Where to find Leavenworth adventures

Here are some other outdoor adventures that await visitors to the Leavenworth area:

Rock climbing

Named one of the top 10 climbing cities in the United States by Rock and Ice magazine, Leavenworth boasts two rock-climbing hot spots: Icicle Canyon and Peshastin Pinnacles State Park. Icicle Canyon features long multi-pitch routes up big granite walls; Peshastin's sandstone spires, some of which rise 200 feet high, offer slightly less challenging routes and problems.

For info, advice and/or gear, stop by Leavenworth Mountain Sports (220 Highway 2, Leavenworth; 509-548-7864; www.leavenworthmtnsports.com) and pick up a copy of Viktor Kramar's "Leavenworth Rock" (the area's climbing bible). Northwest Mountain School (509-548-5823; www.mountainschool.com) offers intro, advanced and private rock- and alpine-climbing instruction on routes throughout Icicle Canyon and up into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.

River rafting,

kayaking and tubing

Many outfitters offer rafting trips down Icicle Creek and the Wenatchee River (which runs through Leavenworth), with trips tailored to suit your adrenaline habit. Some take in sections of the Wenatchee's Class IV rapids and big crashing waves while others are more mellow, and stick to nothing more hair-raising than Class II.

Here are some outfitters, some of which also offer kayaking trips and instruction, as well as mellow inner tube floats:

• Blue Sky Outfitters (www.blueskyoutfitters.com; 800- 228-7238);

• Osprey Rafting Company (www.ospreyrafting.com; 800-743-6269);

• River Riders (www.riverrider.com; 800-448-7238);

• Tube Leavenworth! (www.letsgotubing.com; 866-712-8823).

Mountain biking

Leavenworth has long been beloved by the human-powered knobby-tire set, many of whom will be making their way over for the Bavarian Bike and Brews Festival on June 6 (www.indieseries.com). It's a combination bike-beer festival featuring mountain bike races for all ages and abilities.

Two of Leavenworth's fat-tire hot spots are Freund Canyon, due north of town off the Chumstick Highway, and Devil's Gulch, an epic trail that begins about 12 miles east of Leavenworth near Cashmere and tops out by Mission Ridge Ski Area.

Stop in Das Rad Haus (1207 Front St., Leavenworth; 509-548-5615; www.dasradhaus.com) bike shop for information, bike gear or to pick up a copy of the super-comprehensive (and waterproof) "Trail Map Wenatchee & Leavenworth Washington" ($10.99; www.adventuremaps.net). Useful for hikers, too.

Hiking

Situated at the edge of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, which includes the otherworldly Enchantment Lakes, Leavenworth is the perfect springboard for some of the best hiking in Washington. In coming weeks, as mountain snows melt, consider hiking to Colchuck Lake (8.2 miles round-trip, 2,500-feet elevation gain) or Lake Stuart (9 miles round-trip, 1,800 feet), two stunning alpine lake destinations more than worthy of their wilderness designation.

Visit Leavenworth Mountain Sports (220 Highway 2, Leavenworth; 509-548-7864; www.leavenworthmtnsports.com) and pick up a copy of the above-mentioned map or Green Trails map 209S, the Enchantments.

Lake Wenatchee

State Park

Along with two campgrounds with about 200 campsites (as well as showers and flush toilets — yippee!), this park is a kind-of one-stop outdoor-adventure center. Nestled between national forest land and two wilderness areas (Glacier Peak and Henry M. Jackson), the lake boasts a spectacular mountain setting for canoeing and kayaking. (Bring your own boat; no on-site boat rentals.) Miles of nearby trails offer many day-hiking and biking opportunities. In addition, a horseback-riding concession offers guided one- and two-hour rides. For park information, call 509-763-3101; to reserve a campsite, call 888-226-7688 or see www.parks.wa.gov/reservations.

Birding

There's more to birding in Leavenworth than last month's Spring Bird Fest. In fact, no fewer than seven Leavenworth-area locales show up on Audubon Washington's Great Washington State Birding Trail, which details the state's best places to spot our feathered friends of the winged persuasion. Look for wood ducks in Icicle Creek near the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, osprey divebombing the Wenatchee River in Tumwater Canyon, or white-headed woodpeckers hacking away at Ponderosa snags in Devil's Gulch.

For a copy of the Great Washington State Birding Trail's Cascade Loop map, visit the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center (940 Highway 2, Leavenworth) or view it online (or order a copy) at http://wa.audubon.org/birds_GreatWABirdingTrail.html.