The Blue Lakes are a divine set of lakes in the valley between Quandary Peak and North Star Mountain and are fed by Monte Cristo Creek. The upper lake is formed by a dam that provides water to Colorado Springs. Amazingly though, the dam really isn’t that visible in photos compared to the epic peaks that surround it and Wheeler Mountain directly behind it. The lower lake is quite peaceful with a flat-ish rock that protrudes into the lake not far from the parking lot. The rock makes for a great intimate wedding spot, but you can really do a ceremony anywhere along the lakeshore and have a fantastic view. The trail down from the parking lot to the lake is a bit steep, but very short. Vehicles can drive down to the lakeshore for easier setup, but most vehicles should make use of the parking lot. The view up the valley is breathtaking. As an alpine lake, it gets covered in snow and the road becomes impassible during the winter. Summit County road operations clear it and grade the dirt road sometime around June, and that is when the road is going to be at its best. This is a very popular place and it is highly trafficked on weekends. As such the road itself deteriorates over the summer and depending on usage, may be impassible for vehicles with low clearance later in the season. Where the dirt road meets HWY 9, there is a parking lot for the McCullough Gulch Trailhead. This parking lot can be useful as a meetup point if you’re concerned about vehicles being able to make it up the road. Colorado Springs Utilities owns the land immediately around and in-between the lakes. Summit County owns the roads. The US Forest Service owns the surrounding land. In our discussions with Colorado Springs Utilities, they appear to only be concerned about very large events (think triathlons, regatas, etc.) and seem to allow free use for smaller events. There are no restrooms here or nearby, so plan accordingly.
