More on hiking in Wenatchee National Forest

Mountain Bike the Fourth of July Trail
The five-mile Fourth of July Trail (Trail # 1579) in the Leavenworth Ranger District is laced with switchbacks along some hair-raisingly steep terrain. And if that's not enough danger, you also have to worry about rattlesnakes piercing your fat tire, or worse, your leg. Rattlesnakes infest this particular trail, but otherwise it offers kick-butt mountain biking that is typical throughout the forest. Other challenges of mountain biking Wenatchee include fording rushing streams. Avoid peak run-off, otherwise you'll hit an impasse of torrential whitewater.

More on biking in Wenatchee National Forest

Rock Climb Canyon Walls
Rock climbers descend on Icicle and Tumwater Canyon to ascend the intricate labyrinth of granite walls and rock formations. If you prefer scaling basalt columns, the Wenatchee's got 'em - you'll find these vulcanized rock towers near Rimrock Lake just off Highway 12 in the Naches Ranger District. Sheer multi-pitch rock walls abound, along with less technical top-rope climbs.

Cruise the Cascades
Pile the kids into the jalopy and cruise the Cascades along the mystical (and misty) North Cascades Scenic Highway (State Highway 20). Shortly after crossing Washington Pass (elevation 5,477 feet) you will see the sheer walls of Liberty Bell Mountain. At 7,600-feet high, Liberty Bell resembles an impenetrable medieval fortress of granite that will have the whole family ogling. On a sunny day, relish the irony of driving across Rainy Pass (elevation 4,860). And as you traverse Harts Pass, realize that you are on the highest road in the state of Washington. Along the way, no matter what other people in the car want to do, make sure you stop and scramble up Slate Peak for a commanding 360-degree view of Mt. Baker and the surrounding Cascades. You can also peer across the border into Canada, where the beer is brewed stronger and the inhabitants are less bewildered by the metric system.

Don't Cry Foul, Cry Waterfowl
On Lake Chelan, the sheer grace and beauty of waterfowl will soon have you in tears. Paddle closer to Harlequin ducks or behold their ribald riparian antics from afar with those expensive binoculars you bought. Watch great blue heron stalk fish on stick-like legs. Behold osprey as they search for prey by soaring over the waters like a stealth bomber.

Ski in the Nordic Style
A gung-ho group of cross-country skiing enthusiasts have created a cross-country trail system that buries the rest of the country under a snowdrift. Over 110-miles of multi-user trail stretches from Winthrop to the upper reaches of the Methow River valley near Mazama. These trails were created and continue to be maintained by the Methow Valley Sport Trails Volunteers.