Twin Sisters Trail

From Colorado 7, turn east by the Lily Lake Visitor Center and follow the gravel access road about a quarter mile to the Twin Sisters Trailhead. Parking at the upper trailhead is limited; there’s additional parking at Lily Lake. From the lot, continue uphill along the road for about a tenth of a mile to the trail kiosk. The access road closes to vehicles from around mid-October through Memorial Day weekend, so check the park’s current road notice and plan for a longer approach if you can’t drive to the upper lot. This route crosses Rocky Mountain National Park trail, where pets are prohibited, so dogs can’t join the full hike.

The trail climbs steadily through forest on stretches of large stone steps. At about a mile, a small west-facing overlook opens onto Longs Peak and Estes Cone. It’s a good place to catch your breath and get your first look at the high country ahead. The path crosses between park land and Roosevelt National Forest; keep following the signed trail as it moves between the two.

Around 1.3 miles, the route crosses the broad landslide scar left by the September 2013 flood. The slide tore through about 2,000 feet of trail and wiped out parts of three switchbacks. The path now follows a rebuilt line through the scar, and the open slope makes this section easy to pick out from below. The climb stays steep on the far side. As the trees thin, you start seeing Longs Peak, Mount Meeker, Powell Peak, Taylor Peak, Lily Mountain, and Estes Cone across the west.

Near 2.9 miles, around 11,000 feet, the forest gives way to exposed talus and scree. The footing gets rougher and the climb feels harder in the thin air. At roughly 3.4 miles, you reach the saddle between the two summits, where a stone hut and radio tower make a clear landmark. Faint trails and cairns lead toward both peaks, so take a moment to pick the west summit route before scrambling upward.

The west summit, about 11,413 feet, is the easier and more popular finish. From the saddle, head toward the stone hut, then turn left for a short scramble to the top. There’s no major cliff-edge exposure on this final pitch, but it is steep, rocky ground above treeline. The higher east summit, about 11,428 feet, is a separate, rougher scramble; skip it unless you’re comfortable finding your way over loose rock. From the west summit, the view takes in Longs Peak, Mount Meeker, Estes Cone, the Continental Divide, and Estes Park. At the treeline, frame the two peaks above the foreground talus; from the top, include Longs Peak to give the panorama some scale.

Early Estes Park settlers called the mountain Lily Mountain. It was renamed Twin Sisters in 1907. The Forest Service built the first summit trail in 1914, and the Civilian Conservation Corps rebuilt it in 1936. The stone hut and radio tower still stand at the saddle, while an old fire lookout that once topped the west summit was removed in 1977.