The trail is in very good condition and clear all the way up to Royal Lake.
We camped at the Lower Meadow campsite, right next to Royal Creek Rover which came in handy as a water source.
There are PLENTY of mosquitos - I ended up getting bitten >20times even through my pants. Bring lots of deet!
The trail from Royal Lake to the Upper Basin was mostly clear except for the last incline which is still covered in snow. The snow is melting and is very slippery during the day. We didn’t use my microspikes but definitely recommend poles!
Overall, very nice hike. We saw a few deer and one stubborn goat who kept hanging out at Royal Lake campsite. It took us approx 5 hrs to Royal Lake and 4hrs back to the car.
Type of Hike
OvernightTrail Conditions
Trail in good conditionRoad
Road suitable for all vehiclesBugs
Bugs were terribleSnow
Snow free
Comments
Tweedy on Royal Basin - Royal Lake
Thanks for the info. Madelaine, if I recognize this correctly, the second photo you have on your report is of the upper tarn in the upper royal basin...is that correct? The phot of the tarn/lake that is partially covered in snow/ice. If so, doesn't look like there is too much snow up there right now, just spotty here and there. I'm going to be up there in a couple of weeks so just trying to confirm as much as possible about the upper royal basin ahead of time. Thank you for any clarification and help.
Posted by:
Tweedy on Jun 19, 2019 01:18 PM
Madelaine3 on Royal Basin - Royal Lake
Hi Tweedy - correct, that’s the upper basin. If you look at picture 4 that’s the view from the basin over the valley. You have to hike up that snowed covered section which is a little slippery with the melting snow. I definitely needed my hiking poles but didn’t use microspikes. There’s still snow at the upper basin but it’s not too bad.
Posted by:
Madelaine3 on Jun 19, 2019 08:06 PM
Tweedy on Royal Basin - Royal Lake
Madelaine, okay great. Thanks for the insight. I won't be on the trail for about 3 weeks, so I'd imagine the vast majority of the snow in the basin will be gone by then? Outside of the shady areas and near the peaks and ridgelines etc.
Posted by:
Tweedy on Jun 19, 2019 08:30 PM