Hiking Alta Mountain in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Contents
Alta Mountain Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 15.60Km (9.70 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 1,070m (3,510 Ft.)
Highest Elevation: 1,875m (6,152 Ft.)
Average Gradient: 13.72%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~July to October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Alta Mountain via Rampart Lakes Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 47°23’27.4″N 121°20’51.0″W
Alta Mountain via Rachel Lake Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 47°24’04.0″N 121°17’00.8″W
Alta Mountain Overview
Alta Mountain is an easily accessed peak located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness near Snoqualmie Pass in Washington. Offering panoramic 360 degree views from the top, there are a couple of standard routes to Alta Mountain, with one route approaching via the popular Rachel Lake trail, and another via Rampart Ridge. The former is considerably busier thanks to its maintained trail and easily accessed trailhead, and the latter is more scenic since it spends more time in the alpine and passes by a series of picturesque lakes on the way. The Rachel Lake route will not pass by Rampart Lakes or Rampart Ridge without a detour, and the Rampart Ridge approach will not pass by Rachel Lake, so if your heart is set on any of those, select your route accordingly. Both routes are similar in difficulty. If you only have a low clearance vehicle you will have to go via Rachel Lake as the Rampart Ridge trailhead is only suitable for vehicles with some ground clearance as the road is quite rough.
This whole region is popular with campers thanks to the sheer number of lakes and campsites available, however Alta Mountain is more than manageable as a day hike for those that prefer to travel light and fast.
From the summit, Alta Mountain offers panoramic views of Hibox Mountain, Mount Rainier, Glacier Peak and the Chikamins. Reaching the summit requires a modicum of easy scrambling with light exposure. Most parties will be absolutely fine, but if you have a particular fear of heights you may end up stopping somewhere along the ridge as there are one or two spots where you wouldn’t want a misplaced step.
The season for Alta Mountain is primarily the summer once the snow has fully melted, so July to October. That being said some groups will go in snow, though it might be challenging in certain parts of the trail, so June might also work, particularly nearer the end of the month.
Parking for Alta Mountain (via Rampart Ridge) is from the end of a narrow forest road (see coordinates) This road is single lane for a couple of miles, with some deep potholes throughout. If you prefer an easier drive you should do this hike via Rachel Lake where the access road is in much better shape and the trailhead has space for significantly more vehicles.
Dogs are welcome on this hike.
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Is Alta Mountain worthwhile?
Alta Mountain offers beautiful views from the summit, and if you go via Rampart Ridge pretty much the entire trail is a scenic one. There are several beautiful lakes along the way (Lillian Lake, Rampart Lakes) and Rampart Ridge itself offers nice views throughout. I’d definitely suggest this route if you have the ability to go to this trailhead. Even if you go via Rachel Lake, that’s also a very nice lake and you’ll still have great views from the summit, but the approach may not be as interesting. Either way, Alta Mountain is a fantastic hike.
How difficult is the hike to Alta Mountain?
With an average gradient of a little under 14% Alta Mountain isn’t overly challenging, but it’s not walk in the park either. There are a few steep stretches, one at the very start up to Lake Lillian, then a couple along the ridge towards the summit. Thankfully there are also long stretches of easy hiking as you wander around Rampart Lakes, so the difficult parts are interspersed with easier sections, making this hike feel easier than the stats might suggest.
Technically speaking there aren’t any particularly difficult sections to be concerned about, but there are a couple of spots towards the summit that the trail narrows along the ridge. These are very brief and the majority of people will be absolutely fine with them, but those particularly averse to exposure may find them tricky. Even if you did stop at this point though, the views would have been worth it, as this is right at the end of the hike.
Alta Mountain Route Information
The trailhead for Alta Mountain of course depends on the route you are taking. If you are going via Rachel Lake the trailhead is easily accessed via the Rachel Lake trailhead. The road there is mostly gravel and suitable for all vehicles. To access the Rampart Ridge “Backdoor” trailhead (see coordinates), you will require a vehicle with a bit of ground clearance (SUV preferably) as the road has a lot of deep potholes. It’s also a single lane FSR with few pullouts, so hopefully you won’t meet any traffic as if you do, someone will have a narrow reverse to the nearest pullout. There isn’t tons of parking for this trailhead either, perhaps enough room for 10 cars at a push, so get there early if you’re going on a weekend. The Rachel Lake trailhead has parking for at least 50 vehicles, but is also considerably more popular.
