Grew up skiing here and came back for the second time as an adult. It's such a nice hill, big…read moreenough to make for a fun full day of skiing with a non-pretentious community feeling. The parking lot is right off the runs and the new lodge is really nice. The food is affordable, the lift lines are super short, and the skiing is fast. The hill feels just a little taller than snoqualmie from base to peak but the snow is sooo much better when it is there. There in lies the one warning...sometimes they are challenged to get enough snow and you might need rock skis. Not this year. A really great time for all.

This is an awesome small town ski hill! There is one quad chair and NO lift lines to speak of! The…read moreruns were steeper than we thought they'd be and the scenery was gorgeous. The snow is dry and powdery here--none of the wet stuff that we see on the west side of the state. I was thoroughly impressed, and I've skied Whistler/Blackcomb, Sun Peaks, Baker, Bachelor, Crystal, Stevens, Schweitzer...the list goes on. This was one of my favorites! Small lodge, but that was fine. Food was good but it took a while due to the high volume. Lift tickets were $48 for holiday prices, but normally $42. Great deal. We will be back!

This community-supported art gallery features an open, welcoming display space, themed shows and a…read morespace for general art items for sale. We visited during "The Big Sleep," a Halloween/Day of the Dead show. Gotta say that the art was not as great as the space. The volunteer on duty during our visit was quite helpful and recommended a hike that we took that would not have otherwise occurred to us.

High on a ridge (Echo Ridge that is) perched above Lake Chelan sits this fine trail system designed…read morefor cross country skiing in the winter, and good for hiking and mountain biking in the warmer months. We visited in July during a trip to Chelan, and hope to return for some skiing in the wintertime. Access the trails by forest service roads, and there are multiple trailheads along the road. The views are excellent, and there are miles and miles of open countryside up here in the hills between Chelan and the Methow valley. One of the better things I noticed beyond the fine views was that there was only one other car on our trip up to the ridge. Nobody was up there and we had the whole place to ourselves. I'll say it again. We had the whole place to ourselves. Echo, echo, echo.

Echo Ridge Nordic Ski Area is the state's best kept skiers' secret! Sun, Good snow and grooming…read more(for skate and classic), views from everywhere, all around, moonlight skis with the local club, a warming yurt with a wood stove and soup on Sundays, no crowds at all, inexpensive, 40K of groomed trails.....and did I say sunshine? We always need a bit of that if we're from the west side. Echo Ridge is a joint effort by the U.S. Forest Service and the Lake Chelan Nordic Club. It costs $10 per day per adult over 18, and you can pay in pay stations at both upper and lower parking lots. You can rent skis 2 miles down below at Echo Valley, or in town at Lake Chelan Ski and Sport. The trails are purpose-built for XC skiing and skating, and are fantabulous. They dip, roll and curve just the right amount to be interesting but not scary. There are almost no "black diamonds," and most runs are green or blue (for beginners or intermediates). This does not leave out the speedsters or the adventurous; try the Outback loop for an all-day wilderness adventure. Try also a 20K skate loop that will wear anyone out, groomed to 16' wide. Any of the loops (all the trails loop) are interesting and challenging enough for any skier, and given the views, a great day out. You can see the uplake mountains along Lake Chelan, down to town, the lake, the orchards, Chelan Butte, the Columbia River valley, across to the Columbia Plateau, and down to Wenatchee and Mission Ridge. You can even see Mt. Stuart and the Stuart range from the parking lot! Speaking of parking, there is never a crowd in any way. Even if the parking lot does approach over half-full (about twice a year), the trails are spaced such that you feel alone out there. There are animal tracks to observe and a different kind of semi-arid flora. Dogs, snowshoers and walkers have their own trails a half-mile down below. These trails are groomed by the nordic club for skiers only, so let's keep the tracks clear of other marks. All are welcome to the yurt for warming up and fellowship. This is a volunteer-run organization. Come on up! I've been skiing here for 5 years and never tire of it.