Royal Basin Trail

Royal Basin Trail is a 16-mile out-and-back from Upper Dungeness Trailhead, following Royal Creek past Royal Lake to the high meadow and tarns of Upper Royal Basin. Allow about 8½ hours; this is a hard, full-day hike, with most of the reward arriving after a long forested approach. The park’s 7.2-mile figure is one way to Royal Lake. The upper basin sits about three-quarters of a mile farther, and the more detailed route description puts the full trip at 16 miles round trip. A separate 14-mile estimate does not make its turnaround clear. If you stop at Royal Lake, plan on roughly 14.4 miles round trip and leave the upper tarns for another day.

Start at the Upper Dungeness Trailhead. The access drive follows Forest Roads 2880 and 2870 from Palo Alto Road; it is a long gravel road with deep potholes in places, so take it slowly. The sizable lot has a vault toilet and picnic table. A Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required to park.

The first mile on Upper Dungeness Trail is gentle. Just before the footlog over Royal Creek, turn right onto Royal Basin Trail. Later, stay left at the Maynard Burn Trail junction. The route soon crosses into Olympic National Park; the hike itself continues on maintained tread.

A pair of switchbacks lifts the trail above the rushing creek. After the Maynard Burn junction, moss covers the forest floor under fir and hemlock, with a few small streams to step across. The trees eventually open onto talus slopes and views up, down, and across the valley. Watch the cliffs above the trail for a narrow waterfall about half a mile upslope. The path drops back toward Royal Creek near several campsites, then leaves the water and climbs open slopes in more switchbacks toward the lake.

Much of this approach is forest walking, so the hike asks for patience before the alpine scenery takes over. The small creek crossings can wet your feet, especially when the water is high.

At 7.2 miles from the trailhead and about 5,100 feet, Royal Lake is a good place to rest or turn around if the upper basin is too much for the day. A side path past the seasonal ranger platform leads to a waterfall view, and composting toilets are located at the lake. The lake is also the point where an overnight trip’s campsite rules begin to matter; repeated overuse there led to tighter camping limits.

The trail continues beneath Shelter Rock’s massive overhang, crosses a short footlog, and eases out at Arrowhead Meadow. From there, an unbridged stream comes before the climb into Upper Royal Basin. The blue tarns sit west of the trail, a little higher, around 5,700 feet. This is the destination that makes the extra three-quarters of a mile beyond Royal Lake worthwhile. Stay on the maintained trail; cross-country routes over nearby passes are separate hikes, not part of this route.