Heather - Maple Pass Loop
5 days ago
Early winter conditions with intermittent snow
22 this month · 179 reports
Blue Lake
North Cascades
updated 2 weeks ago
The North Cascades Highway (Hwy 20) is experiencing snow and ice as of October 25, with higher elevation roads and trails becoming snow-covered. This suggests the end of the 2026 hiking season, and closures for the winter are likely soon. Prior to this recent snowfall, reports from October 17 to October 12 indicated snow-free trails, though some noted intermittent snow and icy spots, especially closer to the lake. Parking was often challenging, with the lot frequently full and vehicles lining the highway, even on weekdays. Larches were noted as being past their prime by October 12 and October 11, with needles dropping. The trail itself is generally in good condition, though some reports mention rocks and roots that require careful navigation for older hikers or those with mobility issues.
Generated from 112 trip reports. Trails change faster than reports do, so check anything you’d turn around for.
What hikers ask about Blue Lake
Generated from the most recent trip reports, newest 2 weeks ago. Check anything you’d turn around for.
As of October 25, the North Cascades Highway (Hwy 20) is experiencing snow and ice, and higher elevation roads are becoming snow-covered. It is likely the road will be closed for the winter soon, but it is currently still open.
Reports from October 12 through October 11 indicated intermittent snow and icy or slippery spots on the trail, particularly closer to the lake. Microspikes or traction devices were recommended by some for sections of the trail during this period.
Parking at the Blue Lake trailhead has been frequently full, with many cars lining Highway 20 as of October 17 and October 12. On October 11, parking along the highway was described as atrocious and dangerous, with vehicles parked on the highway itself.
The lake was reported as breathtaking by multiple visitors through October 16. However, by October 12 and October 11, the area near the lake was described as turning into slippery mud or having intermittent snow and icy patches.
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Trail notes generated from recent reports. Conditions change fast.
Sources
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
Road & Trail Conditions Update (10/25/26): Snow has fallen along Highway 20! Higher Elevation Roads & Trails start to become snow covered.This marks the conclusion of the 2026 Cascades Hiking Season. ...
Recent3 weeks ago
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
We reached early around 7 ish scared that we would not get a spot, but the parking lot was pretty empty.The Hike itself was fun! It was drizzling a bit and the fog made things mysterious. The larches ...
Recent3 weeks ago
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
Beautiful hike! We arrived at 3 pm and found 1 spot in the parking lot. There were options to park on the side of the road and we overlapped with some earlier groups leaving after finishing their hike...
Recent3 weeks ago
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
We arrived around 12:30pm for a short afternoon hike and had to park on the road not far from the trailhead. Note that the pit toilet at the trailhead is currently out of service.As we expected, many ...
Recent3 weeks ago
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
This trail is described as suitable for almost all, but older hikers, or those with mobility issues, should know that nearly all of the trail has rocks and roots that need to be navigated carefully. I...
Recent3 weeks ago
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
This was likely my 20thor 21sttrip to Blue Lake since my wife, our two dogs, and I first hiked there in June 2011. Over those 15 years, the lake, its smaller companion lake, the mountain goats, and th...
Recent3 weeks ago
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
Great hike - pretty steady incline, but nothing too grueling. Parking was fine, the lot was full, but parking on the highway was only 7-8 cars when I got there. Some of the needles are starting to d...
Recent4 weeks ago
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
Such a beautiful lake at almost 6000 feet!This is an easy trail known for its stunning larches. It gets super busy on the weekends so we decided to do this as a weekday sunset hike. We had heard about...
Recent4 weeks ago
North Cascades > Mount Baker Area
Arrived at 9:30. - parking lot was full so we had to park on Hwy 20. The trail was very crowded. The larches are at the end of their bloom time. The lake was beautiful.
Recent4 weeks ago
North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
We got to the trailhead at ~9:30 and parking was already along the highway (not nearly as bad as maple pass, but still more than we were expecting for a Monday morning). There was some snow/frost on a...