Tuck & Robin Lakes Backpacking
We did a two night backpack to this gorgeous granite basin in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in late July of 2023. It is a spectacular adventure that is not for the faint of heart. It’s already a difficult trail for hikers, so when you add a heavy backpack to the mix, it becomes even more challenging!
We were lucky with our timing in that we were not affected by wildfires, but it was one of the most mosquito-ridden backpacks I have ever done, so be prepared if you head this way in the midst of peak summertime!

The Details
- PERMITS: Northwest Forest Pass
- DOGS: allowed!
- However this area is full of mountain goats, so dogs should be kept on leash/under control at all times so as to not have any scary and dangerous dog vs goat encounters
- GETTING THERE: park at Tucquala Meadows Trailhead. There is a pit toilet and ample parking here, but it serves as a trailhead for multiple popular hikes, so it can fill up quickly. The gravel road was easy to traverse and could be accessed by any vehicle.
- NOTE earlier in the season, there is an area along the road shortly before the trailhead that fills with water, so be mindful of needing to cross this in your vehicle and know your vehicle’s limitations
- THE TRAIL: 12 miles roundtrip; 3,354 feet of elevation gain, with most of that vert being within a difficult 2 mile stretch
- FIRES: campfires are NOT allowed in this area as it is in the protected Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

The Experience
DAY 1
- We got to the trailhead around lunchtime, ate our sandwiches, applied some sunscreen, then it was boots on the trail by early afternoon. This was a much later start than we usually do, but that’s just how it goes sometimes
- Start by following Deception Pass Trail
- The first 2 miles are easy and mild, a nice and shady forest stroll. You’ll pass Hyas Lake which has a number of campsites here, great for families with little ones or beginner backpackers
- About 4 miles in, there is a junction where the trail splits off into multiple directions. You will want to turn right for Tuck & Robin Lakes
- Shortly after the turn, the trail immediately starts to steepen. Here – the last 2-3 miles of your hike – is where most of your 3,000+ feet of elevation gain is – and it gets more difficult with each step as you inch closer and closer to the basin
- You’ll reach Tuck Lake first – we stopped to have a snack here before continuing on



- There are several campsites here but we knew we wanted to reach Robin Lake at the end. This is also the last point to fill up on water, as there are no water sources between Tuck & Robin Lakes, and the next upcoming stretch is the most difficult part of the entire hike.
- It is no joke and requires excellent fitness and ample route finding.
- There are cairns here and there, but just know that your goal is to just hike east and UP UP UP, and you will find your way. It is tricky and steep and some scrambling is involved. We have a medium sized 50 lb dog and she managed the big rocks well. In fact, this seemed to be a very dog friendly hike in general – lots of pups were on the trail. But any scrambling is always more challenging with a heavy backpack.
- By the time we reached the spot where we decided we wanted to set up camp (which was south along the smaller, lower Robin Lake), we had logged 7.33 miles and the total elapsed time (including snack & potty breaks) to get to this point was 6.5 hours
- At this point, we only had about an hour or so of daylight left, so we quickly set up camp while we started the Jetboil for our dinner, and went to sleep shortly afterwards



DAY 2
- Our favorite backpacking style is to allot at least one full day to just enjoy nature at a slow and relaxed pace. This was that day. We woke up slow, wandered around the basin with our cameras and no real destination. This whole area is just so picturesque – a postcard view at every turn.
- Once we felt sweaty enough from the afternoon heat, we changed into swimsuits and jumped into the lake! Robin Lake was freezing but felt so refreshing under the July sun.
- PRO TIP: If you feel like being more adventurous though, many folks will do a day trip and scramble up nearby Granite Mountain for some epic views looking down on Robin Lakes!




- We topped off the evening with quality time with our books, a hearty dinner, and some sunset photography before bedtime… but not before we had some visitors!



DAY 3
- We woke up at first light, had breakfast, packed up and hit the trail
- It took us 6.5 hours to reach our car from our campsite on the hike out
- This was our elapsed time so it includes stopping for lunch/snacks and potty breaks
- One would think that the return trip would be faster than the hike in, but this took us the same exact amount of time, because:
- 1) this was now Saturday morning and we kept having to stop to give the right of way to the huge number of folks that were hiking in,
- and 2) making your way down the steep sections with a heavy pack takes time, patience and excellent coordination!



Pro Tips
- This hike has become quite popular over the years, so in order to avoid crowds, we highly recommend heading here during the week.
- We were able to hike in on a Thursday and left on a Saturday, and didn’t have any difficulty finding a campsite on a Thursday evening.
- However, by the time Friday evening rolled around, many more backpackers joined our area, and by Saturday morning, we ran into countless hikers and backpackers heading in while we were headed out. We were so surprised at the number of incoming folks, we had no idea where many of them would camp!
- Bugs, bugs, bugs!
- We tried to time our dinner so that it was not so close to dusk, when the mosquitoes really started swarming. Cover your skin and layer up to avoid bug bites. You can even look into wearing a bug net to cover your head/face too! This is what we have
- Mountain goats – there are so many of these beautiful creatures in this area! But remember, they are wild animals…
- Mountain goats are attracted to the salt in human urine, so take extra care to urinate far away from your camp, and also at least 50 feet away from the trail, so they don’t approach your camp or the trail.
- If you encounter a mountain goat, keep your distance – at least 150 feet away (or 50 yards). They are not known for being aggressive animals, but when provoked or protecting their young, they can be very dangerous. If a mountain goat does approach you or is blocking the trail, make a lot of noise and try to appear bigger (flap your jacket wildly) to scare it away.
- As mentioned above, campfires are prohibited in this area as it is part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness (nestled above 5000’). So, you will have to plan to stay warm in other ways. On our July trip, the nights did not get very cold, but if you are planning to do this during the shoulder season when a fire would otherwise keep you warm, be sure to pack even more layers and warm weather gear than you think.

Overall, this was an amazing experience that we would absolutely do again. It’s an epic adventure with all the classic PNW elements: clear and crisp alpine lakes juxtaposed against sleek granite slabs, mountain goats galore, panoramic mountain views… what more could you ask for?