Trail comparison

The Enchantments vs Wonderland Trail: Which Should You Hike?

Choose The Enchantments if you want one concentrated, very hard push through granite basins, either as a long day or a short overnight trip. Choose the Wonderland Trail if you want a roughly 93-mile loop of old-growth forest and meadows with Mount Rainier in view. Both are rated very strenuous, so prior mountain experience matters either way.

Turquoise alpine lake below a steep granite boulder field with larch trees in golden autumn light

The Enchantments and Wonderland Trail at a glance

The Enchantments is an approximately 18-mile one-way traverse through the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, from the Stuart/Colchuck Lake trailhead to the Snow Lakes trailhead. The Wonderland Trail is a roughly 93-mile loop around Mount Rainier in the Cascades. Both are Washington classics with competitive permit systems, so hikers often weigh a single demanding crossing against a full multi-day circuit.

	The Enchantments	Wonderland Trail
Place	Alpine Lakes Wilderness · Washington, USA	Cascades · Washington, USA
Distance	~18 miles one-way (Stuart/Colchuck Lake trailhead to Snow Lakes trailhead), typically hiked as a single very long day-hike or overnight thru-hike	~93 miles (150 km) loop
Elevation gain	~4,500 ft gain in the Colchuck→Snow Lakes direction (includes the ~1,900 ft Aasgard Pass climb); hiking the reverse direction (Snow Lakes→Colchuck) adds roughly 2,600 ft more cumulative gain	~27,000 ft (8,230 m) cumulative gain for the full loop (and ~27,000 ft of cumulative loss)
Difficulty	Very strenuous / expert-level	Very strenuous / expert-level multi-day trek
Route type	thru-hike	loop
Official season	Late July to October, after the snow melts	Late July to September, once the snow clears
Managed by	U.S. Forest Service	U.S. National Park Service

Effort and difficulty

Both routes are rated very strenuous and expert-level, but the commitment differs. The Enchantments covers about 18 miles with roughly 4,500 ft of gain in the Colchuck to Snow Lakes direction, including the approximately 1,900 ft Aasgard Pass climb. The reverse direction adds roughly 2,600 ft more cumulative gain. It is a steep boulder-and-scree hinge, followed by bare granite slab and a long exposed descent. The Wonderland Trail is about 93 miles (150 km) with roughly 27,000 ft of cumulative gain, and the same amount of loss. The walking is rarely technical but relentless, rising and falling through one river valley after another. The Enchantments is more intense per mile; the Wonderland is the bigger overall commitment.

Hiker with trekking poles climbing a switchbacking trail out of a forested river valley

Season, permits and booking

Official guidance puts the best season for The Enchantments at late July to October, after the snow melts. For the Wonderland Trail it is late July to September, once the snow clears. On the Enchantments, both day and overnight use need a permit: a free, self-issued permit at a trailhead for day users, and a Recreation.gov lottery permit for overnight use from May 15 to October 31. The Wonderland needs a wilderness permit with designated camps, with an optional early lottery, roughly two-thirds of itineraries reservable in advance and roughly one-third available as walk-up permits. Rules change, so confirm current details with each managing authority.

Which one is right for you?

Choose The Enchantments if…

Pick The Enchantments if you are an experienced, fit hiker who wants a compact objective rather than a two-week commitment. It suits people comfortable with loose rock, cairn route-finding and a very long day, or who can win an overnight permit and spread the route over two to four nights. You also need to arrange a car shuttle between the trailheads. If you miss the overnight lottery, the Colchuck Lake out-and-back is a common alternative day trip.

How to hike The Enchantments

Choose Wonderland Trail if…

Pick the Wonderland Trail if you want a long, immersive trek and can plan around it. Most hikers allow a week and a half to two weeks, camping at designated camps a day's walk apart, and often place resupply caches in advance. It suits hikers who value forest, glacier-fed rivers, meadows and ever-changing views of the mountain over a single dramatic pass. Section hiking across separate trips is also common if you cannot take the full time off.

How to hike Wonderland Trail — Mount Rainier

What the two have in common

Both are rated very strenuous and expert-level, and both sit in Washington's Cascades region. Each is a point-to-point or circuit effort rather than a casual out-and-back, and each runs on a competitive permit system that rewards early planning. Both open up only after the snow clears in summer. Each also rewards hikers who give themselves extra time, whether for evening light in the Enchantments basin or side trips and weather days on the Wonderland.

How your choice changes what you pack

The choice changes how much you carry more than what kind of gear you need. A fast Enchantments day hike calls for a light pack, plenty of water and layers for a very long day, plus sturdy footwear for loose rock. The Wonderland means carrying shelter, food and cooking supplies between camps, with cached resupply to keep weight down. Both routes can bring cold, changeable mountain weather, so pack layers either way.

Two hikers crouched over a pack being loaded while a paper map lies open on a log

Common questions

Which is harder, The Enchantments or the Wonderland Trail?

Both are rated very strenuous and expert-level. The Enchantments is steeper per mile, with the steep Aasgard Pass climb over loose rock. The Wonderland is harder in total scale, at about 93 miles and roughly 27,000 ft of gain, though the walking is rarely technical.

Which is better for a first big Washington hike?

Neither is a beginner route. If you are building up, the Colchuck Lake out-and-back gives a taste of the Enchantments area, and section hiking part of the Wonderland spreads the effort. Gain experience on shorter mountain routes first.

Which needs more planning?

The Wonderland generally does, because it involves a multi-day itinerary with designated camps, a wilderness permit and usually resupply caches. The Enchantments needs a permit and a car shuttle between trailheads. Check each managing agency's current rules.

Can I do either route without winning a lottery?

Possibly. Day users on the Enchantments can get a free, self-issued permit at a trailhead, and about one-third of Wonderland itineraries are walk-up permits. Availability varies, so confirm current rules with the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service.

Sources

U.S. Forest Service — fs.usda.gov (Enchantments, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest): official information for The Enchantments.
U.S. National Park Service — nps.gov/mora: official information for Wonderland Trail.

Conditions, permits and access rules change without notice — confirm current information with each managing authority before you go. See our editorial policy.