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Rampart Ponds Campground

Rampart Ponds is a campground within Garibaldi Provincial Park. It’s 11km further from the ever-popular Elfin Lakes Campground and offers amazing views of Mt Garibaldi.

If you’re unable to get Garibaldi Camping reservations at Elfin Lakes, or simply wish to spend multiple nights camping in Garibaldi Provincial Park, the Rampart Ponds Campground hike is a great destination!

In this guide to the Rampart Ponds campsite, you’ll find information for camping at Rampart Ponds and hiking to Elfin Lakes and Mamquam Lake in Garibaldi Provincial Park, Squamish via the Rampart Ponds trail.

This part of Garibaldi Provincial Park is one of my favorite places to visit in Squamish and is home to some of the best Squamish hiking trails too.

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rampart ponds mamquam lake

Rampart Ponds Campground & Mamquam Lake hike

NEW 2023 UPDATE!
You will need a day pass to access popular BC parks, Garibaldi (from June 14 – Oct 9), Joffre (May 6 – Oct 9) and Golden Ears (June 14 – Sept 4). The passes are free and available from 7 am two days before your visit. All details & information here

The Rampart campground is the closest campsite to Mamquam Lake which is the end of the designated trails from the Diamond Head area of Garibaldi Provincial Park.

It’s a small, remote campground with beautiful views and is best done as an overnight hike (unless you fancy a 40km round trip from the parking lot).

We’d been camping at Elfin Lakes before in spring and I’d been keen to go back to hike out to Mamquam Lake ever since.

When the camping reservations for BC Parks went online, I managed to snap up a camping reservation for Elfin Lakes campground and Mamquam Lakes to enjoy a 2-night backpacking trip in Garibaldi Provincial Park.

AllTrails is my go-to hiking app for finding, planning, and navigating while I’m out on the trails. With offline maps on AllTrails+ you can be confident you’re still on the right track, even without mobile signal.

How to get to Rampart Ponds Campground

rampart ponds mamquam lake elfin lake trail elfin lakes shelter elfin lakes campground


Rampart Ponds is accessed from the Diamond Head trailhead for Garibaldi Provincial Park. The trailhead is located just outside of Squamish and is easy to get to in all vehicles even though you’ll go along a dirt road.

If you’re planning to visit Garibaldi Provincial Park you’ll need either camping reservations or a day pass during the summer months. Both of these can be reserved through Camping.BCParks.ca

To get to Rampart Ponds Campground it’s one long trail that’ll take you past Elfin Lakes and the Elfin Lakes shelter and campground, along the feet of The Gargoyles and Opal Cone, and through the valley at the bottom of Mt Garibaldi before the final climb to the Rampart Ponds campground.

The first part of the hike follows the Elfin Lakes trail which you can read more about here. There’s a slightly different route depending on whether you’re hiking in summer or winter, but both are well-marked.

Hike to Rampart Ponds Campground

rampart ponds mamquam lake
rampart ponds mamquam lake
rampart ponds mamquam lake
rampart ponds mamquam lake
rampart ponds mamquam lake
rampart ponds mamquam lake
rampart ponds mamquam lake
rampart ponds mamquam lake
rampart ponds mamquam lake

The Rampart Ponds campsite is 25km from the trailhead and it’s classed as moderate since there’s no scrambling or super steep sections. For the majority of the way you’ll be walking on a pretty wide path and once you’ve reached the Red Heather hut, you’ll have great views of the valley and surrounding mountains.

From the Elfin Lakes shelter, follow signs toward Mamquam Lake as you descend slightly and into the forest. The trail crosses a couple of smaller streams as it winds around and then heads down towards Mamquam River.

Make sure you follow the trail markers clearly as there’s one section where the trail has collapsed into the river below and trying to hike it will likely see you also fall into the river! There’s a much safer route that involves taking some stairs down to the river and then using the bridge to cross over it.

From here you’ll walk alongside the river; keep your eye open for marmots as this is where we saw some! The views here are beautiful as you look up and down the valley carved out by the Mamquam River.

