7. Twin Lakes

Summary

Length                                4 ¼ mile loop; 3-mile additional side trip to viewpoint

Difficulty                             Easy to moderate

Season                               Summer to autumn

Elevation range                4,870 feet to 5,160 feet (5,560 feet at viewpoint)

Human imprint                  Moderate (hikers, campers)

Information                       Umpqua National Forest (North Umpqua Ranger District)

Primary old growth features

Remarkable old Douglas-fir; nearly pure Shasta red fir stand.

Description

Although most visitors come to twinkling Twin Lakes for the forested lake setting, it is a worthy destination for old-forest enthusiasts as well, especially if you add on a side trip to the overlook above the lakes. The Happy Dog Fire (2017) burned over much of this hike leaving most larger trees alive, while also creating small patches of large snags. The varied effects of the fire on the understory and midstory vegetation set the stage for an ongoing and diverse recovery, and are representative of a moderate severity fire.

Start off on the Twin Lakes Trail (1500) and immediately enter an ancient forest inhabited by craggy Douglas-fir, some reaching 6 to 7 feet in diameter. The original tops of most of these giants broke off in a storm long ago, rerouting chemicals within the tree in a sort of midlife crisis causing former branches to start growing straight up in a bid to become the new leader.

The path soon leaves this stand and enters a mature forest of Douglas-fir and grand fir interspersed with a few older trees. A fine view at the half-mile point reveals a series of recent burns to the north and several Cascade peaks. At a trail junction about 1 mile from the trailhead, stay right onto the Twin Lakes Loop (1521), then stay left at the next junction with the Deception Trail (1510) a couple hundred yards later. Wind your way toward Twin Lakes passing through attractive meadows studded with camas, paintbrush, and other wildflowers.

Both lakes are lovely and quite chilly judging from the shrieks of bold bathers. The lower lake (Big Lake) is more heavily used, while the upper lake (Small Lake) offers a little more privacy. A mature forest of Douglas-fir, grand fir, and white pine surrounds both lakes. Small groups of Alaska-cedar, a common species farther north but confined to scattered high-elevation sites in Oregon, grow along both lakeshores.

To extend your hike on the way out, stay right on the Twin Lakes Trail at the first junction encountered on the way in. Head upslope through small meadows embedded in a forested matrix, including Shasta red fir, grand fir, and some huge Douglas-fir. A nearly pure patch of old Shasta red fir stands astride the trail just before crossing over to the south side of the ridge. The effects of the fire are visible throughout this segment, and have opened up the forest significantly in places.

Turn right on an unsigned spur trail a half mile later and ascend about 50 yards to the top of a massive, windswept cliff overlooking cerulean blue Twin Lakes. This raven's-eye viewpoint provides a grand and unobstructed view of Three Sisters, Diamond Peak, Boulder Creek Wilderness, and Mounts Thielsen and Bailey. The Apple Fire burned the slopes directly below Twin Lakes and to the northwest in August 2002, followed by the Happy Camp Fire directly east and overlapping with the Apple Fire in 2017. Portions of both fires are visible from the cliff top. These cliffs are not for small children, and stringent caution needs to be exerted by all.

25 years of change

The Happy Dog Fire (2017) burned over the entire hike, mostly at a low and moderate severity. The understory was affected in most places, and small patches of overstory mortality are scattered throughout.

How to get there

From Interstate 5 take exit 124 at Roseburg and head east toward Diamond Lake on the North Umpqua Highway (State Route 138). Follow the highway up the river and turn right (south) onto Forest Road 4770 just east of Marsters Bridge (approximately 34 miles east of Glide.) Trailhead parking is at the end of the graveled road, 9 miles from the highway.