Where is Stehekin?
Stehekin, Washington, is a remote, unincorporated community in Chelan County, nestled at the northwest end of Lake Chelan, just south of North Cascades National Park. With a name derived from the Salishan word meaning “the way through,” it’s a place defined by its isolation and natural beauty. No roads lead to Stehekin; access is by passenger ferry, private boat, floatplane, small aircraft, horseback, or hiking trails like the Pacific Crest Trail or Cascade Pass.
Pioneer Families Built Stehekin Long Before the Park
In 1886 President Cleveland opened the land to homesteaders. Real families answered the call.
In 1889 Bill Buzzard filed the first major homestead and built a log cabin at Buckner Orchard. In 1890 J. Robert Moore sailed up the lake, claimed his land at Moore’s Point, and built the historic Moore Hotel in 1891 to welcome visitors. The Buckner family arrived in 1910 and developed orchards and Rainbow Ranch. The Courtney family claimed their homestead in 1917 and raised six generations here.
For more than eighty years before the 1968 park these families lived here year round. They built homes, grew food, ran businesses, and served the public. Their hard work created the living community that still exists today.
Congress knew this history when it passed the 1968 law. It promised to protect valid existing rights so the pioneer families and their descendants could keep Stehekin open and welcoming.
That is why Stehekin has the right to exist and grow responsibly today.
Stehekin Was Built by Real Families – Long Before the Park
Stehekin is much more than beautiful scenery. It is a place with deep American roots. Starting in the 1880s, hardworking homesteaders came to this remote valley and built a real year-round community with their own hands. They filed claims, constructed cabins, opened hotels, planted orchards, and warmly welcomed visitors who arrived by steamboat. These pioneer families lived and worked here for more than eighty years before the park ever existed.
Their story continues today through the year-round families who still call Stehekin home.
Stay and read the full history and timeline on our Our Story page. Discover why these multi-generational families believe Stehekin has the undeniable right to exist and grow responsibly.