Twin Lakes Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Commonly Backpacked · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Camping along this trail is limited to the established trail camps. Permits and reservations are needed for the trail camps. They can be gotten online at the Parks Canada permit/reservation website: reservation.pc.gc.ca/.

Please review the Parks Canada website and follow Leave No Trace principles.

Twin Lakes Trail starts where Snowshoe Trail leaves off and takes one to a lovely trail camp at Twin Lakes. It also provides access, via Sage Pass Trail, to the ridges of the Great Divide. To hike Twin Lakes Trail, from the Red Rock Canyon parking area take Snowshoe Trail for 5.4 miles to where it ends at the start of Twin Lakes Trail. Here the trail changes from the fire road style trail of Snowshoe Trail, to the singletrack of Twin Lakes Trail. Another trail branching northwest to Lost Lake, and the Snowshoe trail camp are also found here at the start of Twin Lakes Trail.

Beginning in the fir forest, Twin Lakes Trail crosses a small creek almost immediately and starts climbing gently. This small creek empties into Bauerman Creek to the left/south nearby. The trail then follows Bauerman Creek upstream to its source at Twin Lakes. Still in forest, a couple switchbacks ease the way up a steeper spot and the trail then becomes almost flat until the 1.4 mile mark. Along this stretch, the trail pops out of the forest into small grassy meadows with Bauerman Creek running through the meadows and nice views of the steep forested mountain across the meadows.

Alternating between meadows and forest, the trail reaches the 1.4 mile mark in the forest where it begins climbing on nice civilized switchbacks up to Twin Lakes. After about a half mile the climb is finished and a trail junction with Sage Pass Trail is reached. Go left here to continue on Twin Lakes Trail to Twin Lakes. To the right Sage Pass Trail takes one up to Sage Pass and ridges on the Great Divide.

Leaving the Sage Pass Trail junction behind, Twin Lakes Trail is flat as it crosses Bauerman Creek, the outlet creek of Upper Twin Lake, and arrives atTwin Lakes trail camp about a quarter mile later.

Forested mountains, primarily conifers, with thick undergrowth. Grassy, lush small meadows. Wildflowers. Bears live here.