Tuck and Robin Lakes — Sunday, Jul. 20, 2025

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Overview:

This is a gem of a backpacking trip that offers a lot to those willing to make the trek up to Robin lakes. Highlights include huckleberries (peaking right now), wildlife, pristine alpine lakes, beautiful wildflowers, and epic mountain views all around. Mosquitos present but not overbearing.

Road/Parking:

Directions on WTA are spot on. Go past salmon la sac and the road will eventually transition to a gravel/dirt road forestry road for roughly 11 miles. The road is in good condition with minimal potholes. There is one stream crossing that is not too bad right now. It is well maintained, and most cars should be able to get over it. My outback had zero difficulty. Lots of sedans were at the trail head. Earlier season with higher melt out might make it hard for cars with no clearance though. Tons of parking at the trailhead or along the road.

Trail Conditions:

This is a trail in 3 parts. The first is from the trailhead all the way to the fork where you turn to Tuck Lake and is very well maintained. Mostly wide and little elevation. Plenty of room to pass people. Mosquitos were tame through this section. Bonus that the huckleberries along this section are starting to peak which makes for a nice little hiking snack. A few stream crossings but all with logs and rocks to get across.

The second section from the turnoff up to tuck lake is when the elevation and poor trail design kicks in. You will steadily climb upwards from here with a few sections that ditch the switchbacks and cut straight up the mountain. Those sections are very steep and may require the use of hands to grab on to roots. Generally, they are short but a little annoying. Gotta earn those views though! Eventually you will reach the foot of tuck lake where there are lots of large rocky places to sit out and take a break. Mosquitos become more noticeable here, but still not terrible (around noon or so?).

From here the third section of the trail begins which is less a trail and more just following cairns through rocky bouldery fields straight upwards. Keep your eyes up to find the markers or use a navigation device to help keep you moving in the right direction. Garmin watch maps were helpful to gut check that we were going the right way as there are tons of social trails through the rocky sections. Many sections where you will need your hands to navigate. You will gain elevation over tuck very quickly. Lots of views along the way so plenty of chances to take breaks. Keep on pushing and eventually you make the ridge over robin lakes! Here the mosquitos were more present but not overbearing. A little bit of bug spray and a long sleeve and we felt fine. Helps that it is a little breezier up there. They were worse in the evening than mid-day though.

Lots of camp sites all around the lake so pick where you want to be. We chose between the two lakes and liked it. A handful of other campers in that area but had enough space. We took a dip in the lake which felt great. Did some fishing and caught trout. Found a pacific marten running around the lakes. Bonus from here you can hike up to the ridge below Granite peak which is well worth the extra elevation. The views up here were incredible. We watched the sunset over Mt Daniels on an outcrop just below the ridge which was incredible.

Conclusion:

This is an awesome hike and well worth the trail navigation and big elevation gain. The lakes are beautiful and the views of Mt Daniel over the lakes is stunning. Watching sunset and sunrise on Mt Daniel was special. We didn’t see goats but lots of signs of them so wouldn’t be surprised if others encounter them. Seeing a Marten was cool too.

We did encounter some trash at the lake. One bag with beers and mixers and a flask of tequila that looked like it may have been left there for a month…. Just a friendly reminder to everyone to make sure they pack everything out.

After the hike, enjoy a coffee, beer, or food in Roslyn or Cle Elum! There are a handful of wonderful spots for a post hike treats!