Twin Sisters Peaks

Twin Sisters Peaks – 6.9mi / 11.1km

Sweeping, panoramic views of the the Rocky Mountain Front await at the top of Twin Sisters Peaks. After a brief walk up a dirt road, you’ll transition to a proper trail.

The trail leaves the national park and enters into the national forest (which it repeatedly does) as you begin to climb up through the lodgepole forest. After a few switchbacks, the trail traverses south with limited views until it reaches a slide where a vast section of the mountain sloughed away during an epic rainstorm. After crossing the slide, the rerouted trail steeply switchbacks up alongside the slide.

Once above the slide, the trail resumes its steady march. Filtered views of the wall of mountains to the west tease to the views that lie ahead. After wrapping around the north side of the mountain, the trees give way to an alpine landscape.

Views open up all around as you traverse through the rocky landscape with low growing vegetation. You reach a communication cabin near the top where you climb up to the summit of one of the “sisters”. Dramatic views stretch in all directions with Longs Peak most prominent, directly to the west. Keep an eye out for pikas, marmots, and the noisy Clark’s Nutcrackers before heading back down.

Trailhead: Off Colorado Hwy 7, park in the gravel parking lot across from Lily Lake, or along the right side of the road heading up to the trailhead. The trail begins at the gate at the end of the road.

Elevation Gain: 2,300ft / 690m – Elevation Loss: 2,300ft / 690m

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