Twin Sisters near Longs Peak
I'm not sure if you can see both sisters here from highway 7
The upper trailhead
Long switchbacks at a moderate angle
More views of the terrain
Most of the time is below tree line but here you break out
The talus field past tree line
Heading up the West Peak
Looking over at the East Peak which has the summit register
Would be a great view of Longs Peak on a clear day!
Twin Sisters near Longs Peak
- Scramble: Class 1
- Altitude: West Peak 11,413 ft, East Peak 11,428 ft
- Elevation Gain: 2,300 ft, 7.6 miles return
- Start Time: perhaps 7 to 9 am to be on your way down by noon and avoid potential lightning storms
- Ascent Time: Around 2 hours
Highlights
This straight forward hike on a good trail offers a good outing for day hikers and some training for harder hikes later in the season. Twin Sisters is almost right across from Longs Peak and offers a great view of Longs on a clear day.
Getting There
The Twin Sisters trailhead is about 6.5 miles south of Estes Park on Colorado highway 7. The lower trail head is at 9,000 ft right across from Lily Lake. The upper trail head is a half mile up the dirt road at 9,100 ft.
Camping
Right next to the Longs Peak trailhead and Ranger Station is Longs Peak Campground. Cost is $30/night and there are around 25 sites. Restrooms but no showers. Bring your own water for the campground, no potable water. However 2.8 miles south of the Longs Peak turnoff on highway 7 is Meeker Park Lodge which has in the past had public showers for $?. You would have to contact them if they still have public showers as they have changed ownership. There are a couple of other forest service campgrounds a few miles south on highway 7 as well.
Route Description
From the trail head the way is obvious. Long switchbacks on a good trail lead you above tree line. The rock outcroppings you see above you are deceiving as they are not the summits of Twin Sisters. The summits are not visible till the last 20 minutes of the hike as you cross a talus field and the final approach to these modest summits. There is a stone cabin and radio tower at the base of the West Peak. The East Peak is only a short hop from the West Peak but involves just scrambling up the best line through some big rocks. There is no trail but the East Peak did have a summit register.