2 miles from Weaver Point, one way. Some directions count the access walk from Harlequin Bridge and list 7.6 miles round trip; the distance here starts at the marked trailhead.
Wildlife
Wildlife in North Cascades
101 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
70 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
20 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
77 sightingsSooty GrouseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
23 sightingsWhite-tailed PtarmiganMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
75 sightingsWestern ToadMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across North Cascades. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
