Oregon · Hiking

Twin Ponds Trail

Twin Ponds TrailPhoto: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
2.5 mi
round trip
430 ft
climb
5,841 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Twin Ponds Trail open right now?

No closures listed

The Forest Service lists no closures for Fremont-Winema National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Fremont-Winema National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Twin Ponds Trail is a 5-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon's Sky Lakes Wilderness, within the Klamath Ranger District of the Fremont-Winema National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail's moderate rating pairs with a low elevation gain of 109 feet, making it a short, gentle outing in the high country. The route starts at about 5,763 feet and climbs to 5,841 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 0.3 miles in, where the grade reaches 6%. The trail is a straightforward walk rather than a long climb, and the high point sits just over 100 feet above the low. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the Howard Prairie Dam weather station, about 17.5 miles away, show July and August highs near 79°F with only two or three wet days a month. Winter brings highs in the mid-30s and regular snow days from December through February. Twin Ponds lies just 0.3 miles away, and Fourmile Lake Campground is about 1.5 miles off. Badger Lake and the Upper Canal Nordic Trail are both within about 2 miles.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Twin Ponds Trail

    Best months: May–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      36° / 23°

      15 wet · 9 snow

    2. Feb

      40° / 23°

      14 wet · 8 snow

    3. Mar

      45° / 26°

      16 wet · 8 snow

    4. Apr

      50° / 29°

      13 wet · 4 snow

    5. May

      60° / 36°

      11 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      68° / 40°

      5 wet

    7. Jul

      79° / 47°

      3 wet

    8. Aug

      79° / 46°

      2 wet

    9. Sep

      72° / 40°

      4 wet

    10. Oct

      58° / 33°

      8 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      42° / 28°

      13 wet · 5 snow

    12. Dec

      35° / 23°

      15 wet · 9 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Howard Prairie Dam, OR, 17.5 mi away at 4,567 ft. The station sits about 1,300 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Twin PondsPhoto: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Twin Ponds

Next door

0.66-mile out-and-back trail with 68 ft elevation gain at Twin Ponds, Oregon.

BADGER LAKEPhoto: Holzwerk, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

BADGER LAKE

~4 min drive

9.54-mile out-and-back trail to Badger Lake in Oregon with 1,508 ft gain/loss.

Upper Canal Nordic TrailPhoto: Holzwerk, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Canal Nordic Trail

~4 min drive

13.76-mile out-and-back route in Oregon with 2,214 ft elevation gain and loss.

Pct - Oregon Section CPhoto: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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~9 min drive

73.78-mile point-to-point trail in Oregon with 5,925 ft gain.

Freye LakePhoto: ex_magician, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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~5 min drive

0.40-mile out-and-back trail to Freye Lake in Oregon, 55 feet of elevation loss.

LOLLIPOP LOOP NORDICPhoto: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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~10 min drive

7.96-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,260 ft elevation gain

Rye Spur TrailPhoto: Holzwerk, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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~4 min drive

12.08-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,077 ft elevation gain and loss.

FISH LAKE SNOMOPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

FISH LAKE SNOMO

~12 min drive

17.8-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,377 ft gain/loss and 4,999 ft max elevation.

South RidgePhoto: R6, State & Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

South Ridge

~6 min drive

1.40-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 212 ft elevation gain

HYATT LAKEPhoto: Holzwerk, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

HYATT LAKE

~11 min drive

5.4-mile out-and-back trail to Hyatt Lake in Oregon with 1,319 ft elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors