twin sisters peaks trail

The trail to the summit of Twin Sisters is a long and continuous uphill hike. The route is surrounded by fairly dense lodgepole pine for most of the time. Although pleasant, the views within the forest don't change much for the first 75% of the hike and ... I hate to say it ... the never-changing scenery might seem a bit boring and and cause you to wonder if the hike is worth the effort. But keep going as the trail eventually winds around to where the trees get dwarf size and then disappear as exciting distant views appear. Continue up past an out-of-place radio tower near the top and sit and enjoy spectacular summit views of Longs Peak. Any previous thoughts of boredom are erased by the outstanding beauty of the summit views. A recent landslide near the middle of the hike is fascinating to look at and provides both a change in scenery and need for some creative do-it-yourself trail finding. This is one hike where the the last 5% is twice as scenic as the first 95%.

I liked this trail. It is not the easiest one, but not to hard. Most of the trip you are in the forest (so not under the sun). There are lots of great views along the road. Go ahead and try it.

This was a challenging hike for us. The trail length is 7.2 miles round trip which is about as far as our old feet like to hike at one time. The beginning elevation is 9,100 feet and peaks at 11,400 feet. We live at 1,120 feet and even after 10 days above 7,000 feet, we apparently had not acclimated at all. We met people along the way who live at sea-level for whom the elevation was not an issue. We covet their young lungs. New knees would be nice too, but that could be pushing it. But we shouldn't dwell on our short comings because the trail has much to recommend it. The trail winds through lodgepole pines in the national park and through the national forest. It was hunting season when we were there. We loved seeing a few elk but at the same time, we hoped no hunters were nearby. The trail immediately gains elevation through a series of switchbacks. It doesn't take long however to come face to face with the evidence of damage from the 2013 storms. The saturated ground just let go, shearing off a large section of hillside, destroying a major section of the trail. Picking your way through the slide debris to reach the next section of the trail is not a big problem. There are rock cairns to lead you across and the path where most folks go is easily visible. Some people abandon the idea of following the suggested trail and just head straight up hill. This causes further erosion of the already devastated hillside and is discouraged. Once past the slide area the trail becomes a little hard to follow. The slide cut through sections of several switchbacks so you have to look for rock cairns that will lead you straight up the mountain connecting to the the portions of the switchbacks that remain. Your hike now becomes a series of scramble up the mountain, hike a switchback, scramble up the mountain, hike a switchback, etc. This area is tough enough in the dry, it would be slippery and I think somewhat treacherous in the rain. Once you reach the top of the slide area you rejoin the trail and follow it to the summit. Your hike now continues to take you ever higher and eventually you break through the timberline. Another series of switchbacks leads you to the saddle between the two peaks and a rock scramble takes you to the top where you are rewarded with wonderful 360 degree vistas of the eastern plains, the national park and Longs Peak. We took the mandatory pictures, had some lunch, enjoyed the views. Reinvigorated, it was time for the return trip. Thank goodness for downhill. Lightening is an issue in the summer and it was more than a recommendation that if we had not hit the summit by 11:30 we should turn around and head back down the mountain. Under no circumstances did we want to be caught in a storm. We made our time frames thanks to an early start. I have to admit that this was a tough hike for us. Going up it was the breathing, coming down it was old knees. Much of the trail is very rocky and uneven. While using hiking poles, moving slowly and deliberately certainly helped, my knees still took a pounding. When we reached our car we were feeling tired and sore. We also had that good feeling of accomplishment and a day well spent. As strenuous as this hike was, we would not have missed it for anything.

We returned to this hike, after completing it as a first summit achieved in 2010. The hike is pleasant and rocky, with continuous upward switchbacks. It's really not an easy hike, although many were younger and faster than we were. This year, 2014, we found that there was a mud slide that took out part of the mountain and trail in 2013. It's amazing to see how a whole portion of a mountain can disappear into a dirt slide, with no trees or sign of life remaining. Hikers have built a semi-trail with cairns as a guide to continue the hike. It crosses the mudslide and takes you straight up steep terrain to catch up to the old trail above the landslide. Others turned back at this time. On a rainy day, it would be slippery and difficult, so would not attempt it. However, we had a nice day, so continued. I'm not going to lie in saying it was not easy. However, knowing the reward of the summit views kept me going. When you reconnect with the trail it continues with rocky switchbacks and the end is one rock climb to the summit. Wow! When you reach the summit, you can see Estes Park, Rocky National Park, the National Forest, and excellent views of Long's peak. It's a difficult level day hike, but worth it for the views.

Definitely worth the exertion! The views at the top were amazing! People on the trail were encouraging and the animals who photo bomb you will have you smiling!

My husband hiked with trail with another couple from Florida. All stated it was great. Some areas a little more difficult than others but was worth the hike.

