Lake Laura is a small freshwater
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
located within the
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a large National Wilderness Preservation System, wilderness area spanning the Central Cascades of Washington (state), Washington state in the United States. The wilderness is located in parts of Wenatchee National F ...
in a valley on the southern slope of
Rampart Ridge
Rampart Ridge () is a prominent broken ridge on the west side of the Royal Society Range, standing north of Rutgers Glacier and extending from The Spire to Bishop Peak. Surveyed and given this descriptive name in February 1957 by the New Zealand ...
in
Kittitas County, Washington
Kittitas County () is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 44,337. Its county seat and largest city is Ellensburg, Washing ...
, United States. Because of its close proximity to
Snoqualmie Pass
Snoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 (I-90) through the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Washington. The pass summit is at an elevation of , on the county line between Kittitas County and King County.
Snoqualmie Pass ...
,
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
and several
cirque
A (; from the Latin word ') is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic , meaning a pot or cauldron) and (; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform ...
on both sides of Rampart Ridge, the lake is a common area for hiking, swimming, and fishing
rainbow trout
The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...
.
[
] Rocky Run Creek outflows from Lake Lillian and outflows Lake Laura along NF road 136 on Rampart Ridge Backdoor toward neighboring
Keechelus Lake
Keechelus Lake () is a lake and reservoir in the northwest United States, near Hyak in Kittitas County, Washington. Approximately southeast of Seattle and a few miles southeast of Snoqualmie Pass, it is the source of the Yakima River.
Keechelus ...
.
[
]
Location
Laura Lake sits on the eastern aspect of the meadow valley it shares with Lillian Lake on the eastern skirt of the southern aspect of Rampart Ridge. Twin Lakes and Margaret Lake are a short distance southeast, while Gold Lake is further north.
Access to Laura Lake is through Lake Lillian Trail #1332, which starts at a trailhead for
Mt Margaret and Lake Lillian off National Forest Development Road 4934.
[
]
See also
*
List of lakes of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a large wilderness area in the North Cascades mountain range, located in northern Washington (state), Washington state, the Northwestern United States. Lakes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness are protected within the We ...
References
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Lakes of Kittitas County, Washington
Lakes of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Okanogan National Forest