Washington – Backpacking Royal Basin in Olympic National Park
As my very first foray into Olympic National Park, I did an overnight in the Royal Basin, where the subalpine beauty shocked me. Complete with glacial streams, a deep blue lake, wildflower meadows, and exposed mountain peaks, this hike has a little taste of everything amazing. At 16 miles to the lake, this hike could be a day hike or savored overnight. We found a delightful campground site at the lake and after setting up, the mist immediately rolled in, obscuring the view. This was a bummer, but we were able to explore the Upper Royal Basin, three-quarters of a mile beyond the lake, in the morning. The Upper Royal Basin features an expansive meadow with wildflowers and a cascading stream surrounded by mountain peaks. A worth morning of exploration!
A couple of things to note about camping in Royal Basin before we get started: You will need to make a reservation (between May 1 and September 1) to camp because there are a limited number of campsites and camping is only permitted in designated spots. Also, you will need a bear canister, which you can borrow if you do not have your own. You can get your wilderness permit and bear canisters at the Wilderness Information Center at Olympic National Park. Consider the logistics when visiting the information center because it is much further west than the trailhead road. Enough of the boring stuff, let’s get into the hike.
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Royal Basin Hike In
Getting to the trailhead is a bit of an adventure along a dirt road to the Upper Dungeness parking lot. This drive itself took a good 1.5 hour or more from the Wilderness Information Center. Make sure you have everything you need and get on the trail. The first mile is a gentle warmup, allowing you to adjust your pack as needed, under a canopy of tall fir trees. Sunlight dapples the soft ground, which your knees will love on the hike back. After about a mile, you will reach a junction with a bridge over a stream. Don’t take the bridge, but instead head right. For another mile or a mile and a half, you will follow the deep blue stream through lush greenery. This was my mushroom-enthusiast friend’s favorite section. There will be hills and a couple of small stream crossings.
The middle section of this hike is when you’ll gain the most elevation. The scenery changes with bigger openings in the trees, gullies, sun-loving bushes, and a break completely into talus fields. The vistas took my breath away with a U-shaped valley and entire ridgeline opposite to take in. These slopes are rocky and exposed, but then you dip back into the trees. You’ll curse the switchback sections, but know the reward is close.
The final section to be a climb through the Lower Royal Meadow. Surrounded by craggy mountain peaks, low grasses and shrubs, with a meandering stream, this was one of my favorite spots on the hike. If we had another day here, I would spend at least part of it frolicking in this meadow and cheering on other hikers. Have fun crossing a log bridge over with wobbly legs, followed by one more climb to get to Royal Lake.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars, I would do this hike again, but am excited to explore more of Olympic National Park
- Intensity: Backpacking gear, hiking shoes, athletic clothes, plenty of water and food
- Location: Olympic National Park – Northeast section
- Cost: NW Forest Pass or Interagency Pass required to park at the trailhead
- Restrooms: Pit Toilets at the trailhead and at camp
- Timing: This can be a long day hike or overnight
- Distance: 16-miles roundtrip
Highlights:
- Camp at a subalpine lake surrounded by craggy mountain peaks
- The trail to get there is endlessly entertaining – gentle forest walk, glacial stream, views of the surrounding ridges, and an open meadow surrounded by peaks
- Explore Upper Royal Basin – a stunning meadow with wildflowers, a cascade, and mountain peaks
Lowlights:
- I wish we had more time here – the mist rolled in early on the first day and we lost the view
Camp at Royal Lake
Royal Lake itself is a stunning blue-green clear lake with a backdrop of steep mountains on two sides of the lake. Follow the trail to the right side of the lake. A little more than halfway, you’ll begin to see marked campgrounds. We ended up finding an incredible spot on a hill across from the entrance of the lake. This isn’t usually the case, but most campsites had great views of the lake and the mountains surrounding the lake. Most of the campsites are also surrounded by trees, giving a bit of privacy and the ability to hang a hammock – a win-win.
While busy setting up the tent, a late afternoon mist rolled in and obscured our view. This was a bummer as we had hoped to go exploring in the afternoon. The mist was thick and even obscured our view of the lake. Is this a common late afternoon occurrence in Olympic National Park? Let me know in the comments, so I can better prepare next time.
There are composting toilets up the trail and around a corner. It is a bit of a hassle, so we only used the toilets some of the time. Do be mindful when answering nature’s call in terms of how close you are to the lake – you should be 200ft from the water. Royal lake has seen overuse in the past, which prompted the National Park to limit camping at the lake, so we can all do our part.
Explore Upper Royal Basin
Luckily we were not in a rush to return home in the morning, so we could explore Upper Royal Basin the following morning with clear skies. The trail is a gentle climb that dips down into an enormous meadow surrounded by peaks. In late August, the meadow was bright green with lush greenery. You can visit the crystal clear mountain stream, taken in the cascading waterfall, and climb up further to another meadow. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize at the time what was beyond a climb above the waterfall – another large meadow with Mt. Deception as the backdrop. To get there, it looked like another series of switchbacks. We had a pleasant time in the meadow without overdoing it.
