The Enchantments

The Enchantments is a region within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area of Washington state's Cascade Mountain Range. At an elevation of 4,500 feet (1,372 m), it is home to over 700 alpine lakes and ponds surrounded by the vast peaks of Cashmere Crags, which rate among the best rock-climbing sites in the western United States. The highest peak, Dragontail Peak, stretches 8,840 feet (2,694 m) high. The Enchantments is located 15 miles southwest of the popular Bavarian-themed town Leavenworth, Washington in the United States and is regarded as one of the most spectacular regions in the Cascade Range.

The population increase in western Washington, specifically in the city of Seattle, marked the region a prime outdoor destination for wilderness lovers. By 2019, 100,000 visitors made their way to The Enchantments annually. The influx in foot traffic and lack of maintenance from forest services and visitors had caused permanent damage to the delicate ecosystems in the region. As a result, the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Society (ALPS) proposed a permit system restricting access to a maximum of 60 people at any given time. In 2019, the system was approved and implemented by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (OWNF).

Native American tribes, Yakima, Chinook and Wenatchi, traveled and thrived in and around The Enchantments region before it was ever discovered by western civilization. In the early 1900s, logging and mining had consumed much of the region. It was during this time that The Enchantments was named by European American, A.H. Sylvester, a topographer for the US Geological Survey in the Snoqualmie Ranger District from 1897 to 1907. During his time as Wenatchee Forest district supervisor from 1908 to 1931, Sylvester had come across the unmapped alpine lakes. While exploring much of the middle basin, the upper basin was likely covered thoroughly with snow from the Snow Creek Glacier. In a letter, he had described the area writing, "It was an enchanting scene. I named the group Enchantment Lakes."

By the 1940s climbers reached the area and began naming the crags. Bill and Peg Stark, of Leavenworth, became frequent visitors who drew upon various mythologies to name features of the landscape. When they made their first visit in the fall of 1959, they were captivated by the golden splendor of the larch trees in the fall, the numerous lakes and tarns, and jagged peaks towering above. They used fairy names such as Gnome Tarn, Troll Sink, Naiad Lake (officially Temple Lake), Sprite and King Arthur legends in the Lower Enchantment Basin because "the lower basin was not as austere as the upper basin", according to Peg. They used Norse names and mythology for features of the upper basin, for example Lake Brynhild (officially Isolation Lake), Lake Freya (officially Tranquil Lake), and Valhalla Cirque because, Peg said, it felt "as if the Ice Age had just gone off."

The official naming rulings of the US Board on Geographic Names in the 1960s resulted in a mixture of two name sets being adopted as official, particularly for the lakes, but also exemplified by the feature popularly known as Aasgard Pass being officially designated Colchuck Pass. Different sources still use the unofficial names in some contexts. The current policy of not adopting new names for geographic features in wilderness areas probably precludes the rest of the names identified by the Starks from achieving official status.

The elevation of The Enchantments range from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) at Nada Lake to 7,800 feet (2,400 m) in the Upper Enchantments to 8,840 feet (2,690 m) at the summit of Dragontail Peak. The treeline is approximately 6,400 feet (2,000 m) above Snow Lake. The EPA ecoregion below the treeline is 77g, "Wenatchee/Chelan Highlands", dominated by Douglas fir, Grand fir, and Subalpine fir. Lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, and vine maple are also present. Slide alder grows in avalanche chutes.

The alpine zone lies above the treeline. The climate of the alpine zone is too harsh for trees to grow, but the zone is home to a number of alpine flowers: Dryas octopetala, Phacelia sericea, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Anemone drummondii, and the endemic Erigeron salishii. A number of animals are permanent residents of the alpine zone: white-tailed ptarmigan, hoary marmots, and pikas.

The number of visitors to the Enchantments has exponentially increased largely due to the fast growing population in the western region of Washington state. By the late 1970s, up to 300 people would be found camping in the basin on summer weekends. The Forest Service installed toilets in 1966, restricted horses in 1972, and banned dogs in 1982. By 2019, 100,000 people would visit The Enchantments annually. In 1987, a permit system was implemented to prevent further destruction of the region, restricting access to only 60 campers into the region at any given time. After the ban on dogs, the population of mountain goats and ptarmigan recovered.