Colorado · Hiking

Blue Lake

3.9 mi
round trip
774 ft
climb
9,827 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Blue Lake open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Blue Lake is a moderate out-and-back hike in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, within the Parks Ranger District. The trail is about 3.9 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 774 feet, taking you from a low point of about 9,047 feet to a high of about 9,827 feet. The Forest Service manages the land. The route is natural-surfaced and allows horses, so it works well for riders. Bikes are not permitted. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Spicer, which sits about 1,400 feet lower, show July highs around 77°F with lows near 42°F. That station's figures are not directly comparable to the higher trail, but they give a sense of the warmest stretch. The hike is open year-round. Twin Lakes is about 0.7 miles away, and the Ute Pass Trail and Frying Pan Basin are both within about 2.5 miles. For an overnight stay, Lake John Campsite is about 6 miles off.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Blue Lake

    Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      28° / 7°

      8 wet

    2. Feb

      31° / 9°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      40° / 15°

      8 wet

    4. Apr

      49° / 23°

      9 wet

    5. May

      59° / 30°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 36°

      8 wet

    7. Jul

      77° / 42°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      76° / 40°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 34°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      55° / 25°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      39° / 16°

      8 wet

    12. Dec

      29° / 9°

      8 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Spicer, CO, 25.6 mi away at 8,385 ft. The station sits about 1,400 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Bear LakesPhoto: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Twin Lakes

~1 min drive

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Three Island LakePhoto: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Three Island Lake

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Ute Pass Trail

~4 min drive

6.68-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest with 1,929 ft gain.

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Bighorn Lake Trail

~10 min drive

1.17-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 400 ft gain and 10,200 ft max elevation