Buckner Orchard Walk
Central CascadesBest May–Oct
A living piece of Stehekin Valley history tucked beneath old apple trees and tall cedars.
About This Trail
The Buckner Orchard Walk is one of those rare trails where the destination is not a summit or a lake but a place where people built lives. The path follows Buckner Lane under a canopy of tall cedars, tracing gravity-fed irrigation ditches that have been running water for over a century. You arrive at the Buckner Homestead, a cluster of 15 buildings dating from 1889 through the 1950s, with the original cabin listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974.
The orchard itself still produces apples. Wander the rows and you will find hand-dug ditches, vintage farm equipment, and meadows framed by McGregor Mountain to the east. A concrete pavilion near the orchard hosts community square dances, potlucks, and summer concerts. The annual Harvest Fest in fall celebrates the apple crop and draws the whole valley.
Getting here is part of the experience. The Lady of the Lake ferry from Chelan drops you at Stehekin Landing, and from there you can catch one of four daily shuttles or rent a bike for the roughly three-mile ride. There is no road access by car. That remoteness is what kept this place intact and what makes it feel so different from anywhere else in the Cascades.
Astronomy
Trail Conditions
“Just wrapped up our yearly trek on the Chelan Lakeshore Trail, starting from Prince Creek as usual.”
Last report: May 10, 2025
Scorecard
Getting There
No parking needed. Access is by ferry from Chelan via Lady of the Lake. From Stehekin Landing, take the shuttle (request the orchard stop) or rent a bike for the 3-mile ride.
Flat walk along Buckner Lane from the road. No navigation required. The homestead buildings and orchard rows are clearly visible.
Time your visit around the ferry schedule. Morning ferry arrivals give you the full day in Stehekin to combine the orchard with Rainbow Falls or the Stehekin River Trail.
Recent Reports
Just wrapped up our yearly trek on the Chelan Lakeshore Trail, starting from Prince Creek as usual. Lots of visible burn damage from the Pioneer Fire—trail was pretty dusty and had a good layer of soot in places.
This was bike ride from Stehekin to High Bridge to check conditions of the road and see what Upper Stehekin valley has to offer! Started our ride from Stehekin and turned around at High Bridge.
This was quite some day hike that pretty much captured all that is Stehekin in one long day. We were camping at Purple Point campground so walked the lake road to the southern loop trail head of Rainbow Loop, stopping at the bakery to pick up lunch on the way.
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