Blue Lake Trail

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

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