Blanca Lake is located in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness Area

Henry M. Jackson Wilderness

The Henry M. Jackson Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in the state of Washington, United States.-History:The Henry M. Jackson Wilderness was created by the 1984 Washington Wilderness Act and named after former US Senator Henry M. Jackson of Washington...

 in the Cascade Mountains of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Washington.

Blanca Lake sits in a basin surrounded by the peaks of Monte Cristo

Monte Cristo Peak

Monte Cristo Peak is a mountain peak in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in Washington state. Together with Columbia Peak and Kyes Peak it forms a basin that contains Columbia Glacier and Blanca Lake...

, Kyes

Kyes Peak

Kyes Peak is a mountain peak in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in Washington, United States. Kyes Peak rises to over . Together with Columbia Peak and Monte Cristo Peak it forms a basin that contains Columbia Glacier and Blanca Lake...

, and Columbia

Columbia Peak

Columbia Peak is a mountain peak in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in the U.S. state of Washington. Columbia Peak rises to . Together with Monte Cristo Peak and Kyes Peak it forms a basin that contains Columbia Glacier and Blanca Lake....

. The lake is fed by the Columbia Glacier

Columbia Glacier (Washington)

Columbia Glacier is a glacier located in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises from 4,700 to about 5,600 feet above sea level...

 to the northwest and is drained by Troublesome Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Skykomish River. The glacier's cold, silt-filled melt water is what makes the lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 a spectacular turquoise green color.
Blanca Lake is accessible only by foot, along the Blanca Lake Trail. The trail begins at 1900 ft (579 m) and climbs quickly from switchback to switchback, gaining 2700 ft (823 m) elevation over 3 mi (4.8 km), finally arriving at the top of a ridge. From the ridge-top, the trail continues through sub-alpine meadows until you reach Virgin Lake

Virgin Lake

Virgin Lake is a small lake located at the edge of the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness Area along the Blanca Lake Trail in Washington, USA. The lake is 4,577 ft. above sea level. Due to its elevation, and the wet climate in the Pacific Northwest, Virgin Lake is typically only accessible 4–8...

 at 4600 ft (1,402 m). From Virgin Lake, the trail gets rocky, and steeply descends 600 ft (183 m) over 0.5 mi (0.80467 km) to Blanca Lake. Due to its elevation, and the heavy snow snowpack of the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...

, Blanca Lake is typically only easily accessible from July until the snows of October or November.

Its beauty makes it a very popular destination for hikers, despite the difficult climb up the mountain trail.

To get to the trailhead, take US Forest Road 65/Beckler Road 13.7 mi (22 km) near Skykomish, WA to the intersection with US Forest Road 63. Continue on Forest Road 63 for another 2 mi (3.2 km). Northwest Forest Pass required to park.

External links

• US Forest Service