Ideally, you will stay at Royal Lake for two nights, allowing for an entire day of exploration into the Upper Meadow and all the way to the base of Mt. Deception. And before the fog comes in, you could dip back down to the Lower Royal Meadow.
The Return Trip
After some refreshing explorations, we packed up camp and headed back on the trail. During the return trip, we had sunny skies and knew what to expect during each section of the trail. Along the way, we found new mushrooms and plants to admire. It is nice that on the return, the steepest sections will be at the start of the trail and it will level out as you go. As predicted, the last soft section was heaven for my knees. We needed to return the bear canisters to the Wilderness Information Center, which was a pain, but it was also a delight to have access to a guilt-free flushing toilet. It’s the small things, you know.
Gear Recommendations
Here are the most critical things for backpacking in Olympic National Park with a couple of recommended products, but I recommend that you research gear reviews, especially with the high price point items.
Camping & Hiking items:
Download a map or the Alltrails Map in advance.
Tent
Nemo Hornet 2p or the super light Zpacks Tents.
Sleeping bag
Therm-a-Rest Parsec 20 for down, Marmot Eco 20 for eco-fill, or maybe you only need a quilt. (Read my review of the Therm-a-rest Parsec 20 sleeping bag here.)
Backpack
Deuter or Osprey both have good options.
Sleeping pad
Therm-A-Rest Lite for a blow-up version or a Therm-A-Rest foam pad to save your breath. (Read my review of the Therm-a-rest NeoAir XTherm Sleeping Pad here.)
Hiking boots
For boots, consider the Keen Targhee II for something similar to what I’m wearing in the photos, the Columbia Newton Ridge for something cute and slightly less expensive, or the Salomon Trail Sense 4 for more flexibility and lower profile while still having a ton of grip.
Hiking poles
I don’t have an opinion on hiking poles yet, but if you’re looking for reasonably priced ones, check the REI Co-op. I just discovered these folding ones (are they new??), which would be cool to pop in your bag and use when you need them.
Headlamp
Black Diamond is the classic brand that I’m familiar with and the Spot 400 is a solid choice. Make sure you choose one that had the red light! The Petzl Actik Core has a rechargeable battery – very cool! It also gets very good reviews.
Sleeping Bag Liner
I didn’t have one, but I sure wish I did! Since this trip, I invested in the Sea-to-Summit Thermolite Reactor and it’s been a game-changer for me to sleep warmer and more comfortably in my sleeping bag.
Fleece beanie cap for sleeping
the puffball on my beanie prevented me from snuggling into my sleeping bag fully!
Sunscreen
I use this sunscreen for my face, and this one for my body.
Backup phone battery – I need a new backup battery, I am looking at these – it seems like a good value
Hat for shade
Food-related items: (no fires allowed)
- Bear canister, bag, or system for hanging the bag in a tree. We borrowed a bear canister from the Olympic National Park Visitor’s Center in Port Angeles during this trip. Since then, I have purchased the classic Bear Vault Canister.
- Stove – Jetboils are fast, and convenient but bulky… consider a pocket stove with a pot that is around 900ml or 1.2l.
- Coffee – You can use these handy pop-up pour-over packs or bring coffee grounds and a filter.
- Mug – I don’t trust plastic with boiling water, so here is something cheap, and here is something titanium, and here is something cute.
- Meals and snacks! My favorite meals right now are the Backpacker’s Pantry Thai Veggie and Mushroom Stroganoff! Or shop backpacker’s pantry on Amazon.
- Water filter – we used the classic Sawyer water filters, but I’m totally mesmerized by the Platypus gravity flow filter. I’ve used the gravity flow on trips with friends and wow, it makes filtering water effortless. Its best use is when you need a lot of water, like in a group setting.
Get to the Trailhead
Before you lose signal, pop in Upper Dungeness Trailhead into Google Maps. It is deep into the National forest, with part of the road unpaved. The gravel sections are maintained and you should not have any difficulty in a small car, beyond getting it dusty. There are a number of intersections with appropriate signage. If you want step by step instructions, head to this helpful website.
Olympic Peninsula Adventures
On a separate trip, I did a multi-day road trip to discover all of the unique climate zones of the Olympic Peninsula. Check out these posts for more details on each activity: (I will link as I post them)
- Things to do at Lake Quinault, Olympic Peninsula (rainforest)
- Backpacking Hole-in-the-Wall Beach, Olympic National Park (beach)
- Discovering the Hall of Mosses in the Hoh Rainforest (rainforest)
- Hiking Hurricane Hill, Olympic National Park (alpine)
- Visiting the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim (zoo experience)
Overall Thoughts: Royal Basin Backpacking
As I’ve mentioned, this was my first time in Olympic National Park in Washington. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was not stunning alpine peaks with grassy meadows and turquoise-green lake water. Olympic knocked my socks off and I am sad I only got a small taste of this National Park. But I think Royal Basin was a wonderful introduction with a variety of vegetation encountered. The trail was entertaining, the campground was scenic, and there were nearby meadows to explore – what more can you ask for? Although new to Olympic National Park, I feel comfortable saying this was a rad backpacking hike.
Now that I’m in love with Olympic National Park, what other day hikes or backpacking hikes would you recommend that I check out? Leave a comment on this post for me and other travelers to consider!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
