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Hike to Bloomington Lake

Saint Charles, Idaho

4.8/5
based on 4 reviews

Details

Distance

0.5 miles

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Hunter Iverson

Bloomington Lake is an awesome place for an afternoon adventure. It's a beautiful lake tucked into a mountain and a very easy hike. Once there, you can swim, hit the rope swing, have a picnic, or hammock if you want.

Bloomington Lake is deep in the mountains West of a small town called Bloomington. The road from the town to Bloomington Lake is a narrow dirt road. It takes about 35 minutes to take this road and most cars should be able to handle it. There's plenty of parking at the trailhead and some bathrooms as well. You can also get to the lake from the West side of the mountains. Just take Cub River Road north of Franklin, Idaho until you get to Willow Flat Campground. The trailhead is just South of the campground. However the trail is quite a bit longer from this side, I'd say about 3 miles to the lake.

The trail itself is about a 1/2 mile to the lake and back. It's very short and easy and almost everyone should be able to handle it. I've even seen people carry kayaks and paddleboards up to the lake. Once you get to the lake there are trails that go along both sides. On the East side of the lake, you can find a rope swing from a large tree and on the South side there are some cliffs you can cliff jump from. There are also some great places to hang a hammock and take in the view. I believe you can camp near the lake and if not, there are plenty of areas to camp on the way to the lake.

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Features

Chillin
Fishing
Photography
Swimming
Hiking
Bathrooms
Dog Friendly
Forest
Lake
Picnic Area
Scenic
Wildflowers
Wildlife
Cliff Jumping
Swimming Hole

Hike to Bloomington Lake Reviews

This trip was amazing. My grandpa and I did this hike with a couple of his friends. But we didn't come in through the main trail because we rode horses to get there so we kinda went of the beaten path following a mental map that his buddies had. I haven't been for awhile but we went in June and there was still snow and the water was frigid and a stunning deep blue. Absolutely gorgeous!

This place was a lot of fun. The water was very cold but the rope swing was fun although the line was really long. Also there were a few people who brought tubes and tubed down the mountain into the lake which looked like a lot of fun.

I went here for the first time last year and loved it. I took my minivan over to it, and it did just fine. Such an amazing place to go, especially at sunrise when the water is calm. Definitely recommend going here.

This is a fun little hike to the glacier lake, which has a rope-swing and cliff jumping available in the back of the lake. The water is FREEZING, but well worth getting in on a hot day. Perfect day trip from Bear Lake or surrounding area.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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