I did this hike in late July 2014 with my 3 teenage sons. The trailhead is to the left as you walk up the road and starts at the park service sign (also on the left). The trail is very rocky all the way up and I would recommend sturdy hiking boots and also hiking poles. The trail is fairly easy until you reach the land-slide area. The land-slide occurred in an area of the trail where there were several switchbacks and cuts across the original trail in about 4 places. It can be confusing so pay close attention to the trail in this area. The easiest way to cross this area is to go straight across the land-slide to the south side (you can tell where the trail is by following the rock carins and also the trees are marked on each side). After you reach the south side follow the original trail until you reach the slide area again. At this point go uphill (you will see the paths followed by others) and after crossing the original trail a few more times you will re-join the original trail above the slide area. I know this sounds confusing but just go slow and follow the paths made by others and you will make it. Also you can see the trail and slide area on google maps (sat. View) and you might want to look at this to get a better understanding of how the slide cut across the trail. Although the slide is a destructive force of nature it is now an interesting feature of this trail and has opened up expansive views. The trail continues steep and rocky after the slide area and being from Tennessee I could feel the effects of the high altitude. After you reach the tree-line the views are great and you can see the top, but you still have a long way to go to actually reach the top. Once you reach the saddle it is a good idea to rest a little bit before you continue to the top. I went to the peak near the radio tower and was so tired I had no interest in going to the other. The top gives you a true summit experience and the views are incredible - just be careful as there are some places where you could easily fall. The hike back down was obviously easier, but also tiring. However, overall it was a great and memorable experience. Be sure and take your camera as there are many great photo opportunities. It took us about 5 hours total to do this hike. I would recommend that you be in good shape to do this hike as it is somewhat demanding - especially for people not acclimated to high altitudes. I would not recommend this hike for very young children because of the difficulty.

I did this hike in late July 2014 with my 3 teenage sons. The trailhead is to the left as you walk up the road and starts at the park service sign (also on the left). The trail is very rocky all the way up and I would recommend sturdy hiking boots and also hiking poles. The trail is fairly easy until you reach the land-slide area. The land-slide occurred in an area of the trail where there were several switchbacks and cuts across the original trail in about 4 places. It can be confusing so pay close attention to the trail in this area. The easiest way to cross this area is to go straight across the land-slide to the south side (you can tell where the trail is by following the rock carins and also the trees are marked on each side). After you reach the south side follow the original trail until you reach the slide area again. At this point go uphill (you will see the paths followed by others) and after crossing the original trail a few more times you will re-join the original trail above the slide area. I know this sounds confusing but just go slow and follow the paths made by others and you will make it. Also you can see the trail and slide area on google maps (sat. View) and you might want to look at this to get a better understanding of how the slide cut across the trail. Although the slide is a destructive force of nature it is now an interesting feature of this trail and has opened up expansive views. The trail continues steep and rocky after the slide area and being from Tennessee I could feel the effects of the high altitude. After you reach the tree-line the views are great and you can see the top, but you still have a long way to go to actually reach the top. Once you reach the saddle it is a good idea to rest a little bit before you continue to the top. I went to the peak near the radio tower and was so tired I had no interest in going to the other. The top gives you a true summit experience and the views are incredible - just be careful as there are some places where you could easily fall. The hike back down was obviously easier, but also tiring. However, overall it was a great and memorable experience. Be sure and take your camera as there are many great photo opportunities. It took us about 5 hours total to do this hike. I would recommend that you be in good shape to do this hike as it is somewhat demanding - especially for people not acclimated to high altitudes. I would not recommend this hike for very young children. Good luck.

Challenging hike because of the incline but the elevation is spread out over a vast amount of land. I felt it was difficult in some areas but not overwhelming. This was one of my first hard hikes. The top was great with room to roam around and climb the peaks (rock scramble). Awesome photo opps. Took us 2 hours going up and 1.5 on the way down. Try and be down with enough time before the afternoon thunderstorms. Hail started at 2pm! Highly recommend this hike.

This year was the second time we have climbed up Twin Sisters. It was a little more difficult this time, because the flood from last September 2013 washed away parts of the trail. We actually had to walk over the dried mud slides and make our own trails. My husband, son-in-law, and me climbed the Twin Sisters together this year. It was, once again, a great climb and beautiful scenery. Try it...you'll like it!

We hiked the Twin Sisters in the evening; started around 5 pm and finished around 9 pm. We maintained a good pace, however, were kind of lost on top trying to figure out which ones are the Twin Sisters (there is another peak close by, and the trail gets lost among the boulders). The incline is gradual, but in the area of the mudslide switchbacks are destroyed, so expect to climb up a steep hill. The summit is exposed, which might be a concern in inclement weather. We had beautiful weather (although it was getting dark so we had to hurry back). But we had headlamps.On a good note, this time of the day the trail was empty, and we had the summit all to ourselves.

The climb was hard for someone with 'bad' feet but not the hardest we've done. Wonderful vistas of the surrounding areas and neighboring peaks, dramatic crossing of the washout from 9/13 flood. The receipt rains brought magnificent blooms to add to the view.

I recently went on this hike and it really is a great one for those looking for something challenging but ultimately not too demanding. The hike took my physically fit friend and I around 5.5 hours including hanging out time at the top. We saw some deer and half hoped to spot a bear so be prepared. The top provides spectacular views in all directions. I recommend starting early to avoid the fairly common afternoon showers (and even storms).

Coming from the Midwest, the steep incline and elevation change was tough to battle, but we did reach the summit. Walking sticks helped a lot, so I recommend. If you hike in the afternoon, make sure you have rain gear. We were told and did experience rain (sleet actually) in the mid afternoon. Watch your steps on the trail, as there are lots of places you could easily twist an ankle. Remember where you crossed at the mud slide area, so you don't get off the trail. The views from the summit are great. It took us 3hrs to reach the summit, but if you're an experienced hiker and used to the CO elevation, you could probably make it in 2hrs or so. Lastly, to save some time and breath, you can drive up past the lower lot and park closer to the trail head. Just make sure you're down the mountain before they close the gates. Good luck.

This was my boyfriend and I's first summit and it was well worth it. The trail was definitely strenuous for us but was worth it for the spectacular views. It took us six hours to get up and down the mountain but most could probably do it quicker than us. With the recent 2013 flood damage, about four switchbacks have been washed away and it can get confusing to find the trail. We crossed the washed out area once then headed straight up along side it until we reconnected with the trail.