This is a quick review of the Lake Blanche trailhead, Utah. This hike is located in Big Cottonwood canyon and honestly, it’s not my favorite for a few reasons. I’ll get into them, but just know in advance that this is a brief overview and not an in depth post. Information you can quickly skim through before you head out on the trail!
The trail itself:
This hike is only 7 miles out and back with a 2,811 ft elevation gain. It’s well covered by trees, so you’ll be protected from the sun for most of your hike!
The Lake Blanche trailhead itself is a little hidden. you’ll start on a paved road, but after only a few yards you’ll veer right onto a steep, really rocky path. It looks a bit like an old stream bed. The trail does become more obvious as you go on, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally going off route.
The trail is fairly steep! It’s only a 7 mile hike but it feels much longer because of the incline, which is pretty consistent throughout. If you’re planning a family hike, just be prepared to go slow and take breaks! In the same spirit, bring more water than you would normally plan to. It’s definitely doable, and we made good time. But I was a lot more winded at the top than usual!
Lake Blanche
Okay, here’s why Lake Blanche doesn’t make my list of recommended hikes. The lake is really beautiful, but for the same effort you can get much better views. In fact, for way less effort you can get better views. It’s a man-made lake and you can tell, which takes away some of the awe. You also aren’t allowed to swim. It’s a great hike if you love being outside just in general! But if you are someone who hikes for the views, I don’t think it would be worth the effort of the trail to you. This is why I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone!
There’s a small waterfall if you continue down the trail past the lake. Honestly this part of the hike was my favorite, since it goes through a small flower field with the mountain as a backdrop. It was the most scenic portion in my opinion.
If you’re looking for a low effort hike with jaw dropping views, this is my plug for you to check out my post about Silver Lake in American Fork canyon. It’s insanely easy, you can swim in the lake, and man, the views had me doing a little happy dance. Check out that post by clicking here!
Should I hike Lake blanche?
Yes! You should. Our group all agreed that we were glad we did it once. I also don’t care to do it again. The summit view—though beautiful—doesn’t have the same awe-inspiring effect as others I have seen. Definitely check it off your list, and then move on to some real stunners!
As always, safe adventures!
And thank you:) I’m glad you’re here.
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