Lake Blanche is truly one of the most picturesque alpine lakes in the Wasatch Mountains. With Sundial Peak towering above the three glacial lakes — Blanche, Florence, and Lillian — and the surrounding mountains forming a scenic natural bowl, the views are absolutely breathtaking. It’s one of those places that’s so beautiful, it’s hard to leave and head back to your car.
A Winter Visit with Bluebird Skies
I usually hike to Lake Blanche every summer, but this year I wanted to see it snow-covered under bluebird skies. Luckily, we picked the perfect day to go! I started hiking at 8:15 AM to beat the crowds — and I’m glad I did. If you’re visiting on a weekend, try to get to the trailhead before 9:00 AM. After that, parking fills up fast.
Once I arrived at the lake, I had the whole place to myself. It was a peaceful moment to sit, take in the scenery, and enjoy some solitude. In winter, I recommend bringing a thermos of hot chocolate or tea, something warm to sit on, and taking your time to really soak in the views.
Directions
From SLC, head south on I-15, then East on I-215. Take exit 6 for 6200 S/Wasatch Blvd, and turn right. Turn Left at the 7-11 for Big Cottonwood Canyon. Head up the canyon for 4.7 miles. Right at the “S” curve, on the south side of the road, you will see the trailhead sign for Mill B South. If the parking area is open, park there, or during winter you will need to park along the road.
Here’s a driving map from SLC.
Trail Info
Distance: 6.6 miles RT
Elevation Gain: 2,700 ft
Time: Varies 2-8 hours depending on how long you stay at the lake
Dog friendly? No. This is located within watershed limits, and therefore no dogs are allowed in all of Big Cottonwood Canyon
Kid friendly? Older kids, yes
This is the TH. In Summer, you can drive past this gate into a small parking lot.
There are restrooms, however in Winter they are locked. Continue past the sign.
Look for the small Lake Blanche TH sign and a larger one above it – this is the turn off.
After crossing the bridge and making one switchback, you will enter the Twin Peaks Wilderness and will have a view of the canyon you will be working your way up.
I started hiking at 8:15 am, and it was so pretty to see the sunlight hit the rocky canyon walls.
The trail cuts through two aspen groves. This is the first. The second grove will be about 2/3 of the way up.
Almost to the lake! It’s so neat to see how far I had hiked.
Panorama of Lake Blanche with Sundial Peak. I had it all to myself!
I was feeling pretty good and strong on my way up!
Taking a moment to take in the view. I found a nice packed down spot to lay down for a bit, and ended up staying up there for an hour and half. It was so nice to soak in some sun on my face. I’m sunburned today, but that’s ok, it’s worth it.
Many people ask, “How do you take photos like this by yourself?” Get a selfie stick and a self timer app! It’s that easy.
November 2018
By mid-November 2018 the lake was already frozen over!
My oldest brother was in town, and I finally got to take him on a hike. He’s lived in Florida for the past decade and hadn’t seen snow in 3 years. It snowed the whole time and he loved it!
Yayyyy snow!
Trail Map
My track via Gaia GPS – the best tracking app! Get your app here for a discount.
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