Sandbar Lakes Trail

High in the Rawah Wilderness, past where the Laramie River Road finally quits for the season, the Sandbar Lakes trails string together a handful of quiet alpine tarns — Upper and Lower Sandbar, Big Rainbow, and a nameless little pond in between. This is easy walking by wilderness standards: well-worn tread, wooden signs at nearly every junction, and only a modest climb over the whole 1.25 miles. You don't drive to it — you arrive on foot, dropping in off the Camp Lake Trail at one end or the Rawah (North) Trail at the other, which is part of the charm. By the time you reach these lakes you've already earned the quiet.

Give yourself time to just sit by the water here; moose are regulars at every one of these lakes and the pond between them, so keep your distance and keep dogs leashed and close — a cow with a calf is nothing to crowd. Come prepared for real high country: you're above 10,500 feet the whole way, wood fires are off-limits above 10,800 feet, and afternoon storms build fast over the Rawah. Plan for late June at the earliest, once the road opens and the snow lets go, and carry a map — the little four-way junction near the middle of the network can turn you around if you're not paying attention.

Trail Facts

Getting There

The Sandbar Lakes trails have no road trailhead of their own — you reach them on foot from either the Camp Lake Trail or the Rawah (North) Trail, both off Laramie River Road on the west side of the Rawah Wilderness. From the west end of the Camp Lake Trail, the network begins at the marked Sandbar Lakes junction; from the Rawah (North) Trail, pick it up east-northeast of Rawah Lake #3. Plan on late June at the earliest — Laramie River Road isn't plowed, so the whole area is snowed in and inaccessible through winter and spring.

Know Before You Go

• Moose country. They're commonly seen in and around every one of these lakes and the little pond between them — give them a wide berth, never get between a cow and her calf, and keep dogs leashed and close.
• Wilderness rules. No bikes, e-bikes, or other wheeled conveyances; no motorized use of any kind; group size is capped at 12 (people and stock combined) in the Rawah Wilderness.
• No wood fires up high. Wood fires are prohibited above 10,800 ft in the Rawah Alpine Closure Area — carry a self-contained chemical stove and plan to cook on that.
• Dogs on leash. Dogs must be on a hand-held leash with hikers (voice control is only allowed with stock).
• Mind the four-way. This is a small network, not a single line — junctions are signed with wooden markers, but the four-way crossing near the middle is easy to misread, so carry a map and know which fork you want.
• Water & camping. Water is available at Big Rainbow, Upper and Lower Sandbar lakes, and the pond — treat it before drinking; flat, legal campsites (200+ ft from water and trail) are scarce, so scout ahead.
• Short season. Figure late June at the earliest once Laramie River Road opens; the trailhead is snowbound and unreachable in winter, and afternoon lightning is a real hazard up this high.