Bluebird Lake

Bluebird Lake is a high alpine lake in the remote Wild Basin, near 11,000 feet, reached by a demanding backcountry hike. It is a full-day outing from Wild Basin Trailhead: about 6 miles each way and 2,478 feet of climbing. Go for a long mountain day with waterfalls, Ouzel Lake and a high cirque as the payoff; skip it if you need a quick roadside stop.

From Wild Basin Trailhead, the route follows the stream through forest to Lower and Upper Copeland Falls, Calypso Cascades and Ouzel Falls; Ouzel Lake comes before the final ascent. The trail breaks above treeline near Bluebird Lake, where the finish is steep and rocky. The mapped route reaches the eastern shore; paths around the rest of the lake are unofficial, so treat the east shore as the destination.

At about 11,000 feet, Bluebird sits below Ouzel Peak, Copeland Mountain and Mahana Peak. From the eastern shore, frame the water with the surrounding peaks to show the scale of the basin.

Bluebird was once held behind a high-mountain dam built with concrete and rebar. After the 1982 Lawn Lake Dam failure, the park removed Bluebird's dam in 1989 and 1990. Crews flew five million pounds of concrete and rebar out of the backcountry. The work re-exposed about 27 hectares of shoreline around Bluebird, Sandbeach and Pear lakes, which the park left to recover naturally.

Treat Bluebird as remote backcountry: bring food and water for the day, since there are no visitor services at the lake. Check current Wild Basin access conditions before driving in. Backcountry campsites lie along the route; check the park's current permit and reservation rules before making an overnight plan.