This trail is very popular!  I hiked to Lake Blanche on a weekday and still saw about 80+ people so imagine double to even triple that on weekends and holidays.  This is moose and even bear country so be prepared for that too.

To park, you will want to find the Mill B South trailhead in Big Cottonwood Canyon.  There are a few trails that leave from this spot and it does get quite crowded so you may have to park alongside the road.  To get to the actual Lake Blanche Trailhead you will need to hike about 1100 ft on the paved path to the east of the restrooms.   You will then see a sign pointing to the south where the Lake Blanche Trail begins.

From here the trail will steadily gain in elevation.  It isn’t so bad but it’s just a long hike but it goes through several groves of aspen trees and pass by overlooks.

After about 700 ft from the trailhead you will come to the Mill B South Fork Bridge.  This is the only time you will pass over the creek so enjoy it while you can!

You will then make one large switchback and the trail will straighten out for about two miles until you come to the remaining switchbacks.  You can get glimpses of Sundial Peak and just know that Lake Blanche is directly below it.

The trail is narrow and I was often surprised by how many people don’t know about basic hiking etiquette.  You are supposed to yield to uphill hikers, but there a lot of hikers who would nearly bulldoze me as they would be hiking down.  I would turn a corner and all of a sudden a group of three people would be coming full speed towards me and I couldn’t get out of the way in time and have to step into some bushes or trees. 

It was interesting because all the older hikers I saw coming down would stop and allow me to hike up, some would even say “you have the right of way”.  Younger hikers didn’t seem aware of this courtesy and didn’t try to make room for anyone to pass. Anyway, it’s just something I noticed more on this hike than others.  Maybe because it has a lot more traffic?

Back to the trek!

After hiking through scrub oak, aspen and pine trees for the two miles you will come to the last of the switchbacks.  The last switchbacks will gain you enough elevation to hike on the east side of Lake Blanche so you don’t have to rock scramble on the enormous rock face that surrounds the lakes.  You can see Sundial Peak and know that you are getting very close!

Once you get up to the top you will pass by some rock graffiti and then see part of a retaining wall.  This is the north east side of Lake Blanche!  The trail will stay on the north side or you can take the east trail to see some waterfalls.

I hiked just a little bit farther until I found a nice flat rock to sit on and eat lunch.  Sundial Peak overwhelms the entire valley with it’s very sharp and pointed peaks.  It makes for incredible pictures and you wonder if you have enough energy to get to the top of it…maybe another day!

Lake Blanche is the highest in elevation of the three lakes at about 8888 ft.  You can see some fish near the banks of the lake.  According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) they stock the lake with Arctic Grayling and Cutthroat Trout.  Check out their website for current fishing conditions: Fish Utah

I took a nap here and just enjoyed the peaceful setting.  I saw about a dozen other people quietly enjoying the view too.  There is a special feeling here.  Maybe after the steep hike you are finally relieved to be at your destination but the peaks surrounding the Lakes are quite incredible too!  You can see Dromedary and O’Sullivan Peaks to the south west.  They are the round looking mountains.  Sundial Peak of course is the most dramatic from this angle at least.

Side Treks – Hike to Lake Florence and Lake Lillian

If you want to extend your visit you can hike the 1/4 mile to Lake Florence and then another 1/4 mile to Lake Lillian.  Both lakes are smaller than Lake Blanche but still offer some incredible views.  If you want an even quieter place to relax then head on over to these two lakes.

We made a post about the two other lakes on the Lake Blanche Trail so we can add more pictures and details if you want to read about it.

Trek to Lake Florence

Trek to Lake Lillian