Rampart Ridge - Rampart Lakes, Rachel Lake & Lila Lake — Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024

Rocks! Berries! Roots! Lakes! This trip had it all. We went Thursday and stayed 2 nights at Rachel lake with a day in between to explore the ridge and lakes above. The trail to Rachel lake poses some hazards after the first 3 miles of forest rambling. It takes a steep route up 1300 feet in the last mile. The route is rocky and rooty with some big step-ups. The trail bifurcates in a few spots, but most trails lead back to the main route. Hikers have done a fairly good job of putting a pile of sticks or rocks across false trails. We took it slow and with full packs it took about an hour to get up the steep section. You have a stream nearby for most of the trip and a lovely trickling waterfall at the midpoint of the climb which makes a nice break spot. Well worth the climb when Rachel comes into view!
There is a sign for a toilet at the lake entrance. Straight ahead is a nice day use area. Go left for campsites and lots of great lake views. The lake feels like a 2-for-1 since it narrows to the left and then opens up into another cool section with rocky beach lake access. Campsites are plentiful through the woods with several lakefront spots.
Bugs were not too bad during the day, although we did have a few bees and biting flies hanging around. At dusk and in the morning we had more annoying gnats and mosquitoes. Recommend a bug net.
Day 2 we took the trail up the ridge to the right of Rachel lake. It’s steep with some slidy rocks but not as bad as the climb up to Rachel. It’s only 600ft gain in a little less than a mile. There are great views of Rachel from above as you ascend. There’s a signed junction for rampart to the left and Lila to the right. We started by going left to rampart and had a grand time exploring the multiple lakes in that vicinity. I was glad to have my Gaia gps map since the trail in has a few options. It was also nice to see how many lakes there were and where the trails go. If you plan to camp there you really can’t go wrong as there is a huge section between the biggest two lakes with extensive campsites… almost all lakefront. Great spot to explore, swim, camp, hang out. I think I could live there forever and be happy.
Plentiful blueberries along rampart ridge and lila, where we headed next. The trail goes along the ridge opening up more views over Rachel and the valley beyond. Lila lake access trail is a little steeper than rampart and in the heat of the afternoon on the exposed ridge we were losing steam. Lila lake is absolutely lovely, and worth the 1.1 mile from the junction to get there. From above you get an idea of the trails and campsites available at this stunning spot. The access trail is quite steep but lined with so many berries we got a morale boost.
More swimming and frolicking ensued. Headed back to Rachel lake for the night. The day hike from Rachel to rampart and Lila took us a full day 9-5 but we also took our time at each place to soak in the alpine lake goodness.
Another night at Rachel. Campsites started filling up that evening with a group arriving around 9:30pm trying to find a spot in the dark. I don’t recommend hiking to Rachel in the dark, but to each their own!
Heading down Saturday morning we saw LOTS of day hikers and backpackers eager to enjoy the day. I wouldn’t recommend camping at Rachel on Saturday night unless you start pretty early. If it fills up I guess you can push on to rampart but that’s quite a long day!
Will definitely be returning here (on a weekday haha) as it feels like a value pack of alpine lakes within a really accessible distance. Happy trails!