Wild Basin is one of the largest protected mountain basins on the eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park and is, perhaps unsurprisingly, wild. There is only one road that gets into Wild Basin, and even then, it only goes two miles. The rest of the nearly 21,000-acre basin is networked with trails, but many ridges, alpine cirques, and lakes are only accessible via substantial cross-country travel. Wild Basin is also blessed with numerous waterfalls and cascades that add to the natural allure of the area. Combining a trip to Thunder Lake with Copeland Falls, Calypso Cascade, and Ouzel Falls makes for an excellent and well-rounded, albeit long, adventure into Wild Basin. See our detailed trail review.
I hiked up to Thunder Lake and the Wild Basin Waterfalls while backpacking on June 24 and 25, 2021. This is my photo essay.
Photography for this article provided by Brian Hamilton, who hiked this trail on a weekend backpacking outing on September 3 to 5, 2021. Skyblue Overland uses SmugMug, a paid image sharing, image hosting service, and online video platform on which users can upload photos and videos. The SmugMug also facilitates the sale of digital and print media for amateur and professional photographers. See Skyblue Overland’s Adventure Photo Galleries from the Best Trails in Colorado at SmugMug.com. To see even more photos from my adventure see my North Inlet Trail Gallery.
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