Blanca Lake

The directions on the WTA website are current. I would disregard past trip report information about the roads being inaccessible. We arrived on a Saturday at 10 a.m. to a completely filled parking lot. There was plenty of room to park on the side of the road, so no problem. Bring plenty of water, as there is no drinkable water easily accessible from the trail. The lake water is too cloudy to really drink. If you have trouble with tap water, then you will not want to drink the lake water. I'm sure there might be areas to scout for water off of the trail, but unless you are survivor man/woman, you might have some serious issues if you don't bring enough water. A large water bladder is recommended. I used a 2.5 liter bladder and still ran out about a third of the way back down. I wouldn't bring a dog on this hike unless you bring plenty of water for it. I saw some dogs on the trail but the dogs looked seriously parched.

The trail is a steep climb over a mountain and then another steep climb down to the lake. Contrary to the description, this hike is not too bad. It kind of reminded me of Mount Si. If you've done Mt. Si (to the top that is), you can definitely do this one. It's steep, no question, but it's only 3.5 miles to the lake. I even saw a "bigger" couple dressed in business casual attire at the lake, which was interesting. I can't imagine they had an easy time of it, but they made it to the lake nonetheless. Yay. I wouldn't recommend bringing first-time hikers on this one. It might be their last. But it's definitely the place to take out-of-towners who brag about how much more beautiful their state is compared to Washington. This lake settles the dispute for good. The pictures are amazing, but can’t replace seeing it in person. That said, whatever you do, do not forget your camera.

At the lake, there is plenty of room to camp if you can lug all that gear up. This is perfect for a one-night stay. You really wouldn't want to stay longer than that, since the lake can get very crowded (think Lake Washington on a hot day crowded) and there isn't too much to explore beyond the lake itself. I don't recommend camping here unless you live more than 3-4 hours away from the trailhead. If you live 1-3 hours away, I recommend packing a lunch and finding a more remote area around the lake to hang out for a few hours before making the trek back. I like to call this "day hiking with benefits"--all of the benefits of backpacking with a nice hot shower and comfy bed at the end of the day :)

There were really no bugs to speak of whilst we were there. The weather was very warm (80-ish), but it was a good idea to pack a jacket since it began to rain right after we left the lake.