Ever since I've stumbled upon this hike on WTA, I've wanted to go and see this beautiful cirque for myself. Another enticement was the lack of crowds, but this also came at the cost of less trip reports. Of course a new one was added right before my hike, as timing would have it :) Tip: read trip reports for Lost Creek Ridge to get additional info, as this is the trail you take to get to the ridge above Round Lake.
Road: The unpaved portion of the Mountain Loop Highway is gravelly, but easy driving and suitable for all vehicles. The last few miles on FR 49 have more rough sections of potholes and rocks. I think a sedan could make it by driving carefully. I was happy to have some clearance on my Mazda CX-5.
Trail: I love this trail! It's long and steep, but very well-graded and mostly on dirt. I found it comparable to Mount Dickerman (just longer). Some parts were narrow and had vegetation overgrowth - good to have pants on after it rains to protect against the brush. There were also lots of downed trees, but all were navigable by either stooping under, stepping over, or using way paths around. Would be a bit more annoying with a backpacking pack. Attached is an image of one of the trickier trees - had to go up and around because the trunk was too width and smooth for me to attempt going over.
The trail after Bingley Gap is on a ridge, and views soon open up. Huckleberries, the last few wildflowers, and hints of fall color also began here. I loved this section! I hope to backpack here one day and explore along the ridge more to Camp Lake/Lake Byrne.
After the views open up, there is soon a split on the trail. I veered left to the overlook of Round Lake. Content with the views from above, I decided to have this be my turnaround point (Gaia clocked this hike as 9.85 miles, 4,259 ft, so a bit shorter than the WTA stats). I didn't linger long, as the ridge felt cold with the breeze, shade, and my sweaty clothes haha. The way down was uneventful - just watch your step, there are some bits of the trail that are narrow and above steep slopes. Nothing feels sketchy though! Loved going down on dirt switchbacks rather than something rocky. No smoke/haze the entire day.
Crowds: About 10 cars in the lot/shoulders when I arrived at 9:15am on Labor Day. Saw 11 groups total throughout the day, the majority of which were backpackers. All encounters were brief - trail was full of solitude and incredibly quiet aside from the occasional creaking of the trees (no wonder there are so many downed trees on the trail...). Counted about 13 cars at the trailhead on my return ~3:15pm.
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