Blanca Lake

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Blanca Lake, Washington, USA

Blanca Lake is located in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness Area in the Cascade Mountains of the U.S. state of Washington.

Blanca Lake sits in a basin surrounded by the peaks of Monte Cristo, Kyes, and Columbia. The lake is fed by the Columbia Glacier to the northwest, which in turn feeds Troublesome Creek. The glacier's cold, silt-filled melt water is what makes the lake a spectacular turquoise green color.

Blanca Lake is accessible only by foot, along the Blanca Lake Trail. The trail begins at 1,900 ft. and climbs quickly from switchback to switchback until reaching a ridge at 2,700 ft over 3 miles. From the ridge-top, the trail continues to climb through sub-alpine meadows until you reach Virgin Lake at 4,600 ft. From Virgin Lake, the trail gets rocky, and steeply descends 500 ft over 0.5 mile to Blanca Lake. Due to its elevation, and the wet climate of the Pacific Northwest, Blanca Lake is typically only accessible for 4-8 weeks per year, in July and August.

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