Rampart Lake

Flickr Photos : Set 1, Set 2, Set 3

There are two primary trails into Rampart Lake.

Rachel Lake

• I-90 Exit 63 (Lake Kachess)
• turn left and go 5 miles till the road T's.
• Turn left on Forest Service Road 4930.
• Drive 3.8 miles till the road ends in a parking lot at Rachel Lake Trailhead
• The trail travels up Box Canyon for the first 2 miles and then starts climbing up the ridge to Rachel Lake.
• From Rachel Lake you follow the trail around the north end of the lake, up a steep ridge
• Trail T's and you go left to go to Rampart Lake (little over 4 miles)

Rocky Road to Rampart Ridge

• Going East on I-90
• Take exit 54 and turn left (North), and go under the freeway.
• Turn Right on the frontage road heading east adjacent to I-90
• Pass the trail head for Gold Creek, and keep driving
• 2.4 miles the pavement ends and dirt road begins
• 3.8 from I-90 (1.4 on dirt) Turn Left. This is on the second big switch back and its the second left (the first left is more overgrown and hard to miss) If you come to a trail head parking sign for Mount Margaret or Lake Margaret you've gone too far
• There is a washout on this road that is down to a single lane, who knows if it'll make another winter
• 5.1 miles from I-90 (2.7 on dirt) there is a left. GO STRAIGHT
• 5.8 miles from I-90 (3.4 on dirt) or .7 miles past the left, the road makes a big right turn, This is the trailhead at a big flat area for parking at the trail head.
• Trail makes its way up through brush and the steeply climbs in the trees on the east side of the Lake Laura outlet creek. Around a 1/2 a mile and you'll come to a fork in the trail, left takes you down a small slope to Lake Laura, right takes you up through the trees to Lake Lillian.
• From the intersection with Lake Laura another short .25 miles brings you to Lake Laura. Along the way there is another fork in the trail, I believe the right takes you down past Twin Lakes to Mount Margaret, left takes you to Lake Lillian
• At Lake Lillian you climb up around a big rock/cliff and then the trail skirts the edge of the lake, climbing a bit up on the ridge before dropping back down to the waters edge bringing you on the north side of the lake
• A small drainage has a boot track that leads up to the top of the ridge (1.25 miles from trail head)
• At the ridge top you'll be able to see two small tarns below you. The trail splits left and right. Left will take you to the top of the ridge from where you can scramble down into Rampart Lakes basin from the south slight eastly direction.. Right takes you down past the tarns and around the ridge above the largest furhter tarn and around to the south light west direction of Rampart Lake
  

Profile of Rampart Ridge Route

Route to Rampart Lake via Rampart Ridge