Blue Lake Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Thomas Lake Trailhead
- End point: Blue Lake
- Trail log: Trail Log
- Hike type: Out and Back
- Distance: 6.6 miles
- Elevation gain: 980 feet
- High point: 4,805 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: June to November
- Family Friendly: Yes, for older kids
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: Yes
Contents |
Hike Description
This hike starts at the Thomas Lake Trailhead. Once you arrive, there are two tickets to entry. First, display your Northwest Forest Pass in plain sight inside your car. Then, you'll need to fill out a wilderness permit from the box at the trailhead and attach it to your pack. If you are backpacking, camping in the Thomas Lake and Blue Lake areas is only allowed in designated campsites (see the map at the trailhead}. Now, you're ready to start up the trail on a hike that takes you through classic indian Heaven meadows and past 11 named mountain lakes as well as a number of anonymous tarns. Bear in mind that in early summer mosquitoes abound along this trail of many lakes: many hikers wait until mid-summer to experience the delights of Indian Heaven because of the millions of jabbing proboscises.
The Thomas Lake Trail #111 starts in a regrowing clearcut, but soon enters the forest. There's a short climb to the wilderness boundary and you'll reach the first cluster of lakes in about half a mile. On the left, you'll see Dee Lake and on the right, larger Thomas Lake. (From Dee Lake, there's the option of heading right on a narrow path around Thomas Lake that leads past designated campsites and secluded Lake Kwaddis.) Passing over a footbridge, you'll get a good view left to Heather Lake on the left side of the trail. All of these lakes are tree lined, with typically very calm water. Camping is only permitted in marked campsites in this area.
After these three lakes, the trail soon reaches the Thomas Lake-Eunice Lake Trail Junction at the base of a slope. Bear left to visit Eunice Lake, passing a small tarn on the left. Eunice Lake is a quiet lake nestled below a mossy talus slope in deep forest. Return to the main trail, and wind up to switchback and reach the top of a rise. The trail levels, and you’ll get a glimpse left to the snowy summit of Mount Rainier. After crossing an extended turnpike, you’ll see a user trail leading left for a view to Mount Saint Helens and down to Eunice Lake through the trees. Pass across a typical Indian Heaven meadow, where blueberry clumps turn crimson in the fall. Cross a couple of boardwalks to reenter the forest. A creek runs to the left of the trail, which soon begins to rise. After you see a small lake off to the left, look for a path leading up and then steeply down to rarely-visited Brader Lake. There’s a single backcountry campsite on the peninsula that juts into Brader Lake.
The trail keeps rising, and a spur leads right to a small, unnamed lake. Switchback at a talus slope, and ascend more steeply to switchback again to get a fuller view of Mount Rainier. The trails then winds gradually down past Naha Lake on the right. The burned slopes of East Crater loom ahead as you enter an open meadow to reach a multi-signed junction. Here, the Thomas Lake Trail makes a sharp right, while a section of the old Cascade Crest Trail heads off to the north towards Bear Lake (see the Acker Lake Loop Hike and the Indian Heaven Lakes Loop Hike). You can visit Rock Lake straight ahead. Walking down the west shore of Rock Lake, you'll soon arrive at Little Rock Lake, and then a micro-bushwhack of 50 yards to the right takes you back to the Thomas Lake Trail.
The trail turns southeast through a meadow and crosses a couple of rock-filled creeks. On your right, you’ll pass a couple of shallow lakes at the high point of the hike. Just beyond the screen of trees behind these two lakes is Lake Umtux. the trail drops gently and, at a tarn on the left side of the trail, you’ll see the former route of the Pacific Crest Trail heading north. Now pass along a linear meadow before reaching the head of a gully and crossing a creek. The trail drops, and soon it reaches a short spur to Lake Sahalee Tyee on the left, where there's one designated campsite. From here, the Thomas Lake Trail continues to drop and pass above the north shore of Blue Lake. Short trails lead to the lake shore and the rugged north face of Gifford Peak looms above. Soon, you'll reach the Pacific Crest-Thomas Lake Trail Junction.
Further explorations might take you to Tombstone Lake, just to the south, or north along the Pacific Crest Trail to East Crater and Junction Lake.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Wind River, WA #397 and Lone Butte, WA #365
- Indian Heaven (USFS)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Adams Wilderness, Indian Heaven Wilderness, Trapper Creek Wilderness
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Adams Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount St. Helens - Mt. Adams
Regulations or restrictions, etc
- Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Pass) required to park at trailhead
- Self-issued Wilderness Permit required
- Outhouse, picnic table, boot brush at trailhead
- $3 toll at Bridge of the Gods each way
- Camping closer than 250 feet of Blue Lake, Thomas Lake, Dee Lake, Heather Lake, Eunice Lake, Lake Kwaddis, and Lake Sahalee Tyee is permitted in designated spots only. Click on brochure image for a campsite map with coordinates.
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Blue Lake
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Blue Lake
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Day Hiking Mount Adams and Goat Rocks by Tami Asars
- Fall Color Hikes: Washington by Tami Asars
- 100 Hikes: Northwest Oregon by William L. Sullivan
- Day Hiking: South Cascades by Dan A Nelson & Alan L. Bauer
- Hiking Washington’s Mount Adams Country by Fred Barstad
- Portland Hikes by Art Bernstein & Andrew Jackman
- 95 Virtual Hikes of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument by Northwest Hiker
- 33 Hiking Trails: Southern Washington Cascades by Don & Roberta Lowe
- Indian Heaven Back Country by Mel Hansen
- Washington Hiking by Scott Leonard
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Craig Hill & Matt Wastradowski
More Links
- Divine Colors in Indian Heaven (Linda’s Lens)
- Backpack Indian heaven to Blue Lake (The Outbound Collective)
- Thomas Lake Trail #111 (Hiking Project)
- Thomas Lake Trail (All Trails)
- Thomas Lake (Oregon Adventures)
- “Indian Heaven Wilderness is Eden of lakes and huckleberries” (Seattle Times)
Contributors
- Stevefromdodge (creator)