Blue Lake

Blue Lake is a hard hike in Oregon's Mount Jefferson Wilderness, within the Detroit Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest. The trail is an out-and-back of about 16 miles, with a total elevation gain of about 2,950 feet. The high point is 5,386 feet, and the route starts at about 5,363 feet, so the climb is roughly even on the way up and down. The trail is a steady climb, and horses are allowed. The Forest Service manages the land. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Santiam Junction, which sits about 1,600 feet lower, show July and August highs around 76°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 trip takes about seven hours. The closest neighbors are Dixie Lakes, about 1.4 miles away, and Duffy Prairie, about 1.7 miles away. Glacier View is about 2.2 miles off, and the Oregon Volcanoes climbing area is about 4.5 miles away.