Explore A New Side Of Blue Lake Trail, A Special North Cascades Hike In Washington
By Tori Jane|Published March 26, 2021
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that there is absolutely no shortage of beautiful hikes in Washington. There are so many, in fact, that it’s really hard to narrow it down to even, say, a “Top 20”. What we can do, though, is look at individual trails every now and again to really appreciate them, and this particular trail is no different. It’s a moderately easy, 4.6-mile trek through part of the North Cascades National Park. Believe us when we say it’s worth every single mile, because it’s absolutely beyond-words incredible!
This particular version of the Blue Lake Trail is the one off of Highway 20; there's more than one "Blue Lake Trail," so make sure you're on the correct one!
The hike is 4.4 miles round-trip; you'll wander a little over two miles each way, starting at the trailhead parking just off of Highway 20. You'll follow several boardwalks into the forest for about a quarter mile.
When the boardwalks give way to trail paths, you'll begin to notice the sounds of civilization - namely, Highway 20 - fading into the background.
The sounds of civilization will slowly replace themselves with the calling of birds, crooning of insects, and occasional calls of deer and bighorn sheep. It's also very possible you'll encounter some mountain goat on your journey as well.
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Continue deeper into the forest, you'll find yourself surrounded by evergreen trees both old and young.
The trail is intensely serene. The forest is dense and offers shade as you make your way through it and into a meadow approximately halfway through your hike.
Here you'll be able to see the Early Winters Spires, two enormous rock formations jutting up from the Liberty Bell Group of the North Cascades. Millions of years ago, it was one granite spire jutting up into the sky - but thanks to erosion by wind and water, it has taken on the appearance of being two peaks.
Once you've had your fill of the meadow's wildflowers and views, continue on the trail back into the forest.
You'll come upon a creek at this point; you can cross through it pretty easily without managing to get your feet wet.
As you close in on your ultimate reward at the end of the trail, you'll notice that you've got some amazing views of Cutthroat Peak and Whistler Mountain.
You'll hear the lake before you see it. As you approach, you'll notice a trickling sound. Follow it, when you pop out on the other side, be ready for your breath to leave your lungs.
Blue Lake is aptly named; it's an incredibly pristine, clear-as-you-could-ever-dream-of water that takes on a deep cerulean shade.
The waters reflect the mountains and trees surrounding you, and on days when clouds creep across the sky, it reflects them, too. Take all the time in the world to relax; you've earned it. The water is so clear that you'll be able to watch critters under the surface living their lives, from fish to tadpoles and anything else that feels like showing up, depending on season, of course.
It’s definitely not like there’s any shortage of beautiful hikes in Washington. This one, though, is definitely one of our favorites – one we highly recommend! While planning your trip, make sure to visit the official website to make sure there are no regional and/or seasonal closures. You’ll also need to acquire a NorthWest Forest Pass as well, which you can do on the website, too.
