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Twin Lakes Reservoir
Twin Lakes Reservoir
Lake Elevation 9,470'
Lake Location 40.5969° / -111.6005°
Online Map View on wbskiing.com

There are five notable lakes between Brighton and Solitude. They are located in three drainages: Dog Lake, Lake Catherine (which contains Lake Mary, Lake Martha, and Lake Catherine), and Twin Lakes. ( See an overview of these lakes .)

The Twin Lakes Reservoir was created with a dam which is near the base of Mount Evergreen.

Getting to Twin Lakes Reservoir

The Twin Lakes area is the hub between Brighton, Solitude, and Little Cottonwood Canyon. The lake is only 1,000 feet from Brighton's Milly chairlift and about 1,200 feet from Solitude's Summit chairlift.

From Brighton

Twin Lakes from Brighton
Trailhead Brighton Parking Lot
Ascent Vertical 800'
Skinning Distance 0.7 miles
Online Map View on wbskiing.com

From the top of the Milly chairlift, you can traverse into the Twin Lakes area without any ascending. And with just a little climbing (about 600 vertical feet), you can ski Thousand Turns Gully or Figure Eight Hill.

If you're not going to get a bump from the Milly chairlift, you can start at the base of the Milly chairlift and skin up the runs (assuming it is permitted by Brighton's uphill policy) while bearing slightly to your right. It takes about a half-hour to get to the Twin Lakes dam from the base of Milly.

From Solitude

If you're coming from Solitude, you might as well get a bump on Solitude's Summit chairlift, otherwise, you should start at the base of Milly.

From the top of the Summit chairlift, exit through the Highway to Heaven Gate and you'll already be in the Twin Lakes area. To go to Twin Lakes Pass and places beyond, take the Highway to Heaven Traverse.

Note that the terrain above the Highway to Heaven Traverse, and the terrain between the Highway and Twin Lakes Reservoir, is within Solitude's Forest Service permit area. Solitude frequently performs avalanche mitigation within this area as permitted by the Forest Service. Please be respectful of their work.

From Grizzly Gulch

Follow these instructions to go to Twin Lakes Pass from the Grizzly Gulch trailhead. That'll put you above the Twin Lakes Reservoir.