After visiting the Enchantments in the Alpine Lake Wilderness, I was on a mission to see more granite rocks and beautiful lakes. Tuck and Robin lakes was high on my backpacking bucket list, so on my 30th birthday we set out to hike the trail during the week, in hopes it would be less busy.
Picking a trail to visit in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is hard! My bucket list of hikes in this area is endless. With that being said many of the hikes here are long and hard on the body. Depending how much time you have to hike, seeing multiple destinations over longer days is possible. Pick your poison!
On this blog post I will share my experience at this trail, what to expect, and where it is located. Let’s get into it!
Where is Tuck and Robin Lakes?
Being only 2.5 hours from Seattle, Tuck and Robin has gained popularity due to how accessible it is. However, this is a hard hike and should not be taken lightly! Many see the photos on Instagram and do not realize what they are getting into. Alpine Lakes Wilderness is home to hundreds of hiking trails full of pristine lakes to visit.
You start at the Tucquala Meadows Trailhead for this hike, register your group with the permit system, and begin your hike in there. I drove my Subaru Outback to this trailhead with no issues, but the road is known to be rough so check trip reports before taking a vehicle out that might not make it to the trailhead. This can change year after year once the snow melts, so proceed with caution.
What To Expect
If you read the trip reports of people who did this hike in one day, many advised against it. Of course backpacking this trail is going to be harder, but once you get into the basin of Robin Lakes in Alpine Lakes Wilderness, you won’t want to leave.
Elevation Gain: 4,343 feet
Miles: 13.7 out and back
Dogs: Allowed on a leash. Goats make it not as dog friendly if you are looking to see them I advise leaving the dogs at home.
Difficulty: Difficult
Recreation Pass: Northwest Forest Pass
Everybody’s physical fitness is going to vary from trip to trip, so it is essential you know your limits, go in prepared, and understand the physical demand this trail will take. I was with two others who were comfortable going at the same pace as one another, not rushing, and making smart decisions based on weather.
Our Experience at Tuck and Robin Lakes
We gave ourselves 3 nights to complete this trail, with the intention of enjoying 2 nights up at Robin Lakes. Weather we experienced on the beginning of this hike was quite brutal to be honest. Being a beginner backpacker at the time, having to sleep in the rain, pack out a wet tent and arrive to storm wasn’t ideal.
Day One
On the first day we encountered heavy rain on the way in, so we found campsites around Helm Lake. There are only about 6 established campsites in this area, about 4.5 miles into starting the trail. The portion of this trail is quite flat, making it an easy first day before ascending into the basin area. Because we started during the week we only saw 1 other person in this area. It also went from sunny to extremely rainy in no time, pushing us into our tents for the greater part of the day.
Day Two
We woke up to rain again this day. I think this is when I realized I might be a fair weather backpacker. Not only did packing up our wet tent suck, we had to hike in wet rain for the majority of the day. For me, backpacking is much more enjoyable when inclement weather is not an issue; but onward we went. When we arrived at Tuck Lake we were quite tired.
We needed to do a little route finding as their are many trails that shoot in different directions. It was quite foggy when we arrived. We were told by hikers coming down from Robin Lakes that we should not go up there as it was snowing! This was not on the forecast whatsoever. Goes to show hiking in the mountains can quickly change, and to be prepared. There aren’t many places to camp along Tuck Lake, as it is full of rocks and not many flat areas. However, we were determined to wait out the weather and go to Robin the following morning. We posted up, cuddled in the tent all day and finally before sunset the rain had stopped.
Day Three
We woke up to clear skies and a glorious sunrise! We weren’t sure if it was going to be safe to hike up to Robin Lakes, so we packed our day packs and headed up for a day hike instead of bringing our packs up. This portion of the trail is steep granite, with no signs of a trail. We used our Garmin to route find and eventually came into the basin to see Robin Lakes. OH MY goodness were we blown away. Not only that the fresh dusting of the snow against the blue lakes was something else.
We spent the rest of the day up here exploring, talking to hikers, and taking pictures. We even ran into hunters! Be cautious of hunters in the backcountry this time of year, and be sure to wear bright clothing if you are in hunting season. After enjoying the beauty of the area we hiked back down to Tuck to our campsite.
Day Four
We woke up for sunrise and headed down 8 miles to the car. Of course we were exhausted! I feel like hikes back to the car like this can seem to go on forever and ever sometimes.
Have you backpacked Tuck and Robin Lakes before? Let me know what your experience was in the comments!
Future Inspiration For Later!
- Stay At The High Hut Backpacking Trail In Washington
- Visit Winthrop Washington
- Hike Tolmie Peak Lookout Tower
Pin For Later!
