Blue Lakes Trail... Southwest Colorado in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness

Joined
Oct 26, 2017
Messages
21
The Blue Lakes Trail just outside of Ridgway, Colorado has been on my list to hiking and photograph for years. I’ve seen these lakes from Blue Lake Pass, but have always been on the Yankee Boy Basin side.

2D5A0661.jpg

The Blue Lakes are located in a glacial basin in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness. There are three lakes in the basin. The lower lake is 3 miles and by far the most beautiful lake and largest of the three. As you start the hike the trail climbs steadily up from the trailhead. As you continue to hike the trail goes in and out of spruce trees, while providing great views of the Sneffels Range.

2D5A0607.jpg


2D5A0591.jpg

20180728_075210.jpg

Roughly 3 miles from the trailhead you will arrive at the Lower Blue Lake, which sits at an elevation of 10,980 feet. The view is amazing with the blue water and Mt. Sneffels towering above the lake. The lake was so pretty but the real view of this lake comes when you climb to the middle and upper lakes.

2D5A0617.jpg

From the lower lake the trail begins to climb again. The trail will ascend more than 500 feet in about a half-mile to reach the middle lake. Along the way to the middle lake you can see just how breathtaking the lower lake is.

2D5A0657.jpg

The middle lake sits around 11,500 feet and sits below the shadows of Mt. Sneffels

2D5A0681.jpg

The Upper Blue Lake is a little more than a quarter-mile away, and sits at an elevation of 11,720 feet. I was not able to get a picture of this lake due to a storm moving in. Getting back down to tree line as it started to rain. I was able to take some time and view all the flowers and plants around the trail.

2D5A0634.jpg

One last stop before heading off the mountain was a beautiful waterfall just below the lower lake.

2D5A0763.jpg

This hike had it all… great views, beautiful lakes and waterfalls, and amazing colors. I can’t wait to go back maybe next time a late fall or early spring to get some snow on the mountains.
 

Attachments

  • 2D5A0674.jpg
    2D5A0674.jpg
    78.7 KB · Views: 45
Last edited:
One of my favorite places, used to go up there all the time when I lived in that area. Watched a guy come down the pass once in a horrendous lightning storm, it was popping all around him and I was really surprised he didn't get hit.

Really beautiful photos - thanks!
 
One of my favorite places, used to go up there all the time when I lived in that area. Watched a guy come down the pass once in a horrendous lightning storm, it was popping all around him and I was really surprised he didn't get hit.

Really beautiful photos - thanks!

I've tried to climb Mt. Sneffels twice and both times did a mass dash to get off the mountain because of lightning. Those storms just come out of nowhere in that area.
 
I've tried to climb Mt. Sneffels twice and both times did a mass dash to get off the mountain because of lightning. Those storms just come out of nowhere in that area.
I was climbing it once and kept hearing a sound like I was under a big power line, then realized it was ready to pop. It took me three tries to actually climb it for the same reason. I've seen people's hair standing on end up there. Lots of iron in those mtns. If you read about the Hayden Survey they had a lot of trouble with lightning in the San Juans, too.
 
I was climbing it once and kept hearing a sound like I was under a big power line, then realized it was ready to pop. It took me three tries to actually climb it for the same reason. I've seen people's hair standing on end up there. Lots of iron in those mtns. If you read about the Hayden Survey they had a lot of trouble with lightning in the San Juans, too.

You're not kidding. Dixie of her Homemade Wanderlust fame posted this pic on her IG account earlier in the summer where she found herself with her hair standing up as well.
 
You're not kidding. Dixie of her Homemade Wanderlust fame posted this pic on her IG account earlier in the summer where she found herself with her hair standing up as well.

