Royal Basin via Royal Lake

Your trip starts on the Upper Dungeness trail. After about a gentle mile of this trail you’ll come to the intersection with the Royal Basin trail just a few steps before the footlog bridge spanning Royal Creek. Turn right to join the Royal Basin Trail.

The trail soon makes a couple switchbacks and though it rises above the creek, the clatter and din of the plunging waters provide mood music for your trek. You’ll stay left at the intersection with the Maynard Burn Trail and soon enter Olympic National Park. The trail passes through moss-carpeted halls of firs and hemlocks with a few step-over creeks to negotiate.

Soon, the trail breaks into talus-strewn open stretches with commanding views up, down and across the valley. The first of these often features a white-ribboned waterfall streaming down a cliff face about a half mile upslope from the trail. After revisiting the creek, near some campsites, the trail diverges from the waters and climbs via switchbacks again on open slopes.

The trail takes on a pattern of long traverses punctuated by steep climbs. Switchbacks help you on the ascents before Royal Lake.

At 7.2 miles and 5,100 feet of elevation, Royal Lake is a gem. The land around has suffered in the past from overuse that prompted the Park’s camping reservation system. Up valley from the lake is a seasonal Ranger post. Follow the side trail past the Ranger tent platform to a fine view of waterfalls.

Shelter Rock, with its massive sheltering overhang, is hard to miss on your left as you continue upward. With the rock looming almost directly above you, you’ll cross a short footlog and start striding upward to where the trail levels off at Arrowhead Meadow. Enjoy the views and the gentle grade. You’ll soon be crossing an unbridged stream and ascending to Upper Royal Basin. The blue tarns are to the west and a little bit higher at about 5,700 feet.

Some off-trail hikers can head even farther from the upper basin, either south over a ridge into Deception Basin or east over a ridge into Milk Creek Basin.

WTA Pro Tip: Most of this trip is in Olympic National Park. This is a very sensitive area, and online reservations available on Recreation.gov are limited to a shorter summer season. Permits outside of the summer season are only available by reaching out to the Wilderness Information Center. Camping is allowed only at designated locations and campsites at Royal Lake. Campfires are not permitted above 3,500 feet, and bear canisters are required for food storage.