If you’re traveling in the North Cascades – truly one of America’s most underrated national parks – and you’re looking for a hike that you can do in an afternoon with seriously rewarding views, look no further. Hiking to Blue Lake, just over four miles round-trip, has one of the best reward-to-difficulty ratio in the entire park. You’ll love visiting an incredible glacial lake set beneath some mammoth granite peaks.
Even the drive to the trailhead is well worth it, taking you past Diablo Lake. It’s one of the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen. You’ll also see some pretty remarkable geological formations along the way.
I did this hike last summer and compiled everything you need to know about the hike – how to get there, what to expect, and what to bring. So please, do yourself a favor, grab a snack, lace your boots up tight, and hit the trail. You won’t regret it.

Why Hike to Blue Lake?
The hike to Blue Lake best combines incredible views and an awesome alpine lake, while not being too long or difficult.
The hike is 4.4 miles round-trip on an out-and-back trail and you’ll climb about 1,050 feet along the way.
In general, hikes in the park can be broken down into two categories:
- Hikes (like those around Diablo Lake) that are reasonably flat and thus pretty boring (at least in my book)
- Hikes like the Heather-Maple Pass Loop Trail that’s 7.2 miles and has 2,000 feet of elevation gain and thus, requires an early start and decent planning (something I often lack).
So, if you’re like me and want a trail that you can start mid-afternoon that’s going to be rewarding, beautiful, and not too rigorous, look no further than Blue Lake.
Distance: 4.4 miles out-and-back
Elevation Gain: About 1050 feet
Time to Hike: 3-4 hours depending on how long you spend at the lake.
Difficulty: Moderate
Best Season To Hike: This trail cannot be hiked during the winter months. The trailhead is accessible only from a section of highway 20 that is closed between late November and late April.
How To Get To The Blue Lake Trailhead?
You basically just have to head east on highway 20 (the main park highway) to the trailhead. The drive is spectacular and takes you past Diablo Lake. Definitely stop and check out the vista.

Parking at the trailhead can fill up, but we didn’t have an issue (we hiked in late August and started around 2pm). However, given how short the hike is, even if the parking lot is full, I’d just hang around for a bit and wait for someone to leave.
Along the way, stop at the Washington Pass Overlook. It’s near the Blue Lake Trailhead and there’s a short, five minute walk on a paved trail to a stunning overlook. It’s totally worth seeing, especially since you’re passing nearby.
Hiking To Blue Lake

The trail starts at the trailhead. The first quarter mile of the hike meanders through the forest on and off boardwalks.
After about ten minutes, the trail begins to climb. The path is only ever moderately steep and takes you along switchbacks up through mountain meadows and forests.
About halfway through the hike, the trail splits. One route continues straight to Blue Lake. The other route goes left onto the Liberty Bell Trail, up to Washington Pass where there’s epic rock climbing. We didn’t take this detour and just kept following the main path.

There’s really no way to get lost along this trail. The path is well-marked and very clear. After about a mile of hiking, you’ll start seeing some beautiful views of the mountains beyond the valley behind you.

The trail flattens out at about mile 2.2 as the lake comes into view. At this point, you’ll have a chance to take the trail up to the left or down to the right.
The trail to the left looks more attractive as it seems to gain elevation and promises to deliver better views of the lake. Hikers often take this route at first. Unfortunately, you’ll end up having to double back as this trail fizzles out very quickly and there are no good places to sit. It’s much better to take the option to the right which drops down to the lake.
The Destination: Blue Lake
While the hike itself is gorgeous, the destination is even better. As you come to the end, you’ll find Blue Lake, a stunning alpine lake, nestled under the rise of some jagged granite peaks. The lake is the result of massive ice-age glaciers that carved out the lake’s basin as they advanced and retreated. As they melted, the water accumulated and formed Blue Lake.
My favorite part of Blue Lake is the famed glacial turquoise hue, a striking result of glacial meltwater blending with fine silt. This silt, often called ‘glacial flour,’ forms as the immense weight of the glacier grinds rocks into a fine dust, which then remains suspended in the water. However, without any algae in the lake, it’s still extremely clear and screams “swim in me!” It was way too cold for me when we arrived, but on a hot day, I’d definitely come prepared for a dip.
You’ll arrive along the northwestern section of the lake and there are some awesome flat rocks right along the water’s edge that are perfect for picnicking, sunbathing, or selfying. However, this is also where every hiker stops. If you want more privacy continue to take the trail along the southeastern edge of the lake.
This is definitely an “unofficial” trail from this point out, but if you take this, you’ll get to the top of a hill and have an even better view of the lake. The trail seemed to continue onwards, but we only followed it until this point.

How To Get Back
Generally, just follow the trail back the way you came.
It’s possible that you’ll get a bit mixed up at the bottom, near the trailhead (we did). However, you should hear and see the road by the point that the trail gets a bit confusing. Fortunately, all trails seem to lead to the trailhead and, provided you keep the road to your right, you’ll make it back.
Once back at the trailhead, hydrate up, pack out all your trash, and go share this blog post across the internet (we can say that, right?).
What to Bring
This isn’t a very strenuous hike and the path is solid and well-defined, but it does get cold up at the lake, so come prepared. Here’s what I’d recommend you bring. For more in-depth tips, you could check out this recommended hiking packing list:
- Hiking Boots/Shoes: Bring a pair of steady hiking shoes or boots. Trailrunners would be fine on this trail. If you’re like me and only go in barefoot shoes, here are the barefoot shoes I would recommend for this hike.
- Warm Clothes: Blue Lake is at about 6,200 feet so it gets chilly by the lake. The wind was really ripping through when we got up there, so I would bring a hat, fleece, and down jacket if you plan on chilling by the lake. Most of the trail up to the lake is fairly protected from the wind, so if you’re one of those psychos that doesn’t ever rest and won’t be picnicking by Blue Lake, you could likely get away with just a down jacket or fleece.
- Rain Gear: Rain can come quickly at this elevation. I’d pack a rain jacket just to be safe. It’s also helpful as a windbreaker. Here’s some tips on what to wear when hiking in the rain.
- Water: Don’t forget to bring enough of the elixir of life. The North Cascades doesn’t get especially hot in the summer – it maxes out at about 80F – but I’d still bring about 2 liters of water per person for this hike.
- Sun Protection: Especially during July and August, the sun can get strong. I’d bring a hat and sunscreen.
- Snacks: This isn’t that long of a hike, but it’s a gorgeous place to enjoy a trail lunch or snack. If I really want to motivate myself, I’ll bring Cheez-Its (I know! I know!).

Some Final Thoughts on Blue Lake
This is a beautiful hike that I would consider family-friendly. All-in-all, it took us a bit over three hours to hike. Keep your eye out for the marmots that scream at your arrival.
I hope that you enjoy the North Cascades National Park.