USA Blue Lake

There are two premier hikes in the North Cascades of Washington State; this is one of them. The other is Maple Loop also described in this web site. This hike typifies the beauty of a high mountain lake surrounded by sheer granite mountains. It is especially beautiful in the autumn as the larch trees turn their golden yellow color and accented by the evergreens surrounding.

You will want to come the first week of October for the fall colors. Check the weather carefully as it is changes quickly and snow comes early. You will want to be at the lake early as the sun rises straight ahead and you will want to shoot before it crests the mountain ridge. A polarizer filter doesn't help much. You will want to bring along your wide angle lens.

The trailhead is well sign posted on the south side of highway 20 being just west of Washington Pass. Park there and walk the approximately 2 miles (3km) to the lake and turn to the right of the outlet and follow the shoreline for the classical bent larch photo above. There are plenty of other compositions around the lake which will take some exploring. It is an incredibly beautiful site. Come early as this is a VERY popular hike and will fill up both car park and lake by 9AM.