Washington's Gorgeous, Turquoise Lake Is A Gem Of The North Cascades With Trails, Canoeing, And Camping Sites

If you like your lakes as blue as a lapis lazuli then there are plenty of places to pick from. You could mosey over to the jagged Dolomites to boat around in the pristine waters of Lago di Braies. You could whiz around the banks of colossal Lake Superior on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip amid clifftops and caves. Or, you could throw in with Washington's North Cascades, where the sheer blue waters and dramatic surroundings of Diablo Lake are sure to get you pinching yourself. Nope, you're not dreaming!

Formed after the construction of the Diablo Dam — once the highest dam in the whole wide world — the lake spreads its tendrils through 910 acres in the very heart of the North Cascades. Peaks erupt on all sides. The dramatic Southern Pickets loom to the north, a porcupine-like ridge dusted with snow and ice, while glacier-capped Colonial Peak and its cirque of rock command the horizon to the south. The mountains don't only add world-class hiking and outdoors adventure into the mix here — they're also the very reason behind the milky blue color of the water in Lake Diablo itself.

There's only one road leading to Lake Diablo and only one leading away: Take the iconic North Cascades Highway and prepare to be stunned. Snaking from one side of the mountains to the other, the iconic route boasts mountain, lake, and island views as it whizzes through rodeo towns, high meadowlands, and glorious alpine vistas. That said, it does close throughout the winter due to snow. You can join the route just north of Burlington, and it'll take around 2.5 hours to get in from Seattle.

There's one thing that often strikes viewers as they emerge from the car to survey Diablo for the first time: the color. One TripAdvisor reviewer summed up their visit to the overlook above the lake, saying, "the view of the lake is breathtaking. The blue green color is something you will not believe is real. It is one of the most beautiful sights in the lower 48 states. It's a true AWE moment."

The zingy turquoise hue is actually the result of a geological phenomenon caused by the consistent movements of huge glacial sheets in the mountains above the lake. The ice grinds against the stone, pounding it into a fine, flour-like substance that makes its way through streams and rivers into Lake Diablo below. Once it's in the water, it bends and refracts all the sunlight that kisses the lake in such a way that the H2O appears a bright, light-teal blue.

For that reason, the blue of Lake Diablo is typically more pronounced in the sunnier months of the year, so drop by between July and September to give yourself the best chance of seeing it shimmer. Specifically, the Diablo Lake Overlook is one of the top places to do your viewing. It's definitely popular, but opens up a vista of the lake from the east, with the Cascades looming high above.

If you can peel yourself away from the panoramic viewpoints for a moment, there's plenty to get stuck into besides gawping at the glimmering blue color of the water. Kayaking or canoeing across the lake offers a truly immersive way to appreciate the amphitheater of mountains. If you do hop in your own boat, you can also sail across to small islets in the middle of the lake to step where others can't.

There's hiking, too, of course. For views in both directions, take the 7.2-mile Diablo Lake Trail. It connects Diablo Lake with Ross Lake via a path that skirts a vertiginous gorge, offering sightings of massive mountains and crashing waterfalls. The more moderately-going Thunder Knob Trail is a gem on the south shore, finishing up with visions of the scintillating lake waters and the profile of icy Davis Peak in the background.

For those truly enchanted by all this, the region's campgrounds are a chance to set up and stay a few days. There are walk-in and drive-in pitches available at the two NPS-run campgrounds on Colonial Creek, both tucked away in the pine woods. For something a bit different, grab yourself a backcountry permit and pack your gear into the kayak. There are remote sites at Thunder Point and Hidden Cove that you can only reach by boat!