Twin Lakes Reservoir

 Twin Lakes Reservoir is a beautiful reservoir located above Silver Lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The trail features a beautiful mixed forest, wildflowers, wildlife, and a beautiful reservoir at the end. The reservoir is named for the previously separate twin lakes that joined into one when the dam was built. Even though this is a little tougher, it is another one of my favorite trails that we visit often.

Quick Details:

Length: The sign says a mile, and it is from where the sign is located, but you will add 3/10ths of a mile (shortest route) around Silver Lake so 2.6 out and back, plus whatever exploring you do.
Trail Type: Out and back, loop options.
Difficulty: DR4. Oh man, this is quite a rocky climb.
Elevation Gain: about 770 feet.
Restroom: Yes. New even.
Dogs? No. Big Cottonwood Canyon is watershed.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

Head to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Park at the Solitude Nordic Center (which is closer to Brighton than it is to Solitude, just FYI). You will need to hike around Silver Lake a bit to reach the trailhead. I find going to the right or counter clockwise to be the shortest route.

It’s just a little hazy today (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP)).

Heading up the canyon (PSP).

Nearing the top of the canyon (PSP).

We actually found a parking spot easily enough today.

The Trail:

At the silver lake trail. You can go either way, but going to the right, or counter clockwise is slightly shorter, at 3/10ths of a mile to the TH versus. 4 and a half tenths going the other way.

Mount Millicent and an un-named peak. The reservoir we are heading towards is between them.

Beaver lodge, and the outflow of Silver Lake.

I wonder what those plants area.

Starting to be able to see Silver Lake.

Silver Lake and Mount Millicent.

I believe this is a rocky mountain iris. I initially thought it was planted here, but apparently they are native so it could be wild.

Look like beaver activity.

Mount Millicent above Silver Lake.

Trailhead sign at the back of Silver Lake. You can do Twin Lakes, which is shorter, but tougher, or Lake Solitude which is a little longer, but easier.

Pretty forest.

Some pretty flowers.

4 way trail split. Right is a closed trail, forward leads to Lake Solitude. Left leads to our destination Twin Lakes.

Old sign.

Geraniums.

Penstemon.

The trail is quite rocky!

Pretty aspens.

More penstemon.

I think this is another type of phlox, but I am not sure.

Blue bells.

The big scree fields. I almost always see pika in here, and maybe even a marmot. I briefly say a pica but didn’t catch it.

One of my all time favorite views around the Wasatch Front. Up above Silver Lake. You can also see the road leading towards Guardsman Pass just left of center.

Panoramic.

The lake again.

Another panoramic.

Closer view.

Continuing the climb.

One last view of Silver Lake.

Wild strawberry.

Some paintbrush coming in.

A short break from the relentless climb.

Before the more particular brutal climb starts, you have an option to take a thinner side trail that parallels the main trail. The past couple times we have done this we have gone up the main trail, and down the side trail, and always say we should go up the side trail some time. So, that time was today. I am super glad, it is a bit steeper, but a whole lot less rocky, which is a bit easier on the ankles.

Split rock.

Forget me nots.

Not sure what this is, but leaning towards a wallflower.

Paintbrush and penstemon.

Closer to the paintbrush.

There is one spot along the side trail that is particular steep and sandy. We both have biffed it there, so we worked our way over to the main trail for a minute.

More penstemon.

Enjoying the view behind us.

Hopping back over to the side trail.

Some phlox, I think.

Some yellow flowers.

The side trail is not rock free.

Cliffs above.

As we near the top we get another short break from the climb.

A pretty nice view of Mount Millicent.

The last little climb is a bit of a beast.

More paintbrush.

The dam.

We made it! Phew! That is seriously quite the climb!

Fun Fact, Twin Lakes is one of the headwaters of Big Cottonwood Creek. In addition to this, Silver Lake, Lake Mary, Lake Martha, Lake Catherine, and Dog Lake are all considered the headwaters.

The reservoir, dam and Mount Millicent.

Panoramic.

The reservoir again.

Back towards the dam.

Panoramic.

Another scree field I often see pica scurrying in, but alas they are not being terribly active right now.

Mount Millicent above the reservoir.

Cliffs above.

We found a nice place to rest for a little bit and take in the view.

You can kind of make out the ridges that would have separated the lakes. I actually got to see the closest thing to the original lakes when they did some maintenance on the dam back in 2015.

With Mount Millicent.

Another panoramic.

I thought about seeing if we could go all the way around the lake, but it was getting late, so we decided to head on back.

Pretty purple flower.

Mount Millicent again.

Little meadow and cliffs.

Some sort of maintenance shed.

The dam again. Huh, I seem to recall the safety fencing came back out this way. Looking at my previous post, yup it did. I wonder what’s up with that.

The reservoir again.

More penstemon.

View across the canyon.

Scott Hill. It is easy to identify due to the Mickey Mouse shaped mine tailings on the side.

The cliffs above.

Pretty forest.

The part that I prefer the main trail.

Some young lupines I think.

The trail again.

Nearing the scree field.

The awesome view of Silver Lake again.

Closer.

Again.

With the mountains.

Another panoramic.

The scree field.

Again, the picas are not being particularly active.

Flowers.

Back into the thick forest.

Some more flowers.

Neat damaged tree.

Aspens.

The remains of an old building.

Geranium.

I really struggle with yellow, many petaled flowers, so sometimes I don’t bother.

Back to the four way split. Right will get us back to Silver Lake.

Back to the Silver Lake Loop. Often times I will complete the loop, but not today.

Silver Lake with Mount Millicent.

Again.

Spotted sandpiper.

Beaver lodge.

Mount Millicent above the meadows. Cause, you know, I didn't take enough pictures of it today.

More of the iris’s

Aww, these are cute. Itty bitty little penstemon of some sort I think.

Heading down the canyon (PSP).

Nice and green (PSP).

Approaching Storm Mountain (PSP).

Mouth of the canyon (PSP).

Super dusty/hazy today (PSP). Yuck!

Well, that is a tougher climb, but Twin Lakes Reservoir is quite scenic! So it is worth the climb. Considering it was a holiday weekend, we did not run into a lot of people, and there were not a lot of people at the reservoir itself. An absolutely, beautiful trail! 9 out of 10 squirrels today. Losing 1 for difficulty and rocky trail.

As for difficulty, I am going to go with a DR4 today. It was a tough climb!

Dogs are not allowed in Big Cottonwood Canyon so be sure to leave Fido home.