Rampart Ridge

For either day or overnight hiking not much is better than Rampart Ridge in Washington State’s Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Rachel Lake is just out and out sweet (and glacially cold, so I wouldn’t recommend swimming).
Upper Rampart Ridge doesn’t really open up to hikers until late June or July because of all the snow it gets in the winter. I’ve seen some of the little lakes here still mostly covered with ice in August. The beauty is unparalleled.
There are people around, but I wouldn’t call it crowded.
To get to the trailhead (you do need a USFS parking permit), take the Lake Kachess exit about 10 miles east of Snoqualmie Pass on I-​90. The trailhead is about 7 – 8 miles from I-​90 on a paved road that eventually turns to gravel.