[4][5] The name Basin was most likely coined by Orson Schofield Phelps and Frederick W. Perkins in 1857 during an ascent of Mount Marcy.

The earliest appearance of the name in writing was made by surveyor Verplanck Colvin in 1873.

[4] Basin Mountain can be climbed from many trailheads in the High Peaks Wilderness Area.

From the lodge, the route to the summit of Basin is 4.5 miles (7.2 km), for 2,870 feet (870 m) of total ascent, crossing over Saddleback Mountain on the way.

[6] The summit of the mountain is an alpine zone, and offers views of Gothics to the east, Shanty Brook Valley to the southeast, Upper Ausable Lake to the South, Mount Haystack to the southwest, and Mount Marcy to the west.