Paddling Kachess Lake in the Central Cascade Mountains of Washington

Looking for more fun things to do near Kachess Lake?
Head to Lake Easton for more hiking and camping or follow the trail to beautiful Mirror Lake.

SWIM

The water at Kachess Lake is cold and clear. On a hot day, it’s a lovely place to swim, although on our visit it was a little too chilly for a dip. A shallow pool along the beach next to the boat launch is ideal for young children (with supervision of course). Further south, a couple of other pebbly lakeside beaches offer more great swimming options.

Further from shore, the water deepens. This is a big lake, so don’t venture too far out unless you are a strong swimmer. I noted that the island, located about a mile north of the non-motorized boat launch, offers a few good spots for jumping from the rocks. As always, check the water for obstacles before taking the leap.

PADDLE

The size and sheer beauty of Kachess Lake make it an appealing place to paddle. You can go out for an hour or spend a full day on the water and still not see everything. We stayed within Little Kachess Lake, the section of the lake that lies to the north of Kachess Campground.

Despite the name, Little Kachess Lake is hardly small. Our trip took us about a mile north of the boat launch to a small island, where we spent some time exploring before returning to the campground. While this is the only island in the lake, there are endless other places to pull ashore for further exploration. There are also numerous places to camp. My youngest son was determined to spend the night on the island, but I explained that with no sleeping bags or food, that might not be the wisest choice.

We experienced a light headwind on the trip north. As luck would have it, the breeze changed just as we left the island and we found ourselves once again paddling into the wind. Regardless, the paddling wasn’t difficult. As always, this will vary depending on current conditions, which can change quickly on a large lake like Kachess. Be prepared for the unexpected, especially when planning a longer trip, and stick close to shore if the weather gets rough. Life vests are a must.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Kachess Lake has two boat launches. The north launch is specifically for non-motorized watercraft, while the south launch is for motorized boats only. Since we had inflatable kayaks, we used the north launch.
• There is an $8 per vehicle day use fee to visit Kachess Lake. If you are camping overnight, this is covered by your camping fees. It’s also covered by the America the Beautiful Pass or the Northwest Forest Pass.
• Both boat launches include picnic tables with fire rings for day use.
• Vault toilets are available at both locations.
• There are water spigots located throughout the Kachess Lake campground loops. I did not see potable water available at the north boat launch, however.
• Kachess Lake is a popular spot on sunny summer days. Fortunately, the large lake gives paddlers the chance to spread out. It was cloudy and fairly cool on our visit, and surprisingly uncrowded as a result.
• Please note that Kachess Lake is actually a reservoir, which means the water level will vary throughout the year. The water is usually high in June, when we visited, but may be much lower later in the summer, depending on drought conditions.
• The Little Kachess Trailhead is located near the non-motorized boat launch. From the trailhead parking lot, follow the trail along Box Creek until you reach a collection of logs across the creek that create a safe crossing. After a short but steep climb up to the trail on the opposite bank, the path becomes easier and offers view of Little Kachess Lake.
• Always follow Leave No Trace principles.

HIGHLIGHTS

Deep blue water surrounded by forested slopes offering tantalizing glimpses of the snow-capped peaks of the Cascades… yep, Kachess Lake is gorgeous. Paddling in these beautiful surroundings is truly a joy. On a lake this size, there are countless nooks and crannies to explore, and it would take days to experience it all.

THE KIDS’ TAKE

Brace yourself… I paddled Kachess Lake as the only adult with a group of five boys between the ages of seven and fourteen. And it went pretty well, actually. The kayak with the three 11- and 12-year olds won’t win any awards for quietest boat on the lake, but at least they were having a great time. For kids (and adults), a good destination for a short paddle is the small island located about a mile north of the boat lunch. It’s a great place to pull ashore and explore, and would be an ideal swimming spot on a warm day.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Kachess Lake is a great place to camp. Make a reservation for a summer weekend stay, or come mid-week for first come, first served camping. North of the campground, dispersed campsites are available on National Forest roads 4930 and 4948.

Hikers can make the 8-mile round trip trek to beautiful Rachel Lake. The trailhead for this hike and several others is located a 15-minute drive from Kachess Campground. For an easier hike, follow the Little Kachess Trail, which begins near the non-motorized boat launch. While there is little elevation gain on this trail, it involves crossing Box Creek via a natural “bridge” of logs followed by a short, steep uphill spurt before leveling out.

A few miles further east along I-90, Lake Easton is another fun park to visit with opportunities for hiking, boating, swimming, and biking. For a more rugged hike, drive past Lake Easton to the Mirror Lake trailhead, which leads to a gorgeous mountain lake.

The forecast called for rain, so when Sunday turned out to be mostly dry and even (dare I say) almost sunny, I couldn’t help but revel in our good fortune. After a picnic lunch at our Kachess Lake campsite, our group headed down to the lake to take advantage of this unexpected blessing.

With any group, it can be a challenge to come up with a unified plan. Fortunately, at Kachess Lake there are options for everyone. After the kids one by one expressed their interest in kayaking, the adults decided to head out on the Little Kachess Trail or simply relax by the lake. All except one adult, that is, the one who would paddle alongside the kids, making sure that order and safety were upheld. In case you had any doubts, that one adult was me.

Everyone helped get the kayaks inflated and ready to go, fitting the kids with life jackets before they piled into the boats. We agreed to let the group of three 11- and 12-year olds man their own boat under the condition they not stray too far from my kayak. Out on the water they shrieked and shouted, giddy with the thrilling taste of autonomy. Despite the often erratic paddling, they made impressive headway.

In the other kayak, the lone teenager took a seat in the bow, while my seven-year-old tucked into the stern behind me. Ours was a much quieter vessel. Together with our noisy neighbors, we paddled northward, looking ahead for an appealing place to land.

We found the perfect spot on a small island only about 15 minutes after leaving the shore at Kachess Campground. The three boys found the best landing spot on the island, a small rocky beach on the eastern side. Soon they were cavorting over the rocks and through the trees. Upon discovering a small campfire ring, they enthused about what a great spot this would be to camp.

Young T was especially enthralled, and even gave the island a name: Turtle Island. He said the shape reminded him of a turtle. He also claimed he was not going to leave Turtle Island — he would camp here overnight, even if he had to do it alone. Now, I am a responsible parent, so I explained that a lack of food, shelter, and adult oversight meant that T would be spending the night in the teardrop trailer back at the campground with his family. Ultimately, he saw the wisdom in this plan and joined us in the kayak for the return trip.

We were excited to paddle with the wind at our backs, but as fate would have it, the wind changed just as we headed back onto the water. We now faced a stronger headwind than on the trip out, and the boys struggled to match the speed of their outbound journey. Nevertheless, we made progress. A few light rain showers fell as the wind switched direction once again, this time buffeting us from the west.

As we neared the boat launch, a calm settled over the lake and we made it back in good time. The rest of the group had returned from their hike and helped us pull the kayaks ashore. As we toweled them off and packed them away for a future trip, I glanced across the lake and was startled to see a graceful rainbow arcing across the trees on the opposite shore, the ends of the bow dipping into the shimmering water of Kachess Lake. Instead of rainstorms, Kachess Lake had given us rainbows. Well done, Kachess Lake, well done.