Royal Basin - 13.6 Miles Round-Trip

Royal Lake (5,107') is located 6.8 miles from the Upper Dungeness Trailhead in Olympic National Park. It lies at the base of a capacious alpine valley holding a spectacular collection of tarns, snowfields and 7,000' peaks collectively called Royal Basin.

Trail Map | Photo Gallery

The hike begins in the Olympic National Forest on the Dungeness River Trail before departing up Royal Creek to the lake. It continues 1.3 miles and 590' above Royal Lake into the Upper Basin, where you may explore a network of meadows, waterfalls, snowfields and tarns:

The Dungeness River Trail heads southeast on a rolling grade to a bridge; bear right for Royal Basin and do not cross the bridge (1.0 miles : 2,705'). 

The trail enters Olympic National Park (1.2 miles : 2,865) and levels beside Royal Creek with many access points along its even banks. Travel is mild through a tall fir-hemlock forest and a thin, mossy understory.

At 2.95 miles (3,495') timber breaks across an avalanche slope with a look at peaks in the upper valley. The trail dips back into an attractive forest along the creek to the last campsites with permissible fires (3.28 miles : 3,458').

Travel intensifies from 4.0 - 5.0 miles on steep, rugged grades through heavy brush and clutter. It gains 730' on this tough climb into a subalpine forest. The trail crests (5.3 miles : 4,570'), dips and moderates for short intervals into a broad, stream-crossed opening at the Lower Meadow Campsites (6.2 miles : 4,695').

It continues over a log bridge and presses steeply to the north shore of Royal Lake (6.8 miles : 5,107'). Royal Lake is comparatively small but open with great views from the south shore. The trail forks and circles the lake; head left for quicker access to the south shore.

To reach the Upper Basin Trail, follow signs from the south shore through a large meadow to the Group Campsite and Ranger Tent. The Upper Basin Trail begins behind the Group Site on the far end of the meadow, .35 miles from when you first reach the lake (7.15 miles : 5,112').

The Upper Basin Trail crosses a log bridge and climbs steeply before leveling off in a broad alpine meadow (7.5 miles : 5,345'). It skirts the meadow before crossing a stream at an ill-defined (and somewhat counter-intuitive) point.

The trail seemingly heads straight for a waterfall, but the actual route veers right across the stream (7.7 miles : 5,380') and begins a very steep climb up a gulch with big views over the meadow below.

It abruptly levels at another fork in the open Upper Basin (8.0 miles : 5,640'). Bear right and wrap around a knoll to the first of several large tarns in the basin (8.1 miles : 5,695'). The Upper Basin is capped by Mount Deception (7,788') and a ring of jagged peaks. Open exploration continues across rugged moraines, snowfields and tarns.