Blue Lakes Trail Colorado Hike Guide
The Blue Lakes trail is a stunning hike located in Southern Colorado that takes hikers up to three different high alpine lakes in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The lower lake, the first that hikers encounter, is a bright turquoise making it one of the most unique in the state. If you continue on to the upper lakes you gain views of the rugged San Juan Mountains, including 14er Mt Sneffels that surround the basin. Although the Blue Lakes trail is a very reasonable day hike, many choose to extend this trail into multiple days. As of 2027, permits will be required to both day hike and overnight hike this trail due to overuse and poor land treatment by many recreators. Permits are expected to be required June 1st – September 30th.
Blue Lakes Trail Hike Guide
Blue Lakes Trail Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars) *Destination Hike*
Distance: 7 Miles RT to Lower Lake, 9 Miles RT to Upper Lake, 12 Miles RT to Pass
Elevation Start: 9,370ft
High Point: Lower Lake: 10,980ft Upper Lake: 11,700ft, Pass: 12,990ft
Total Elevation Gain: 3,600ft – less if you are not going to the upper lakes or pass
Estimated Time to Complete: 4-6 Hours (Day Hike) / 2 Days, One Night (Backpacking)
Difficulty: Moderate What does this mean?
Class: Class 1 – What does this mean?
Season: July – October (Expect Snow Outside of this Period)
Crowds: High – although this will likely dip to Moderate with permit system
Directions to Blue Lakes Trail
Trailhead: Blue Lakes
Getting Here: This hike is located just outside of Ridgeway, Colorado. From town head West on CO-62 for about 4.5 miles and turn right onto CO Rd 7. Follow this for about 9 miles until you reach the trailhead. The road starts paved but quickly turns into dirt but should be accessible by most passenger cars. This is a SLOW GOING road so please drive safely and respect the residents in the area.
Parking: The parking lot was recently redesigned to have slots for each car. As of 2027, a permit will likely be required to both day hike and overnight hike so parking should not be an issue. There is a vault toliet at the trailhead as well, PLEASE treat it with respect and DO NOT leave trash here. Pack out whatever you packed in.
Fee: None as of 2026. Proposed daily fee of $5 in 2027 and $25 for overnights. These will both be managed through recreation.gov
Permits: Permits will likely be required in 2027 for both a single day or overnight visit of the Blue Lakes. The reservation period is expected to be June 1st – September 30th and managed through recreation.gov.
Summary
Dogs: Blue Lakes trail is a dog friendly but a very popular hike so expect other dogs along the way. This entire hike is in a Wilderness Area so please keep your dogs on a leash and as always, pick up after them and PACK OUT there poop if you bag it.
Camping: Camping on the Blue Lakes will change significantly starting in 2027. There will be clearly signed spots and limited number of permits issued each day which will make this a much harder spot to camp. The reason for these permits is due to the overuse which heavily damaged the ecosystem near the Lower Blue Lake. There are some dispersed (car) camping spots near the trailhead but PLEASE do not create new spots if you need to camp here.
Water: Water is plentiful on this hike but please be careful and filter or boil all water. Due to the amount of human waste that was improperly buried or packed out, the water that runs off the lake is likely contaminated and should be treated with caution.
Make it a Loop: This is an out and back hike with the most obvious extension of the hike being 14er Mt Sneffels. Hikers could easily take the Class 3 Southwest Ridge or hike down the pass to the standard route.
Hike Tip(s): How Blue Lakes Look
Like most stunning blue alpine lakes, the sun will have a drastic affect on how the Blue Lakes appear. On a sunny day, after a large rainstorm the night before if possible, the waters will look the most vibrant blue. However, I would STRONGLY encourage you to hike at least part way up to the Upper Blue Lakes as the view of Lower Blue Lake from above is absolutely stunning and worth the extra mileage and elevation gain.
Trail X Factor(s): The initial climb on the Blue Lakes trail can catch hikers off guard as it climbs several hundred feet per mile before mellowing out a bit as you get past two miles or so. If you choose to continue on past the lower lake there is another big climb before the upper lakes as well.
Best Views: There is no doubt about it, Blue Lakes Trail is one of the best in all of Colorado and a true gem of Southern Colorado. Time it with the leaves turning or with the Summer wildflowers and you make it even more special but the views here are just stunning overall. We enjoyed the aerial views of the lower lake but I also loved the mountainous backdrop of the upper ones as well. If you have a good weather window and the legs to climb more, heading up to the pass is well worth it.
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- Hoka Mafate 5
- La Sportiva Cyklon
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- Running Vest
- Running Vest Larger
- Backpack (Winter)
- Backpack (Summer)
- Sunglasses
- Base Layers
- T Shirt
- Mid Layer
- Rain Jacket / Shell
- Pants
- Shorts
- Socks
- Food & Water
- Optional: Water Filter
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles – 120CM
- Optional: Headlamp
- Optional:
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, Selfie Stick, GoPro Max 2 , Drone, Insta360
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