Twin Peaks
Place Name: El Dorado County
Place Description: State: California
Date: 06/20/2020
Elevation: 8,878 Feet
Prominence: 1,318 Feet
Miles: 14.7
Elevation Gain: 3,045 Feet
Lists: Tahoe-Ogul, Western States Climbers List.
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Difficulty
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Solitude
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Kid Friendly
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Summit Views
Cool Looking Summit Near Lake Tahoe
Twin Peaks is a cool looking summit on the west side of Tahoe that stands out along the skyline. The Tahoe Rim Trail gives great access to the summit block for anyone wishing to climb it!
Overall
2.6Pros
- Good paved road and parking
- Nice trail
- Great view of the lake
Cons
- Long trail
- Lots of people
- Parking can fill up early
With 63 peaks on the Tahoe Ogul List, some of them can get lost in the shuffle. Twin Peaks seemed to be one of these for me. Twin Peaks double summit is quite beautiful and much different looking than the other mountains on the western shore of Lake Tahoe. The 8,878-foot summit is reached by a trip on the Tahoe Rim Trail and a nice class 2 climb.
The Trail
Twin Peaks has two different trail heads. From the south by starting at Barker Pass and the north using the Ward Creek Trail. This report outlines the Ward Creek Trail route. We parked along the side of Gstaad Rd in a neighborhood where a small spur trail drops into the forest and down to the Tahoe Rim Trail. The trail is long and tedious as it meanders through the forest.
Along the Ward Creek Trail early in the hike.
However, there is some nice scenery along the way.
Waterfall along the TRT.
Twin Peaks
Eventually you come to a trail junction that marks Twin Peaks and Stanford Rock. A right turn leads up the ridge up through the forest. It was mid-June, and most of the trail in this section was covered in snow. Because of the snow, we made our way up the best way possible going cross country.
Trail junction for Twin Peaks and Stanford Rock.
The Summit
Climbing to the top of Twin Peaks requires a class 2 boulder climb. Most of the rocks were stable and there were a few clear-cut routes through the rocks.
Twin Peaks summit block. A fun class 2 hop.
Overall, this was easy and my 9-year old had no issues getting up. There is a nice area on the summit to sit and rest with a sheer drop just a few feet away. The views of the lake are gorgeous as well as the surrounding peaks. On a clear day, some of the peaks in the Bay Area can be viewed.
The Desolation Wilderness from the summit.
Stanford Rock
If you look at the Peak Bagger App, Stanford Rock is nearby. While it looked kind of like a nothing burger from the peak, when we got back to the junction, we were undecided to go after it. Sean flipped a coin and fate said that we must summit Stanford Rock. So, we did the extra mile round trip to the boulder pile in the woods.
Stanford Rock
The Final Word
Crowded trails and Tahoe are synonymous, and this is no exception. The good news is the trail is longer than others in the area and has two trail heads. Because of that, the crowds do stay spread out. Out of the 3 Oguls I have climbed on the northwest shore, Ellis Peak, Rubicon Peak and Twin Peaks, I would say Twin Peaks was my favorite. Have a great hike!
