WalkWithErica

TL;DR: I broke up my drive from Ortisei to Misurina with a hike to Lago Di Sorapis. The hike was beautiful, but alarmingly packed with people seeking the same insta-famous photo of the lake’s milky turquoise glacial waters and the craggy alpine peaks the Dolomites are known for. 

About the hike

Kicking off the day

If there hadn’t been a storm on the way, I would have preferred to more slowly travel through the Dolomites. The drive between Ortisei and Misurina (a great home base for Tre Cime) was gorgeous. I drove past folks heading out on hikes from roadside trailheads and felt envious. On this trip, I saw the highlights but missed some of the “off the beaten path” hikes that I’ve read about. Next trip, if the weather is favorable, I’d stay away from the greatest hits (though, yes, the greatest hits are generally worth it) and seek out hikes with more solitude. 

Itinerary for the day: drive and hike

The goal is to drive from Ortisei to Misurina, with a hike along the way. Remember, the winding roads of the Dolomites make for beautiful views, but slow travel. Be safe, take your time, and pull aside to let others pass or to take in the views.

I had seen photos on Instagram and online featuring a bright milky blue alpine lake. Now, y’all know how much I love an alpine lake! The trail is relatively short, which allowed me to complete the drive and hike, all before I needed to work my Pacific Time job. And so I did it; I hiked the (insta)famous Lago Di Sorapis.

About the Lago di Sorapis hike

Lago di Sorapis is a glacial lake in the Italian Dolomites, famed for its milky turquoise color and dramatic location encompassed by craggy peaks. There is a refugio near the lake where food, snacks, and drinks are available. There are no lake views from the refugio. 

The hike itself is beautiful with sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. The trail itself, for me, wasn’t too challenging, though there were a few people struggling along the way up. I also blazed passed a considerable number of folks heading up as well. The trail is frequently along a dropoff and there are parts where stairs are bolted into the cliffside. The views are sweeping, but if you are afraid of heights or ledges, you should probably skip this hike (especially because the trail can be quite crowded).

There are two ways to get to Lago di Sorapis – an out-and-back and a loop trail. I, like the majority of hikers, took the out-and-back. Remember though that I had to get checked into my hotel before starting work, so I was time-constrained. If you have the time and are a confident hiker, I’d recommend taking the loop route. I regret not planning better and giving myself more time to take the loop. 

Maps I used for Lago Di Sorapis in the Dolomites

I again used Moon and Honey for inspiration, and used AllTrails for downloaded and offline maps as backup:

• Moon and Honey Hiking to Lago di Sorapis: The Milky Turquoise Lake in the Dolomites
• AllTrails Lake Sorapis via Passo Tre Croci Out-and-Back
• AllTrails Lago di Sorapis – Forcella Marcoira via Passo Tre Croci Loop

Lago Di Sorapis out-and-back

First – parking. It’s a madhouse. Unless you hike very early, or later in the day, you should just accept that you’ll have to dedicate some patience to finding a parking spot and accept that you’ll be adding on a small bit of mileage to walk to the trailhead.

The hike starts out easy enough in a shaded forest with ruined WWII bunkers strewn along the hillsides. As you gain elevation, the trees open up to spectacular mountain views and the trail narrows. Eventually, the switchbacks start and up you go, with a mountain on one side of the trail and steep dropoffs along the other. Stairs are bolted into the mountain along the way. None of this was challenging or scary for me, but many reviewers mention that if you have a fear of heights, avoid this hike.

The worst part was walking over very smoothed-out rocks, worn from all the foot traffic. This made certain parts quite slick, even though totally dry. So much so that I would not recommend this hike if it’s been raining.

Another issue was the amount of people, especially on the way up. Because this is an insta-famous location, there are a lot of inexperienced folks on the trail. This is fine. I’m all for people getting out there. But I passed a lot of groups of people, many of whom just don’t know basic hiking etiquette for sharing the trail, a few of whom were on the struggle bus and I questioned if they would make it the whole way up.

Finally, the trail mellows out near the top as you come to the fork in the trail, one path leading to the refugio, the other leading to the lake. I went straight for the lake. After a final small push over the ridge, the lake and its chalky blue glow opens in front of you, surrounded by jagged peaks reflected in the water. It’s stunning. Except for all the people.

I was there in the shoulder season, during the weekday, and even then the crowds were too much for me. I would avoid this hike during peak summer months.

You can hike around the lake to leave some of the crowds behind, but I didn’t have time. I had to get to work. So I found a little hideaway rock that I claimed for myself, took a few photos – ok, took a lot of photos 🙂 – and headed back to the refugio where I planned to have a late lunch.

But of course, it too was packed. So much so that getting food would have taken an hour. Time I didn’t have. Luckily I had snacks in my pack, so I ate a nuts and seeds mix on my way down. One of my favorite parts of hiking in Europe is hiking to eat with a view, but for this hike, I’d recommend that you bring your food, find yourself a tucked-away rock, and have your snacks there. This refugio is just very impacted, and there isn’t a view of the lake.

The hike down was a quick one for me. Again I passed a lot of people. The struggle along the slick rocks on the downhill was tougher than on the way up. And by that point I was wishing I had decided to do the loop to avoid all the people on the downhill portion of the out and back (which I always find more challenging than the way up). But I made it back to my car, ate more snacks, and got back on the road to my next home base!

Lago Di Sorapis quick FAQ

Do you recommend this hike? This is a tough one. Yes, the lake was stunning, and the views along the trail were wonderful. I recommend hiking it, but go knowing that you will be surrounded by a lot of fellow hikers. This is not a hike for reflective solitude.

Do you recommend the out-and-back or the loop? If you have time, do the loop. I wish I had.

Would you do it again? Most likely, yes, but I would go very early or late. Like sunrise or just before sunset. And would do the loop.

Should I go if I’m a new hiker? Yes, especially if you are comfortable with heights and have the appropriate footwear. I saw people hiking in walking shoes and they struggled on the slick rocks. It also very much helps to have generally good fitness levels.

Is there food along the way? Yes, but I recommend packing a snack instead. The refugio doesn’t really have a view. The food didn’t look on par with others in the region. The lines were massive. And there was very little seating.

Can you swim in Lago Di Sorapis? No, swimming in Lago Di Sorapis is strictly forbidden. Boats also are not allowed.

Is there water in the lake year-around? Lake levels get lower and lower throughout summer and into fall. Sometimes by October there is little to no water in the lake.

Closing thoughts

Overall this was a good stop to break up my drive, and I’m glad I did it. If I were to do it again, I would have broken up my drive with a hike along a less famous route, but oh well. I now have a beautiful photo in front of the beautiful and (social media) iconic Lago Di Sorapis!

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