Twin Lakes

Twin Lakes

  • Easy (around both lakes)
  • 3.2-mile loop
  • 400 feet elevation gain
  • Open mid-June through November
  • Use: hikers, horses, bicycles


  • Moderate (to Twin Lakes Mountain)
  • 5.4-mile loop
  • 850 feet elevation gain

It’s hard to imagine a better family backpacking destination than this pair of gorgeous turquoise lakes. The nearly level, 0.9-mile trail to the lakes ambles through old-growth woods and wildflower meadows. At the lakes themselves you’ll find two large shelters and a hiker campground with picnic tables—but probably very few other people. If you’d like a bit more exercise, a well-graded 1.1-mile side path climbs to a breathtaking viewpoint atop a mountain cliff.

To start, take Interstate 5 …

This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes in Southern Oregon.