On a hot day in July, I ventured out on the Long Lake Road, then continued on the bumpy Rossmoore Lake FSR for 16.5 km to Rossmoore Lake. There is a small Rec Site on the lake, with a steep and rough boat launch. On this day, I kayaked around the lake once, then hiked tracks and trails on the east side of the lake, visiting the Rocky Mountain Rangers’ cabins and continuing past marshes and a large pond back to the start. There were a number of fishermen on the lake and some were camped at the Rec Site, but there was no one else on the rough backroads and grown-in tracks near the lake.
I paddle Rossmoore Lake every summer. It is not a large lake and when the lake is down, some of the bays are too shallow and choked with fallen trees, so it reduces the distance even more. After securing the boat I hiked on a rutted and muddy track through a marshy shoreline area through burned forest, then turned to go to the RMR cabins on the lakeshore. Everything seemed to be in good shape and there was no sign of recent use. I continued northwest; that track can be followed over to Fred Lake and beyond to Lac le Jeune (4.5 km), suitable for hiking, mountain biking, or ATV, but there are often deep muddy puddles and there may be fallen trees. I have hiked it several times, but now, after the Rossmoore Forest Fire of 2023, black trees line much of the area north of the lake.
Rossmoore Lake is mostly a quiet spot in the backcountry, one of many lakes worth visiting in the area. A few photos from the paddle and hike are included here in a Google Photos album. There is a link on the upper right corner to go to the album (with captions) or the images can be viewed in an embedded slideshow in this post:
