Why Everyone Is OBSESSED With the Blue Lakes Trail in Colorado

During my Colorado road trip, I head back into the San Juan Mountains to hike Blue Lakes Trail solo. After weeks of carrying only what I needed on the Colorado Trail, I’m doing this day hike very differently: a chair, AeroPress, Kindle, swimming gear and plenty of time to actually sit down and enjoy the lakes! Blue Lakes Trail takes you through the Mount Sneffels Wilderness to three turquoise alpine lakes beneath Mt. Sneffels. It’s also an extremely popular trail, so an early start is definitely worth it, especially with Colorado’s afternoon thunderstorms. 🌿 A note on sharing the location: I normally avoid naming quieter trails because I don’t want to contribute to overcrowding. Blue Lakes is already one of Colorado’s most heavily visited alpine hikes, and a limited-entry permit system is currently being developed for the 2027 peak season to help manage visitor numbers and protect the area. Proposed fees have been published, but final details are still being worked out. My favorite luxury gear items: Helinox chair: https://link.amazon/B01tpmYOr AeroPress: https://link.amazon/B06AUJccA Kindle: https://link.amazon/B0e5HyD8Q Full hiking and backpacking setup:https://trailsandbackroads.com/gear Some links above are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you. It helps support the channel, so thank you! 🌍 I share honest stories and lessons from life outdoors: long-distance hiking, wild camping, road trips, travel adventures and figuring it out as I go. 00:00 Solo Hiking Blue Lakes Trail 00:25 Camping at the Trail Head 03:27 What’s in My Bag 07:16 Early Morning Hiking 13:19 Lower Blue Lake 14:29 Middle Blue Lake 15:00 Upper Blue Lake 18:43 Outrunning Thunderstorms 23:50 The Stats #BlueLakesTrail #BlueLakesColorado #ColoradoHiking #HikingColorado #MountSneffelsWilderness #SanJuanMountains #ColoradoRoadTrip #SoloHiking #DayHiking #AlpineLake #WildSwimming #Hiking