Echo Ridge - Chelan
Info
A network of 30 miles of fast and flowy trails that are 20 minutes from Chelan. Many of the trails will appeal to intermediate level riders. However, the new trails above provide for some excellent descents/climbs that can be combined into a large loop. Make sure to ride these trails on your visit: Switchback Alley, Shoe, Divine Intervention, Minor Threat, Dust To Glory, Outback, and Mallorys Trail. The trails are fast and flowy. Shuttling is very easy and provides multiple descent options from the Upper & Lower Echo Parking Lots, North Junction, High Five Junction, and Spaghetti Junction.
Trails are very well marked and most of the trail intersections have maps posted, and you can scan the QR codes on the maps for a map download. New maps have been posted for 2015.
Also, there are great trails for the little rippers in the family. If your kids can ride up some moderate hills, start your ride from the upper most parking lot by the yurt and take Nowhere to Hide, Road 8010,Morning Glory, Chickadee, Nuthatch for a fun loop.
No Camping or campfires are permitted within the trail system or at Trailheads but there are a wide variety of accommodations nearby.
New Trails Openings:
- 2018: We are currently constructing a new trail out of the Grand Junction intersection. Feel free to ride it.
- 2016: Mallory's Trail and Divine Intervention. Trail from top section of Minor Threat down to the Shoe. Combine with Shoe Trail and Switchback Alley for excellent descent to Echo Valley Ski Area.
- 2015: Outback connector, trail from Waterbar Heaven to Bergman Gulch.
- 2014: Dust to Glory, Minor Threat, Water Bar Heaven, T-Bone, lower segment of Switchback Alley.
For the best downhill riding you need to start your ride from the Switchback Alley Trailhead. The small parking area at the bottom of the Echo Ridge Trail System adjacent to the private Chelan Rental Resorts office/Bergman Gulch Trail has been closed to public parking by the private landowner. Also, please don’t park at Echo Valley Ski Area at this time. The closest parking to the bottom of Echo is now at the Forest Service Switchback Alley TH which is approximately .25 miles up the Echo Ridge Road. This unimproved trailhead will accommodate 5-6 cars. All the upper trailheads remain fully operational. We hope to reestablish parking at the bottom of the trail system in the future.
Best Descents: All end at Echo Valley Downhill Ski Area/Chelan Rentals Resort (Park at the bottom of the Bergman Gulch Trail not the Ski Area)
- From High Five Junction: Ridgeview or Morning Glory, Upsy Daisy, Lot to Lot, Minor Threat, Left or Right on the Shoe, Switchback Alley
- From Mallory's Trail at elevation 4324': Descend Mallory's Trail, left on the Outback, Right on brand new Waterbar Heaven connector, right on Waterbar Heaven all the way down to the bottom. This about a 5.5 mile descent with a few very short climbing segments.
- From High Five Junction: Little Critter, Somewhere to Ride, Shoe Spur, Shoe (either direction), Switchback Alley
- From High Five Junction: Far East, Dust to Glory, Waterbar Heaven all the way down to the bottom.
Photos
Videos
Trail Status
Ride Reports
All Trails are OPEN and riding well. Make sure to hit the newest flowy trail, Bob's Trail, on your next ride. We are finishing the final descent but its certainly rideable now. Best information for Echo Ridge trails is on Trailforks.com. It has a number of recommend routes from local riders to he...
Great afternoon ride. It was 93 degrees down in Chelan but about 85 at Echo Ridge. First time riding here and it was great. Trails were all in good condition and clear. Definitly dry in places and needed to keep distance from the rider in front. Upper parking lots were empty and we had the place...
The 'courtesy parking' just past Chelan Rental Resorts rental office was closed by the landowner on 5/29/2017. For now.....from the closed parking area, alternative parking can be found by going right .25 miles up the main road to Echo Ridge at the Forest Service Switchback Alley parking area (5-...
All trails are open and riding well and the recent rain showers have made things even better. We are working on a new loop trail (Mallory's Trail) to the top of the Outback which had the most iconic views on the entire trail system. The descent from this location down the Outback Trail...
After doing the Butte in the morning, I went over to Echo Ridge to take advantage of the day before the rain. I parked at the Upper TH and did Nowhere to Hide and Big Critter and started the Outback counterclockwise. Near the end of the outback loop, a new trail was a nice diversion back to North...
The Outback Trail is now open. Waterbar Heaven, Windsinger, and Ridgeview remain closed for reconstruction.
Enjoy.
A portion of the trail system was burned in the Chelan Complex of fires this August. However, most trails are now open again with the exception of: Waterbar Heaven, Outback, Ridgeview, and Windsinger. Basically, the east side of the trail system was burned, and there was a mix of burn intensities...
The two trail segments listed below are now open. Some signing still needs to be installed but these sections are open. These segments are now broken in due to the recent rains and use during the Echo 30/60 mountain bike race on 5/31/15. Berms are pretty solid but not bomber. These trails, as wel...
We completed another new trail segment that connects the Outback Trail to the very top of the Waterbar Heaven Trail. As of 5/19/2015 the trail is not open as we need to do a little limbing and hope for a little more rain to settle it in. Once we take orange ribbon is down at either end of t...
All trails are snow free and riding good. Enjoy!! Also, a new trail segment is currently being constructed near the North Junction TH. This will make the Outback Trail a stacked loop.
Some good loops are now ready to ride. The trails on the west (sunny) side of Echo are open inclduding the new Waterbar Heaven Trail and the extension of Switchback Alley. Other rideable trails: Shoe, sunny side of the Outback, Somwhere to Ride, Nowhere To Hide, most of Ridgeview, Windsinger, Nut...
Did our first night ride of the season. Trails are super tacky right now and the new trails are riding great.
There are a number of recently constructed trails that are now open for Mountain Biking. Thanks to the Central Chapter of Evergreen, local volunteers, and the Chelan Ranger District for these new trails with more construction planned this fall and next year.
A Mountain Bike specific map w...
First time visiting these trails but I hope to return soon. Trails are quite smooth and fast. Rode a ten mile loop from upper trailhead. Made it most of the way up the summit spur off the Outback trail but it was very rough, loose, steep and nasty. Since I was by myself I decided to head back dow...