Twin Lakes Hike
Hike Rating: Easy
Hike Length: 6.2 miles roundtrip (variable)
Elevation Gain: 215’
Trailhead Elevation: 1,840’
Best Season: April-June and September
Driving Access: Any vehicle
Plus
Points
• A ramble along old abandoned
roads on basalt benches above Twin Lakes coulee
• Great overviews of the rock-walled coulee, filled with
lakes, marshes and wetlands
• Perhaps the richest wildlife and wildflower day hike in
Southeast Washington
• Spring wildflowers range from bitterroot on dry outcrops
to wild iris in wet seeps
• A birder's paradise, with ducks, geese, coots and teal,
plus osprey and bald eagles
• One of the rare coulee hikes that has ponderosa pine
trees for shade
Minus
Points
• No marked trail, so
route-finding skills required along the various basalt
benches
• Rattlesnakes are a possibility throughout the summer, so
caution is advised
Download
(PDF, 681 KB): Photos of Twin Lakes
Hike
Download
(PDF, 594 KB): Topo Map for Twin Lakes
Hike
Download
(GPX, 1 KB): GPS Points for Twin Lakes
Hike
Download
(PDF, 691 KB): Road Map for Twin Lakes
Hike
Trail
Notes
The hike
starts on a wooden footbridge spanning the creek between
the Twin Lakes. For the first half mile, the route follows
a dirt road southeast, through a green steel gate, then
uphill onto the benchlands above Upper Twin Lake, past
groves of aspen and a fenced spring. About 200 yards past
this fenced spring, in a clearing where the road levels out
on the bench top (GPS Point 1), the route leaves the road
and follows cow trails north below a prominent basalt
bluff. Within a few hundred yards, all the cow trails
converge into a single track on a long abandoned roadbed
running below the bluffs.
For the next 0.8 miles, the route follows this cow
trail/old road as it contours around the bench through sage
and grasslands, keeping within 50'-100' of the basalt
cliffs. At any point, one can wander across the bench to
views of Upper Twin Lake, then return and pick up the
trail. The old road does peter
out in one
place (GPS Point 2), in a grassy swale just north of a
prominent draw — but by walking east up this swale about 50
yards, one soon regains the old road. At 1.5 miles, one
comes to a double-track jeep road running east-west (GPS
Point 3). For an interesting side trip, one can turn left
(west) here and follow this road down to Upper Twin Lake
and the marshes above it.
To continue the hike, one goes northeast cross-country from
GPS Point 3, through a sagebrush flat, then soon picks up
the cow trail/old road again below the bluffs to the north.
For the next 0.3 miles, the old road contours under the
bluffs until it peters out again at the head of a large
draw (GPS Point 4). To visit the marshes close-up, one can
descend this draw on game trails all the way to the water.
For the last leg of the hike, the route continues north
cross-country through the sparse sage and grasslands, with
the best views found along the edge of the cliffs
overlooking the marshes.
At the north
end of this last bench, at about 2.7 miles, all the cow
trails converge again on a defined roadbed cut around the
cliffs. Through a galvanized steel gate, follow this jeep
road north as it begins to climb out of the coulee. About
100 yards past the steel gate (at GPS Point 5), turn left
onto a trail leading down into a side canyon and follow the
north bank of this canyon all the way to the coulee floor.
Here one finds a flowing stream below colorful,
lichen-covered basalt walls, plus shade trees scattered
along the coulee bottom. It's a nice spot for lunch and a
hike turnaround. Return as you came.
Road to Trailhead
From State Route 28 in Odessa,
WA, turn north on SR 21 and follow it for about 6 miles
north to the turnoff for Coffeepot Road on the right
(northeast). Drive north on Coffeepot Road for 6.1 miles to
a 90 degree turn to the east. Continue east on Coffeepot
Road for another 6.4 miles, past the turnoff for Coffeepot
Lake, then turn left (north) onto Highland Road. Coming
from the east on State Route 28, one turns west onto
Coffeepot Road at the town of Harrington, WA, then follows
this road west for about 14 miles to the turnoff for
Highland Road on the right (north).
Drive 1.3 miles north on Highland Road, then turn right
(east) onto the dirt road into the BLM Twin Lakes
Recreation Area. Drive 2 miles down to the lakeside
campground and go past the boat ramp. The trailhead is in
the second parking area near the creek between the lakes
and is easily accessible by any passenger car.
Camping Options
The nearest camping area is
right near the trailhead in the BLM Twin Lakes Recreation
Area. Tent campers will find a grassy area under sparse
cottonwood trees next to the upper lake. Campers with
travel trailers will find several dispersed parking
spots,
some in
graveled areas at the upper lake and others in dirt pads
near the lower lake. There are no designated camping sites
or fees here and all sites are first-come, first-served.
There is a vault toilet, but no drinking water.
NOTE: The 2-mile access road down into Twin Lakes is fairly
steep in spots, with some tight switchbacks, so very large
travel trailers (say larger than 20') are discouraged. A
better option for these rigs is the BLM Coffeepot Lake
Campground about 5 driving miles south, off Coffeepot Road.
Here are 6-8 sites on a bench above the lake, with a few
shade trees and a vault toilet, all easily accessible on a
gravel road.
Agency Contact: Spokane BLM District, (509)
536-1200
DISCLAIMER:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this
information, but the authors do not guarantee that it is
either current or correct. The reader assumes full
responsibility for any use of this information, and is
encouraged to contact local public land agencies to inquire
about current conditions before
traveling.
Page last updated: 11/8/13