Twin Lakes Trail #402

Drive on the road as far as you can or are comfortable, it gets pretty rough pretty fast and there's a pretty big creek crossing near the start of Pearl Pass Rd. Getting all the way to the trailhead definitely takes a 4x4 rig. If you park near the campsites before you drop down the hill to the creek, the total roundtrip mileage is just over 17 miles with 2,900 feet of elevation gain. The "road" isn't bad for hiking on, all of the hills are pretty gradual.That being said, if you do have a 4x4 rig and happen to make it all the way to the trailhead, the round trip distance is only 5 miles with 1,400 feet of gain. The trailhead is unmarked, but OnX maps will show you where it is. It's the left fork after 6 miles from the main campsites.There are open fields and clumps of aspens at the start of the road, and then you get into more dense forest and some potentially rocky and muddy terrain. The road opens up at times to offer really beautiful views of some surrounding mountains. There are a few creek crossings, and one may need to be a wet crossing if you're 4x4-less. Once you reach the trailhead, however you got there, you have a pretty short hike to the lakes which are situated at the end of this basin. The trail from here is singletrack and rocky at times, at other times it meanders through a forest. The lakes are a beautiful turquoise and if it's not windy, they'll reflect the surrounding maroon peaks back at you. This is a great place to take a photo and eat a snack as you attempt to take in the majesty of your surroundings.This hike and the lakes are full of tranquility and solitude. You aren't likely to see any other people on this route due to the remoteness of the trailhead.