The Twins Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Twin Peaks Trailhead
- End Point: South Twin
- Hike Type: In and out
- Distance: 6.7 miles
- Elevation gain: 1910 feet
- High Point: 7,362 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Summer into fall
- Family Friendly: Yes, for older kids
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Description
Just east of Waldo Lake, The Twins is a cinder cone that offers perhaps the easiest access, both driving and hiking, to expansive views up and down the Cascades. On a clear day, you can definitely see north to Mount Jefferson and south to Mount McLoughlin as well as east to the shallow reservoirs and lakes south of Bend and west to Waldo Lake itself. The hike is only 3 ¼ miles one way, and you can visit both of The Twins and do a short off-trail excursion down through the lovely crater.
The hike begins at the trailhead right off of paved Road 5897. Almost immediately, you’ll pass the junction at the northern terminus of the Gold Lake Trail. The woods here are composed mostly of mountain hemlock with a few western white pines and patches of lodgepole pine. The trail crosses over a low ridge with a lush tarn meadow down to the left. Then you’ll continue gently up to the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail, where you keep straight.
From here, the trail steepens a little as it winds up under mountain hemlocks and between bouldery outcrops. You’ll pass a couple of dark little tarns off to the right and find yourself among bigger hemlocks. At the next junction, keep left on the Twins Summit Trail; the trail to the right takes mountain bikers on a lower loop around The Twins to Charlton Lake.
The trail gets a little steeper as it ascends through a park-like landscape with lupine, woodrush, and sulfur buckwheat blooming here in summer. You’ll reach a red cinder slope and start getting views south to Diamond Peak, Maiden Peak, and Mount Thielsen. Whitebark pines and small subalpine firs enter the alpine mix, and there are views across the grassy crater bowl to South Twin. Waldo Lake next hoves into view before you begin the traverse along the summit ridge of North Twin. The tree skeletons here are whitebark pines that have died from disease. A viewpoint offers vistas to the north, but keep going to pass a collection of concrete slabs and walk through a copse of conifers to get extensive views north and east. Charlton Lake is nearby and to the north there are the Three Sisters, Broken Top, Mount Bachelor, Mount Washington, and Mount Jefferson. The views east and southeast include the shallow expanses of the Crane Prairie Reservoir, Wickiup Reservoir, and Davis Lake.
The South Twin is the higher summit, so from the North Twin, follow the trail down to a saddle. Look back to North Twin’s rugged east face and, at the saddle, look below for a fused cinder pinnacle. The trail winds up to the summit of the South Twin, where the views are similar but more expansive to the south and southwest, where you can see to Bobby Lake, Maiden Peak, Odell Lake, Fuji Mountain, Diamond Peak, Mount Thielsen, and Mount McLoughlin. Waldo Lake glistens to the west.
For a final little adventure, return to the saddle and turn west to drop down off-trail through mountain hemlock glades into The Twins’ crater, which is carpeted with woodrush and partridge-foot. In short order, you’ll come to the crater meadow, where you can find small clumps of mountain heather and baby elephant’s head lousewort. You should also see elk and deer sign here. From the west end of the meadow, bear right to head a few yards up to the summit trail, and go left to return to your vehicle.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- Share trail with mountain bikers and horses
- Lots of mosquitoes until August
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Waldo Lake Wilderness
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Middle Fork Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Willamette National Forest
- Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Willamette Cascades
- Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Central Oregon Cascades
- Adventure Maps: Oakridge, Oregon Trail Map
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for The Twins Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for The Twins Hike
Guidebooks that cover this destination
- 100 Hikes: Central Oregon Cascades by William L. Sullivan
- Bend, Overall by Scott Cook
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon’s Southern Cascades: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon Campgrounds Hiking Guide by Rhonda & George Ostertag
- Hiking Central Oregon & Beyond by Virginia Meissner
- Mountain Bike Bend by Katy Bryce
- A Handful of Trails: Willamette National Forest by the U.S. Forest Service
More Links
- The Twins Trail #3595 (USFS)
- The Twins (Summit Post)
- The Twins and Bobby Lake – 9/14/2019 (wanderingyuncks)
- The Twins (Outdoor Project)
- Hiking The Twins (Mail Tribune)
- The Twins (Oregon Adventures)
Page Contributors
- bobcat (creator)