Indian Heaven Lakes Loop
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Indian Heaven is a beautiful region for a hike, with expansive fields of wildflowers, too many lakes to count, and mountains all around. The Indian Heaven Lakes Loop takes you up to East Crater and around to Blue Lake, Bear Lake, Deer Lake, Clear Lake, Lemel Lake, and more.
Part of this loop is on a decommissioned trail that may be overgrown and difficult to navigate. Download your GPS ahead of time or avoid this section if you’d rather stay on the beaten path.
Getting there
The trailhead for the Indian Heaven Lakes Loop is on Forest Road 6035.
About
Backcountry Campground | Blue Lake Backcountry |
When to do | May-November |
Pets allowed | Yes - On Leash |
Family friendly | No |
Route Signage | Average |
Crowd Levels | Moderate |
Route Type | Loop |
Indian Heaven Lakes Loop
Elevation Graph
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Indian Heaven Lakes Loop Description
Indian Heaven is an ideal place to spend a day hiking. With mountains on the horizon, countless lakes to dip your feet into, and more wildflowers than you could ever imagine, it offers lots to enjoy. The Indian Heaven Lakes Loop takes you past more lakes than you can keep track of, offering either a longer day trip or a nice backpacking route.
Beware, Indian Heaven is full of bugs in the summertime. You’ll need every protection you can get against the mosquitoes and horseflies. We recommend a hike in later summer to avoid the bugs. Also, the section of this route from Rock Lake to Bear Lake was decommissioned decades ago due to the sensitivity of the environment that it crosses. It is unmarked, has not been maintained in decades, and is faint in places. Be gentle on the environment and have a GPS track downloaded or hike a different portion of this trail as an out and back hike instead.
Beginning from the road, climb gradually up towards East Crater. You’ll skirt the northeastern side and then it’s up to you which way you take the loop. Going clockwise takes you to Blue Lake and the countless smaller lakes around it (good for camping), then up to Rock Lake and through to Bear Lake, Deer Lake, and Clear Lake. Going counterclockwise has you ending your loop at Blue Lake. Either way, you’ll finish your hike by retracing your steps from the bottom of the loop to the trailhead.
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