Blue Lake
- 10.0 mi
- round trip
- 760 ft
- climb
- 8,593 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Blue Lake open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Salmon-Challis National Forest.
Stoddard Bridge Construction Closure
Agency alert covering Salmon-Challis National Forest · Order 0413-07-17 · USFS · Salmon-Challis National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Salmon-Challis National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Blue Lake is a hard hike of about 10 miles in Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest, within the Middle Fork Ranger District. It is managed by the Forest Service, and the trail is rated hard, with about 760 feet of one-way elevation gain. The route is an out-and-back that climbs from a low point of about 5,631 feet to a high of about 8,593 feet. The trail surface is natural, and horses are allowed. Bikes are not. Nearby, Deer Creek is about a mile away, and Horse Ladder and Beaver-Trail Creek are both about 4 miles off. Tin Cup Campground, about 4 miles away, is the closest place to camp.
Local outfitters
- The Sawmill Station32 mi away
- Camp Perkins46 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Northwest Rafting Company, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Middle Fork Trail
~17 min drive
1.56-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 172 ft elevation gain/loss.
Photo: Northwest Rafting Company, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Middle Fork East
~18 min drive
24.99-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 117 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Horse Ladder
~7 min drive
11.28-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,853 ft elevation gain.
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Fish Lake
~15 min drive
3.99-mile out-and-back trail to Fish Lake in Idaho with 1,242 ft of elevation gain.
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Beaver-Trail Creek
~13 min drive
1.18-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 19 ft gain and 284 ft loss.
Photo: Northwest Rafting Company, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Norton Lake
~18 min drive
38.80-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,685 ft elevation gain.
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Jack Creek Trail
~11 min drive
12.16-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,956 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Sheep Creek
~15 min drive
5.93-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,122 ft elevation gain.
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Jack Creek Spur 1
~17 min drive
1.56-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 532 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Deer Creek
~2 min drive
7.06-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 152 ft gain and 3,048 ft loss.
