Blue Lake is a great day-hike in the North Cascades. The only thing not so great about it, is the trail may have crowds. This trail is really only hikable three months out of the year, July to September. You can go swimming in the sub-alpine lake, but even in the summer, the temperature of this lake is very cold since it’s being fed by a glacier.
Blue Lake
The trail itself is 4.4 miles round-trip. It’s a moderate hike and the trail-head is right off the Cascade Highway, Highway 20. The trail-head is 32 miles West of Winthrope, WA and is technically in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
Trail heading up to Blue Lake
When you start this trail, the trail quickly escapes the busy road, and heads right into the woods as you head up toward the sub-alpine lake. The mountain goats are common around here and something I did not know is mountain goats like to dig up your pee. So if you have to go to the bathroom, make sure you head off trail to urinate so the mountain goats aren’t going on the trail. Also, if you can, pee on a rock instead of the soil so your urine with evaporate instead of sinking into the soil for them to dig up later.
The trail is very easy to follow so you should have no problems :). Hope you enjoy your hike and have a great day!
The map for this region is here.
If you want more information on this trail, you can visit the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Website below 🙂
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/okawen/recreation/recarea/?recid=59115
If your interested in a Topo of the North Cascades region, here is the link. Happy Trails!!!!!
Sincerely,
Shelly/Livingonthedirt
How do you deal with sleeping in the heat,the cold,or with bugs coming in?
You prepare yourself so when it is cold, you are not cold, and when it’s warm, sleeping outside doesn’t bother me. Bugs never bothered me either, unless if they are in mass quantities, and then you put on a bug net. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best! That’s what I do.