lol that's a good picture but scary. I had this metal piece on my camera's tripod that would make this humming noise every time there was lightning in the area. It was a great warning system but I was always worried that it was acting like a lightning rod so I took it off.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
AbinadiWitness Part 1: Telluride Via Ferrata and Mount Sneffels SW Ridge from Blue Lakes- Colorado Trip # 1 - 2017 Backpacking 0
IntrepidXJ Blue Lakes Backpacking 10
DrNed Naturalist Basin: Blue Lake to Shaler Lake? Trip Planning 12
TractorDoc CVNP Blue Hen Falls and The Ledges 07/23/2023 Hiking & Camping 7
kwc Blue Mountain hike, Central Adirondacks Hiking & Camping 0
M DragonFly ond Blue eyed Moqui Princess Panels Trip Planning 23
kwc Blue Skies and Empty Slopes Winter Sports 1
NorthwestWanderer Route Finding adventure, Copper Pass to Blue Lake - Goats, Bears, Lions, Oh my! Backpacking 3
o2bav8 A little bit of everything & don't drive on blue clay when wet Hiking & Camping 18
IntrepidXJ Album The Blue Hour Photography 39
chandlerwest Super Blue Blood Moon Photography 7
regehr Family trip to Blue John Canyoneering 22
balzaccom Blue skies and green trees in the Sierra Nevada General Discussion 0
balzaccom Blue Lake Canyon, Emigrant Wilderness Hiking & Camping 1
D Blue Springs trailhead, little colorado river, via FS6140 Trip Planning 0
steve Blue John and Horseshoe Canyons Canyoneering 7
Udink Dragonfly and Blue-Eyed Princess Hiking & Camping 8
steve Invite Blue John and Horseshoe Canyons this weekend April 18-20 Meet Up (Members Only) 9
Christian Slot Canyons in the Blue Mountains of Australia are AWESOME! General Discussion 2
IntrepidXJ Once in a Blue Moon | The Arizona Strip Hiking & Camping 18
wanderinfinn Three, Moonshine, and Blue John Canyons Canyoneering 9
Nick Blue John Canyon Canyoneering 6
uintahiker Goshute Cave and Blue Lake Trip Planning 5
B Beartooth Lakes Info Trip Planning 1
TheMountainRabbit Dana Meadows to Twin Lakes via the High Route (Yosemite/Hoover Wilderness) - August 2023 Backpacking 8
wabenho Big Pine Lakes – John Muir Wilderness Backpacking 6
shredhiker Kings Canyon July 2022 Kearsarge, Rae, & Sixty Lakes Backpacking 8
R Wind River Range: Green River Lakes/Clarks Trail/Porcupine Creek Trail Trip Planning 3
Mikjik86 Another Wind River Trip Planning! Elkhart/Titcomb/Knapsack/Shannons Pass loop back to Elkhart, or continue to Green River Lakes Trailhead? Trip Planning 10
John Goering Boulder Lakes, Tobacco Root Mountains Off Road 0
2eez4life Four lakes or Naturalist Trip Planning 5
WasatchWill WRHR - Day 7: Beaver Park to Green River Lakes Backpacking 15
westy Invite Also, Alpine Lakes Wilderness Meet Up (Members Only) 0
Mountain Wanderer Four Lakes Basin in the Southern Cabinet Mountains - Montana Backpacking 12
futurafree Beartooth Lakes and Passes Trip Planning 2
Bob USFS cabin green River Lakes, WY Trip Planning 0
travel2walk trip report: Wind River Range – Ross Lakes, Bear Basin, Grasshopper Glacier, & Dinwoody Creek loop, Aug-Sep 2020 Trip Reports 41
marquiri Wind River Range - Green River Lakes Trailhead Trip Planning 9
Parma Sawtooth Loop: Redfish, Hell Roaring, Imogene, Edna, and Cramer Lakes Backpacking 13
NorthwestWanderer North Cascades NP : Dee Dee Lakes & the Mcallister Ledge Backpacking 0
NorthwestWanderer North Cascades - Cutthroat/Granite/snowy lakes passes Backpacking 3
Mountain Wanderer Cedar Lakes Loop in Montana's Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Backpacking 4
SteveR Headwall Lakes, Alberta Hiking & Camping 6
andyjaggy Deep Creek Lakes and Windriver Peak Trip Planning 6
norwegianxplorer Rae Lakes Loop, SEKI, June 2020 Backpacking 6
Matt Van Natta HELP: Wind River Range, Baker Lake to Green River Lakes Trip Planning 7
Dreamer Wind River Dreaming | Summer 2019 July 17 - July 29 | Green River Lakes - Elkhart Park Backpacking 14
Curt Lost Twin Lakes, Cloud Peak Wilderness, Wyoming Backpacking 16
McKee80 TR: Bear Lakes Basin Pine Creek TH 09-05/11-19 Backpacking 14
Pianomover Overnighter to Caribou lakes in the Trinity Alps. Backpacking 0

Similar threads

Back
Top