End-of-summer overnighter at Rampart Lakes with my adult son, starting at the Lake Lillian/Margaret trailhead.
A few Lake Lillian warnings:
1) Signage around the Lake Laura//Lake Lillian interchange could use some improvement. On the way to Lillian from Twin Lakes - when in doubt, lean up & right :)
2) Dog owners and backpackers: at the Southern “entrance” to Lake Lillian (where it first comes into view) don’t try to navigate North via the trail near the water. That rock scramble can be a real challenge, especially if it’s slick from rain. From that entrance, go back a few paces towards Twin Lakes and look up & East for a trail around the massive rock face.
Overall - Lot was full by 10am (we got the last spot), and had no issues following a few folks up the road, to the first Lake Margaret turnoff, then to the smaller hand-etched Lillian/Margaret sign. Signage at the Margaret/Twin lakes intersection was spot-on.
Enjoyed great views and our first hint at blueberries on our way to Twin Lakes. Lots of places to sit and enjoy a quick break or lunch; we pushed on for lunch at Lillian. Absolutely gorgeous, once we navigated the rock face near the south edge of Lillian.
We continued on to Rampart Lakes, taking the very steep NE path from Lillian. At the top we went left instead of right; oops, now we’re on Rampart Ridge. Amazing views to the West but our thighs were not happy with the heavy extra workload. Thankfully blueberries, blueberries everywhere softened the burn :)
Scrambled from the top down to the Southern edge of Rampart Lakes; there is a trail if you generally stay to the right going down toward Rampart Lakes.
Rampart Lakes were beautiful on a warm sunny Saturday, and the chilly water was refreshing. Lots of campers and tents, but everyone (and every dog) was polite and respected the space. Every campsite had great sunset and nighttime views. The toilet was higher up the marked trail than I thought and in better-than-expected condition. Be sure to bring a boot/hat/something for the approach trail to mark the toilet as occupied.
Lake Lila and Alta Mountain were as advertised, and the trail could also use a little signage help.
Hike back on Sunday was very wet, but we stayed to the normal trail this time so it was pretty and uneventful. A sizable rock with a small overhang between Twin and Lillian Lakes made for a nice break from the rain!
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