Hike to Royal Basin

Kristin McLerran

Hike to Royal Basin

09/02/16

This hike is an incredibly beautiful adventure into the heart of Olympic National Park. Enormous trees, moss-covered forest, alpine lakes, and stunning peaks can all be found here. My friends and I did it as a one night backpacking trip in May when there was still quite a bit of snow at both the lake and the basin. The trail seems to clear out quite early of snow all the way up to the lake; it was just our campsites that were still covered in a lot of places. The basin is a really fun place to play and glissade in when there's still snow, too, and we even had a few marmots chirping at us as we walked around! However, we did notice a lot of avalanche sluff and debris, which is a good reminder of how dangerous snow can be. Always watch for avalanche chutes, especially in early spring when snow is warming and melting!

5.0

Explorer

Michael Graw

Explorer

Hike to Royal Basin

08/21/16

Royal Basin has been on my to-do list for a while, in part because it's one of the few quota camping areas in Olympic National Park. And after visiting, I can see why - Royal Basin is spectacular! The old-growth on the hike in exemplifies the archetypical Northwest forest, and by the time you reach the basin you're in an entirely different - alpine - world surrounded by massive peaks. Royal Lake is beautiful, but for the best scenery visiting the upper basin is absolutely essential. As far as camping goes, none of the sites (which are delineated on the permits) are particularly large or even especially flat, but the location easily makes up for that. I agree with Nathan's review above that the trail is very manageable (it does climb 2,000 feet, but it's so gradual all the way to Royal Lake you'll barely notice). However, be aware that Mt Deception is definitely a technical climb. One additional tip - if you can't get camping permits for Royal Basin, but are up for a big hike, there is no quota for Deception Basin to the south (hike to upper Royal Basin, then continue on over the shoulder of Deception - this is a very steep and tough scramble, followed by a steep descent!).

5.0

Nathan Wall

Hike to Royal Basin

06/23/16

When Hurricane Ridge is crawling with tourists, and you're able to grab an overnight permit this old-growth to high-country route is phenomenal. Late season is the best time to explore the basin as the tarns and lakelets are all melted out and the bugs cannot survive the chilly evenings. Early season adventurers may want to consider an ascent of the second tallest peak in the Olympic Mountains: Mt. Deception. Competence on steep snow fields and scrambling 3rd class loose rock are amust for this add-on. Don't be scared off by the "advanced" rating. It's nothing more than a jaunt in the park on a well-maintained trail: intermediate at hardest.

4.0