Blue Lake — Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025

First time at Blue Lake! I arrived at the trailhead a little after 3 on a Tuesday, the lot was full so parked about .2 miles down the road (there were closer spots, I just didn’t want to park my Prius on a sharp angle or parallel park). Not too crowded despite the number of cars, larches start just before 2 miles into the hike and continue. Beautiful fall colors up at the lake, and on the advice of other hikers I took the Tairn Loop on the side to a small reflecting pool and gorgeous grove of larches. Definitely recommend for anyone seeking a shorter/easier larch hike - but beware of crowds!