Trail to Alligator Lake
Location: 40.8876599, -110.3594041
3/4 mile side trail to Alligator Lake
Henry's Fork Trail
Location: 40.8815278, -110.3688884
The smooth trail allows for a quick pace. Not too difficult.
Elkhorn Crossing
Location: 40.8528386, -110.3839517
A loop around most of the lakes in the basin branches from the main trail here.
View of Kings Peak
Location: 40.8416712, -110.3819776
After ascending a hill and coming out of the trees, you get a beautiful view of the basin and surrounding mountains.
Dollar Lake
Location: 40.8240721, -110.3792524
View of Dollar Lake
Shortcut options
Location: 40.7948382, -110.3567863
From here a few shortcut options are available. We cut across Painter's Basin below the ridge. Some cut up and over the ridge.
Kings Peak from trail
Location: 40.780119, -110.3600049
Just a big pile of rocks
The Chute
Location: 40.7861955, -110.3747249
For a more ambitious shortcut, take the steep "chute" or "toilet bowl" just north of this marker.
Final Leg
Location: 40.7851882, -110.3777719
You leave the trail here and scramble the rest of the way up the ridge.
Kings Peak from Anderson Pass
Location: 40.7850583, -110.3776002
View of route from Anderson Pass up ridge to Kings Peak
Henry's Fork Basin
Location: 40.780184, -110.3732228
View from ridge below summit
View from Summit
Location: 40.7763818, -110.3729653
Looking west and south, including South Kings Peak (just slightly lower at 13,512 ft) on the left.
The first day we hiked 7 miles in to Dollar Lake and camped there. The next day we left at a ridiculously late 11:30am to hike the peak. We didn't do the chute/toilet bowl, we followed the trail over Gunsight Pass, cut across Painters Basin, then trail again up to Anderson Pass. It was about 6.5 miles to the peak. We left the peak at 6:30pm, and because it was already so late, we decided to shortcut it back, so we went down the southeast ridge and straight down to Painters, hiked back to camp in the dark and arrived at 10:45pm, about 5 miles back. The next day we hiked a mile over to see Henry's Fork Lake and spent about 2 hrs watching 2 big moose lumber around. We hiked out the next day, stopped and fished the river for a while and caught several small fish on flies. None bigger than 6-8 inches, but beautiful cutthroats. The country up there is stunning, amazing, and beautiful, and the views from the peak are incredible. The weather was clear and in the 70s the whole time, just perfect.
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