Royal Lake is located 6.1 miles from the Upper Dungeness Trailhead in Olympic National Park.

It lies at the base of a capacious alpine valley holding a spectacular collection of tarns, glaciers and 7,000' peaks collectively called Royal Basin.

The hike begins in the Olympic National Forest on the Dungeness River Trail before departing up Royal Creek to the lake. It continues .95 miles and 590' above Royal Lake into the Upper Basin where you may explore a network of idyllic meadows, waterfalls, snowfields, and tarns:

The Dungeness River Trail heads southeast on a rolling grade to a bridge where you'll bear right for Royal Basin (1.0 miles : 2,735'). Do not cross the bridge.

The trail enters Olympic National Park (1.2 miles : 2,885) and levels beside Royal Creek with many access points along its even banks. The voluminous, cascading creek is a compelling destination in itself.

The grade is mild through a stately fir and hemlock forest and a thin, moss-covered understory. At 2.7 miles (3,445') the timber breaks on an avalanche slope with your first look at peaks in the upper valley.

The trail drops back into an exceptionally attractive forest beside the creek to the last campsites with permissible fires (3.0 miles : 3,425'). Travel soon intensifies on a shifting, rugged course through intervals of heavy brush and a cluttered understory.

Grades steepen considerably from 3.7 miles (3,800') - 4.3 miles (4,400') with just two brief clearings on this otherwise yeoman-like push into a subalpine forest.

The trail drops and moderates (5.1 miles : 4,580') for a spell into a broad, stream-crossed meadow at the Lower Meadow Campsites (5.65 miles : 4,705').

It continues over a log bridge and presses steeply to the north shore of Royal Lake (6.1 miles : 5,107').

Royal Lake is comparatively small but open with magnificent views on its south shore. The trail forks and circles the lake; head left for quick travel to the south shore.

To reach the Upper Basin Trail, follow signs from the south shore through a large meadow to the Group Campsite and Ranger Tent.

The Upper Basin Trail begins behind the Group Site on the far end of the meadow, .35 miles from when you first reach the lake (6.45 miles : 5,102').

The Upper Basin Trail crosses a log bridge and climbs steeply before leveling off in an expansive alpine meadow (6.8 miles : 5,345').

It skirts the meadow before crossing a stream at a very ill-defined (and somewhat counter-intuitive) point.

The trail seemingly heads straight for a waterfall, but the intended route bears right across the stream (7.0 miles : 5,380') and begins a very steep climb up an open gulch with unabated views over the meadow below.

The trail abruptly levels at another fork in the open Upper Basin (7.3 miles : 5,640'). Bear right and wrap around a knoll to the first of several large accessible tarns in the basin (7.4 miles : 5,695').

The Upper Basin is capped by Mount Deception (7,788') and a ring of jagged, glacier lined peaks. Travel is rugged but possible over rolling moraines between the Upper Basin's many snowfields and tarns.