Blue Lake (12,435') is located 2.2 miles from North Fork Trailhead on Highway 82 between Aspen and Twin Lakes. It fills a steep-walled bowl just east of the Divide below Twinning Peak (13,711') in the Mount Massive Wilderness. This moderate hike follows the North Fork of Lake Creek before splitting off on a steep climb through treeline to the lake. Visitors will enjoy light crowds, great fishing and quick access to high alpine landscapes on the hike to Blue Lake.

The trail fades on the final approach to Blue Lake but navigation is intuitive across broad alpine meadows

Thick alpine tundra grasses form where soil beds are deep and well developed

Glaciers and running water sculpt the land in different ways; streams tend to cut winding curves and V-shaped valleys, while glaciers carve nearly straight valleys with broader U-shapes

Blue Lake's outlet joins the North Fork of Lake Creek at the Mount Massive Wilderness boundary near the top of Lackawanna Gulch

The Continental Divide separates the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness (west) from the Mount Massive Wilderness (east)

After splitting from the North Fork the Blue Lake Trail climbs 700' in just .5 miles to treeline

Cushion and mat plants cover the area, primary tundra constituents that help build soil beds by trapping organic debris. Over time, grasses and forbs will take hold in deeper soils to form plots of tundra turf

Alpine tundra grasses include the Alpine Blue Grass, Skyline Blue Grass, Spike Trisetum, Tufted Hair Grass, Spreading Wheatgrass, Kobresia and Pyrennian Sedge

There are many interesting cascades along Blue Lake's outlet, but difficult to reach due to pitch and deadfall

At first the lake will appear to reside in the NW corner of the valley under Twinning Peak, but the trail gradually edges NE