Blanca Lake sits far enough back in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness that just getting to the trailhead is a project: miles of gravel forest roads that eat up more time than the map suggests. The trail doesn't ease you in, either. It climbs through old growth for a while, past Douglas firs so wide that two of us together couldn't reach around one, then breaks out into meadows that don't look like they belong in the Cascades. Heather, beargrass and standing dead snags are scattered across open ground, more high desert than rainforest. It's a strenuous stretch with enough switchbacks that we stopped counting, but the terrain changes often enough that you don't mind the climb much.

Even after all that, the lake caught me off guard. It's fed by the Columbia Glacier above, and the meltwater turns it an impossible turquoise, pale seafoam in the shallows and deep teal toward the middle, like someone dyed it. The far shore is a wall of bare rock still holding snow in August. The near shore is stacked with driftwood, whole logs piled up where the outlet must run high in spring. We pitched our tents right in among the logs and spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the waterline with nowhere else to be. It was worth every mile of that gravel road. (If you like your lakes this color, Vesper Lake is another one.)

For a lake hike with a lot less climbing, the Baker Lake Trail follows the shore through old-growth forest.

Trail details

Distance: about 8 miles round trip
Elevation gain: about 3,400 feet, with a high point of 4,600 feet on the ridge near Virgin Lake before you drop down to Blanca
Trailhead: from US 2 at Skykomish, take Beckler River Road (FR 65) to Jack Pass, then FR 63 for about 2 miles to a small lot that holds around 20 cars
Passes: Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass; the trail enters the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness
Camping: not allowed within half a mile of the lake; Virgin Lake and the ridge above it are open
Difficulty: strenuous, with steady switchbacks up to the ridge and a steep descent to the lake that you get to climb back out of
Source: WTA (checked October 2026)

Update (October 2026): We camped on the lakeshore in 2010, but the rules have changed since. The Forest Service banned camping and campfires within half a mile of Blanca Lake in 2021, so plan to camp at Virgin Lake or on the ridge above it. WTA also lists a December 2025 alert that the trailhead can't be reached because Beckler River Road (FR 65) is closed by flood damage. Check road status before you drive out.