Lake Chelan is truly one of the most beautiful lakes in the entire world. The lake is 50.5-miles long, covers 924 square miles lake and is the third deepest lake in the United States and 26th deepest in the world with a maximum depth of 1,486 feet. The name Chelan, originally spelled as “Tsillane” by the Salish tribe, means “deep lake.” About 100 glaciers surround and feed the lake. The cities of Chelan, Manson, and Stehekin, offer year-round recreation, shopping, and an emerging wine industry!
If you are looking to plan a trip to Lake Chelan and want to bring your pup with you, keep on reading for some dog-friendly places to visit. Also, make sure to read and learn about separation anxiety in dogs as they might face this while traveling to a new location. It may be helpful for you as you will know how to calm your pup while on the road.
For more comprehensive lists beyond where we visited, pick up a copy of the Lake Chelan Wine Valley brochure, which features dog-friendly places to visit or check out Bring Fido!
Where to Stay
Forget VRBO and Airbnb. Want to find a place to stay that also helps out a very worthy charity? Check out Vacation Angel Network! Booking a home with Vacation Angel Network helps support a family in need without the exorbitant booking fees you will find with VRBO and Airbnb. For our trip, we stayed at the Mountainside Chelan. With some of the most incredible views of the south shore, a pool, and a trail to a private waterfront, it was heaven on earth for our weekend getaway.
Dog-Friendly Wineries
Dogs allowed outside on patio.
One of the most gorgeous wineries you will visit in Washington is at Tsillan (pronounced Chelan) Cellars. Tsillan is reminiscent of an Italian country retreat. You will feel transported to the shores of Lake Como as you sip award-winning wine at this Italian-style villa as you take in the views of the vineyard and the lake. The 135-acre estate is filled with cascading waterfalls, expansive terrazzos, gardens, dramatic Italian architecture, an elegant indoor/outdoor pavilion and wedding gazebo overlooking Lake Chelan and the Cascade Mountains and almost 40 acres of vineyards. Sorrento’s Ristorante, located on the property, offers a variety of delizioso Italian cuisine. My wine favorites include the 2018 Estate Reserve Malbec, the 2018 Estate Sangiovese and the 2020 Estate Bocciolo Di Rosa Rose’.
Rocky Pond Winery Chelan Tasting Room
Dogs allowed at outside space.
The Rocky Pond Winery Chelan Tasting Room is located in heart of Downtown Chelan and is open every Wednesday through Sunday. They offer a variety of wine tastings and a small menu of light bites prepared by an Executive Chef. With grapes cultivated from Double D Vineyard (Columbia Valley AVA), Clos Chevalle Vineyard (Lake Chelan AVA) and Rocky Reach Estates Vineyard (Orondo, WA), Rocky Pond not only creates some of the region’s most award winning wine, but they also sell a lot of grapes! One of my personal favorite wines was the 2017 Double D Vineyard Syrah. The dry, full-bodied wine comes with a meaty-bite, and is the perfect pairing with a hearty stew, grilled beef or braised meats.
Dogs allowed in tasting room, patio and lawn.
Located in Manson, Cairdeas Winery (pronounced Cardis), makes a Washington wine with inspiration from the Rhône Valley of France. They craft delicious wines from Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Cinsault (red grapes) and Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul (white grapes) to craft some traditional and truly unique blends. Cairdeas started in West Seattle in 2009 and moved the winery to the Lake Chelan Wine Valley in 2012. The tasting room is both family and dog-friendly, but just know that owners Charlie and Lacey Lybecker have two dogs of their own that roam the grounds, Tannin and Avis Gris – the wine dogs (perfect names, right?). Some of my favorites include the 2020 Nellie Mae (named after the winemaker’s grandma) White Wine Blend, the 2018 Caisléan an Papa Red Wine Blend, the 2018 Consonance Red Wine Blend, and the 2020 Rosé.
Dogs allowed outside.
Also located in Manson and next door to Cairdeas Winery, Succession Wines have created something special for any and every palate. The story about how the winery came to be is both heartbreaking and incredibly inspiring (ask owners Brock and Erica). From the ashes of tragedy emerged resilience and some of the most incredible wines in the Chelan Valley. My favorites include the 2019 Chardonnay and the 2019 Syrah. Come out for the wine and stay for the lake and mountain views!
Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards Chelan Tasting Room, Winery and Vineyard
Dogs allowed in tasting room and outside.
With a name like Hard Row to Hoe, does it not intrigue you to visit just to learn the origin of their story (watch our YouTube at the end for the full story)? Located on the Manson side of the lake, Hard Row to Hoe is the first LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe-certified vineyard in North Central Washington. Owners Don and Judy Phelps have made sure they farm the land using organic methods with no chemical pesticides or glyphosate (weedkillers). Visit the boutique style tasting room and experience a little history of 1930’s Manson (and be sure to pay attention to the wine labels). My favorite wines include the 2020 Orange Muscat, 2017 Syrah, 2019 Reserve Chardonnay, and the 2017 Malbec.
Dog-Friendly Brewery
Dogs allowed outside on patio.
There is no denying how much I love beer and Stormy Mountain Brewing always delivers! Located in downtown Chelan, the family-friendly Brewery and Public House offers great beers and some delicious food (get the pub pretzel and Stormy Tacos)! I personally always like to order flights to try as many beers as I can and check into Untappd for all of them. As a lover of all things Porter and Stout, you can’t go wrong with the Shady Pass Porter. Other favorites include Greg’s ESB and the Sawtooth IPA.
Dog-Friendly Cidery
Dogs allowed inside.
Located in downtown Chelan, Steelhead Cider gives you a break from the wine and hops and brings you back into the world of what Washington is known for – apples! Their apples are handpicked and pressed locally and fermented with very little intervention with no concentrates, colorings or artificial flavors added. Their hard ciders are some of the best in the state, infused with ginger, pear, vanilla, cherries, boysenberries and even habanero peppers – they have a flavor profile for every taste bud. My favorite is the Hopped Habanero as I like my drinks spicy!
For a full 360-degree view of our Chelan adventure, check out the Lesley & Mishana Show on YouTube!
