Lila Lake — Tuesday, Sep. 9, 2025

Arrived at 10 am on a Tuesday. Only 3 other cars there. Nice new double outhouse with TP. The day was partly cloudy and a high of low 70's today. We met very few people all day. No one was at Lila Lake today. The huckleberries and the views were worth the trip. Only a tiny whiff of forest fire smoke.

Trail Conditions:

I preferred the cool temps because of the short but steep section right above Rachel Lake but before the junction for Lila Lake/Rampart Lakes. It is in full sun and last time it was in the 90's and I remember how hot I got.

This trip I will remember the very steep, eroded, rooty, and loose, stony 3/4 mile before you get to Rachel Lake. In my opinion, this section is the trickiest of the whole trail - loose rocks, big steps up, and full of work-a-round trails so its hard to know which is the main trail. They all end up in the same place but if you were new to this trail it might cause some stress.  If I was carrying a heavier overnight pack I would have found this section extra slow going. As it was, I was careful where I placed my feet. I must note that I am over 50, so my knees notice uneven trails more than they used to. 

There were pockets of ripe berries in various places and at both lakes.  And up near Lila Lake, above 5000', some of the bushes are just starting to change color. 

Stats:

We started our day hike at 10:20 am and got back to the car at 6:30 pm. My watch clocked 6 hours of moving time approx. 3.5 hrs up; 2.5 hrs down. It was a lovely day and we made a lunch stop at Rachel Lake and then spent quite awhile at Lila Lake enjoying the solitude, the views and the berries. My Garmin watch logged 10.5 mi RT (and 3,100 ft gain), my husbands Apple watch logged 11.4 miles. And the WTA trail description says 11 miles. Take your pick. 

Navigation:

I used my watch and a paper copy of a CalTopo map as back up. The trail is fairly straight forward with the exception of the section below Rachel Lake that I noted already and a bunch of social trails leading up to Lila Lake. The junction for Rampart Lakes -or- Lila Lake/Alta Mtn is clear with a nice sign but the junction later between Alta Mtn and Lila Lake is not marked. These days everyone has a navigation device so just be sure your map is downloaded BEFORE you go. We did get a patch of cell reception surprisingly at Lila Lake (Verizon).