After a few kilometers, you’ll begin heading uphill toward the turn-off for Opal Cone. It’s not too steep, but there are a fair few switchbacks as you crest the bank of the valley.

opal cone trail
rampart ponds mamquam lake
rampart ponds mamquam lake
rampart ponds mamquam lake

Opal Cone to Mamquam Lake

We paused to grab lunch and then hike Opal Cone before continuing on to Rampart Ponds. As we descended from the Opal Cone turnoff, we came across the snow!

If you have time and energy, I recommend hiking up to Opal Cone for an amazing view of a Garibaldi glacier!

Despite being the middle of July, there was still plenty of snow from this point onwards and lots at the campsite too.

We crossed over the snowfield, taking care to stick to the path as best as possible and not fall into the lake which we knew was somewhere around there.

There’s just one more climb from this point before you reach Rampart Ponds!

On this climb, you cross over plenty of streams (a great place to refill your water if you’ve run out! We use a Sawyer Squeeze for overnight camping trips like this.), including where a glacial one and a non-glacial river meet and combine into one.

rampart ponds mamquam lake
On the way to the Mamquam campground
rampart ponds mamquam lake
mamquam lake garibaldi provincial park
Mamquam Lake is easy to get to if you’re doing Rampart camping

Rampart Ponds Campground Facilities

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Rampart ponds campground photos – those views!

Though small, the Rampart Ponds Garibaldi campground has basic tent pads (wooden and dirt), bear caches, and a pit toilet.

The door was broken when we were there and BC Parks has stopped stocking the bathrooms with toilet paper.

Remember to pack your own when you go backpacking in Garibaldi Provincial Park including Elfin Lakes camping.

What to pack for the Rampart Ponds hike

Here’s a detailed packing list for the Rampart Ponds hike. Remember to always check the specific conditions for Rampart Ponds before heading out and adjust your packing list as necessary. Being well-prepared will help ensure a safe and enjoyable hiking experience.

  • Clothing: Wear layers to adjust to changing temperatures and conditions.
  • Rain Gear: Protects against sudden downpours.
  • Hiking Boots: Provides support and grip on uneven terrains.
  • Backpack: To carry all essentials.
  • Water: Stay hydrated during the hike.
  • Snacks: Keeps energy levels up.
  • First Aid Kit: For minor injuries and emergencies.
  • Multitool: Useful for various situations.
  • Headlamp: Helps navigate in low light.
  • Sunglasses: Protects eyes from UV rays.
  • Sunscreen: Shields skin from sunburn.
  • Bug Repellent: Keeps insects away.
  • Emergency Shelter: For unexpected overnight stays.
  • ID & Emergency Info: In case of emergencies.
  • Trekking Poles: Reduces strain on knees.
  • Camera: Captures memorable moments.
  • Binoculars: Views distant wildlife or landscapes.
  • Toilet Supplies: Maintain cleanliness and Leave No Trace. Pack your own toilet paper, a Kula cloth, and a trowel if you need to go where there are no facilities.
  • Bear Spray: Protection in bear territories.

Final thoughts on the Mamquam Lake Trail

This hike to Mamquam Lake, camping at Rampart Ponds Campground in Garibaldi Park had been on my list for a while. It’s a long hike that’s best split over 1 or 2 nights and it is a great alternative to camping at Elfin Lakes if you’ve been unable to get a BC Parks camping reservation.

From the Rampart Ponds Elfin Lakes backcountry camping sites you get incredible views of the mountains including Mount Garibaldi in British Columbia. This is one of my favorite Garibaldi campground locations.

If you want to do more Garibaldi camping, check out this guide to hiking to the Wedgemount Campground at Wedgemount Lake, how to hike to Russet Lake campground, or camp at the Kees and Claire hut, or camping at Garibaldi Lake campground for the Black Tusk trail and Panorama Ridge hike. I’ve also got a guide to where to camp in Whistler if backcountry camping isn’t quite your thing.

Last Updated on August 22, 2023 by Hannah

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