Rachel Lake Route
The Rachel Lake route does not need much description as once you are on the trail there isn’t a single junction to be concerned with. Just follow the trail to Rachel Lake, then there is a steep climb up to connect to the southeast ridge of Alta Mountain. This is where the Rachel Lake and Rampart Ridge trail converge before continuing to the summit.
Rampart Ridge Route
From the north end of the parking area you will find a narrow trail leading into the bushes. The first few hundred meters of the hike will pass through these overgrown bushes, and in the early morning they can often be damp with morning dew, so you may get a little bit wet here. Thankfully this is short lived, and after crossing a small creek you will enter the forest where the trail is obvious.
You’ll now begin a steep climb up towards Lake Lillian, ascending around 320m (1,050 Ft.) in the process. There’s not much to enjoy about this part of the hike, but it is about the only part of this hike that isn’t very enjoyable.
Once you reach the shores of Lake Lillian the climb will have been worth it as this is a beautiful, deep blue lake with wildflowers often blooming around its shore. The trail now goes counterclockwise around the lake, and you may find a tricky little scramble right away. The route passes over a cliff band with a fairly steep drop down to the lake below. It’s only a few steps but it very well might be too daunting for some people. If it is, there is another faint route around that bypasses this. I didn’t scout it out, but it’s there and won’t be hard to find.
Beyond this you will simply continue following the shores of the lake, with beautiful views the entire time. You’ll quickly reach a junction where another trail shoots off to the right, climbing up and away from the lake. You’ll want to take this trail in order to ascend towards Rampart Ridge. Make sure to look back as the lake views improve with elevation. Unfortunately there is a short stretch of ugly trail here, with a steep, dusty climb up. Thankfully it’s brief, and beyond this steep climb things will get easier for a while.
The trail now enters a series of alpine meadows, with expansive views and plenty of tarns dotted around to enjoy along the way. After following the trail for a few hundred meters, passing by the first tarn, you will reach a junction. It may not be immediately obvious, but you can either go left or right here. Take a look at your map and you will see a loop in the middle of the trail with the option of going either way. I would strongly suggest going left (clockwise) on the ascent, and taking the other route on the return.
The trail narrows again now, becoming quite faint in the process, as you meander around a creek and through more meadows. You’ll reach another, larger tarn now, with a grassy knoll beyond. Climbing this hill will lead to yet another tarn, again bigger than the last, and again with another climb beyond it.
After another brief climb you’ll reach a high point along Rampart Ridge with expansive views above Rampart Lakes and the Hibox Mountain backdrop beyond. You’ll now drop down towards the lakes following a faint trail through some boulders, before a steep descent down towards the lakes. In short order you’ll be at the shores of Rampart Lakes, which is a great place for a break.
You may want to refer to a map at this point as there are a plethora of trails around Rampart Lakes, mostly for campers looking for a spot to set up their tent for the night. After navigating around the lakes and creeks you’ll find yourself on a single track, and shortly ahead you’ll reach the Rachel Lake junction, where the other approach converges with this. There’ll be a sign indicating the way to Lila Lake, which is the trail you want to take now.
The trail will now climb modestly, with a few excellent viewpoints of Rachel Lake along the way. You’ll soon reach another, unsigned junction. You’ll want to keep left here, as continuing straight will lead to Lila Lake. You’ll now be on the Alta Mountain trail, which will initially climb steeply out of the treeline.
The remainder of the hike is a test of your patience as the ridge is much longer than you imagined, with a series of false summits along the way. Thankfully the views are outstanding now, with Hibox Mountain and Lila Lake a constant presence to the east. Most of the ridge is straightforward hiking, but there are a couple of short, narrow spots where you may benefit from using your hands for balance. Nonetheless, it’s very simple and most parties wouldn’t take issue with it.
Eventually you’ll crest the actual summit, which is spacious enough for several parties to rest and have a snack on while enjoying the views. Once you’re finished it’s merely a matter of retracing your steps back to the trailhead. Once you get back to the southern end of Rampart Lakes, you should take the alternative route to the one you approached by. Unfortunately you will need to ascend a little here, but this route offers less climbing and is less steep.
When should I hike Alta Mountain?
If you want a snow free experience (which I suggest), you’ll want to save Alta Mountain for July to October. June may also work but you may encounter snow, and some of the lakes may still be frozen.
Top Tip
Due to the abundance of lakes and creeks this can be quite a buggy hike, so bring insect repellent, especially for the early summer (July) when mosquitos can be bad.
