Blue Lake Trail

This 4.5 mile out-and-back is a perfect high mountain trail in the Sky Lakes Wilderness or a perfect 5 mile loop trail also in the Sky Lakes Wilderness.

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Driving

– It’s a 1 hour and 45 minute drive from Exit 30 in Medford. Head towards Crater Lake on Crater Lake Highway – Route 62. Take the expressway bypass next to the airport and when you hit Route 62 again turn left and quickly turn right on Route 140 towards Lake of the Woods. At about one hour into your drive, before you get to Fish Lake turn left towards Willow Lake. Maybe that’s Route 34 but that’s not on any sign you will see.

15 minutes after that turn you’ll turn right on an unmarked dirt road with a cattle guard that looks like it does in the video. There will be a number of smaller dirt roads that cross the main dirt road and when you are at about 90 minutes into your drive there will be a hairpin turn to your right. Again, check out the video. Now it’s uphill for 15 more minutes and bam, trailhead.

Parking

– There are a pile of dirt parking spots to the right and a chunk of dirt parking spots to the left. It’s a big, messy widening of a remote forest service road. A little rutted but plenty of room and options.

Hiking

– The 4.5 mile out and back worked great when we did a snowy “shoulder season” hike up to Blue Lake and back. There is an info sign uphill to the right of the parking area and to the right of that a decently maintain trail begins. Gently the trail roams gently downhill. It’s gentle! In one mile you will pass Puck Lake on your right. It’s great. Continue on for another mile and you will arrive a Blue Lake on your right again. It is also great, just four times bigger. Now if it’s snowy and you didn’t bring your snowshoes turn around and go home. A pretty good time.

But in the summer? Continue onward, past Blue Lake and turn right on some trail and then right again on some trail then left somewhere and back to the parking area.

4.5 miles. Lake. Boom!