Chelan: Water, History, and Wine

For a stay in Chelan, you can choose among several focuses: time on the water, architectural and local history, or wine and regional cuisine. The offerings differ in specific ways: Don Morse Park combines shoreline with water activities and sports courts; Lakeside Park has paths, a playground, and a seasonal boat launch. A museum, a historic church, and wine experiences offer additional perspectives for planning your trip.

Parks, Water, and Activities

Don Morse Park has 2,000 feet of shoreline and covers 40 acres. Swimming and boating are possible there. Amenities also include a sandy beach, jet ski and motorboat rentals, stand-up paddleboard and kayak rentals, and tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts. So, alongside water activities, there are also several types of sports courts.

Lakeside Park offers different features: it has a sandy beach, paths, a playground, and a swimming area. A seasonal boat launch is available for non-motorized boats. When comparing the two parks, Don Morse Park also offers rental options and sports courts; Lakeside Park’s listed features include paths, a playground, and the seasonal launch. Keep the seasonal nature of the launch in mind if you want to take a non-motorized boat out on the water.

The Green at Lake Chelan offers a different activity: its professional lawn putting course has 18 holes. This adds a clearly defined putting option to swimming, boating, and the park facilities.

Museum and Local History

The Chelan Museum is located in a building constructed in 1907, which originally housed the Miners & Merchants Bank. The museum displays Native American baskets, clothing, arrowheads, and tools. This allows you to consider the building’s history and uses and the different types of objects in the collection as two distinct historical topics.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered the oldest continuously standing structure in Chelan. The historic log church of St. Andrew’s was open on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the summer tourism season. If you would like to see the interior, check current access before your visit; the opening schedule applies to the historic tourism season.

Wine and Regional Cuisine

At the regional level, the Lake Chelan AVA has more than 40 wineries and 300 acres of vineyards. At Tsillan Cellars in Chelan, tastings are offered in the tasting room or on the outdoor patio. Lake Chelan Winery offers wine tastings and a vineyard barbecue. The offerings therefore differ in format: Tsillan Cellars lists two tasting locations, while Lake Chelan Winery combines wine tastings with a vineyard barbecue.

The Chelan Food Trail is a short loop that can be completed in an afternoon. If you want to plan the culinary part of your stay in a compact way, this afternoon format provides a concrete guide. It differs from the individual tasting experiences, which each list their own locations or a combination with a barbecue.

Ferry Ride and Hike

Those who want to start a hike in Stehekin can take the Lady of the Lake ferry from Chelan to Stehekin. Check the schedule separately before your trip. This lets you account for the ferry ride as a distinct planning step, without treating it as the same kind of offering as the parks or wine experiences.

Discover more destinations: Leavenworth, Peshastin, Wenatchee, Cashmere, Manson

Return to the regional travel overview: Chelan County.