If there is one thing I enjoy the most in the hot summer months it is a hike with stunning views at the end. Nature has a way of calming my soul and putting all things back into perspective. I was lucky to have grown up in Utah, where there is an abundance of hiking and outdoor things to see and do. Today I will share Twin Lakes Reservoir with you.
(Twin Lakes Reservoir)
Twin Lakes Reservoir is located in Big Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake City, Utah. In order to see this beautiful lake you will need to take a short, moderate hike up the canyon trail. The hike itself is about 2.6 miles round trip. It is fairly easy, but does have some incline stretches.
The beginning of the hike starts you out at Silver Lake Interpretive Trail. Most people stay here since it is a short distance to reach. It is beautiful, but crowded. In my opinion it is worth the effort to head up the trail a bit higher. As you can see, it looked like it might rain but I was determined to reach my destination. I kept going.
(A view of Silver Lake from above)
Once I reached the top, I was fortunate enough to have Twin Lakes all to myself, which is rare. By then the sun had come out and the skies were bright blue. I found a nice spot to sit back, relax and enjoy the spectacular view.
I pulled out my snacks to replenish my energy and intended to spend as long as I possible could here. However, after about an hour and a half, I started to see dark clouds returning in the distance. I knew it was time to pack up and head down the mountain as quick as I could because the trail has some rocky patches. If they became soaked with rain I would be sliding the whole way back.
Because of the weather changes I was able to get some great shots as you can see. I didn’t have my main camera with me, so these were shot on the phone I had at the time, an Apple 4s. I am pretty happy with how they turned out.
(Dark clouds forming over Twin Lakes)
(Another view of Silver Lake on my way back down with a few of the storm clouds rolling over it)
One last thing, you may be wondering, “why is it called Twin Lakes when there is only one lake?” I asked the same question. The reason it looks like one big lake instead of two is because they built a dam that holds the water back. It’s also narrower in the middle and wider at the ends giving it the appearance of one lake.
(The side of the lake with the dam)
I hope you enjoyed hiking to Twin Lakes Reservoir with me today. I have many more amazing hikes to share with you.
( All photographs and text are original work by me )
Cheers,
Atalaya :)