Blue Lake — Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025

Larch Madness! There were only about 10 cars in the parking lot when I arrived around 7:15am this lovely autumn Thursday. Toilet is open and stocked, trail in good condition to the lake. Larches are out in full force with some starting to drop needles and the colors are spectacular. The first peekaboo view of the larches on the mountain comes at just around 1 mile in, and by 2 miles you're hiking through them to the lake. Only saw a handful of people on my way to the lake and had a lovely private spot for my morning snack before the round trip. There was a gentle stream of hikers heading up on my return, and by the time I reached the parking lot just after 10am, it was full with around 20 cars overflowing along the road. With weather changes ahead and the needles starting to drop - now is a great time to go!