Trails
The Methow is known for its trails, from the valley floor to alpine wilderness, most a short drive from the house.
In summer, hundreds of miles of trail for biking, running, and hiking, with horses welcome on many, turning to Nordic skiing in winter. The network runs Winthrop to Mazama. Nearest access is the Winthrop and Chickadee trailheads.
A ski hill turned summer destination, with lift-served downhill mountain biking, disc golf, bike rentals, and horse trails up top.
The closest mountain trails are at the Foggy Dew trailhead, leading into the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, about a 30 to 35 minute drive, multi-use trails open to hikers, mountain bikes, horses, and motorcycles, with epic routes like Angel's Staircase climbing toward 8,000 feet.
The River
Walk down to the bank to fish, or watch it run by from the deck. The Methow is a wild river known for its trout, and the stretch past the house is one of the classic floats. Fly fishing is seasonal, permits required. Local guides are available, and several will meet you at the house. For whitewater, Methow Rafting runs family floats through to the Class IV rapids of Black Canyon, with kayaking and tubing too.
Winter
When the snow comes, Methow Trails grooms over 200 km of cross-country trail, one of the largest systems in the country. Loup Loup, the valley's community ski hill, adds 16 downhill runs and 1,240 feet of vertical, a tubing hill, and the Bear Mountain luge, the only natural alpine luge in the Northwest, a snowcat ride up and over two miles of sledding back down. The Loup Loup Nordic trails come in two parts: 23 km at the ski bowl, and another 50 km higher up at the South Summit Sno-Park.
The NHL-sized outdoor rink runs daily public skating, with rental skates, drop-in hockey, and tournaments through the season.
Twisp and Winthrop
Twisp is the valley's hub for food and arts: the TwispWorks campus, the Saturday farmers market in season, galleries, and Glover Street Market for groceries. Catch a show at the Merc Playhouse. In summer the music comes out, from the Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival in late June to the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival in July. Winthrop is an Old West themed town, its main street a boardwalk of shops and restaurants, the Shafer Museum is worth a visit, and the Barnyard Cinema shows art-house and first-run films with a bar and a wall of windows onto the Cascades.
Casia Lodge · 1908 BBQ & Bourbon · La Fonda Lopez · Lupo Brio
Wineries
Not every day has to be on a trail or on the river. If wine tasting is on the agenda:
Low-intervention, alpine-style wines with small plates, on Glover Street in Twisp.
Around 45 minutes south, with popular wineries and lakeside fun.
Down Valley
Head south and the Methow drops through the whitewater of Black Canyon on its way to meet the Columbia at Pateros. The town of Methow, one of the river's main rafting put-ins, is worth a stop for the Methow Store, an 1894 general store reopened in 2024, with coffee, food and baked goods, camping and bike supplies, and a pet-friendly beer garden.
Swimming, boating, and kayak and paddleboard rentals at the state park.
River beaches and boat launches where the Methow joins the Columbia.