Two Trails to Mountain Summits
How to get there:
SH7, the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, 2.6 miles north of the Long’s Peak turnoff. Turn east for the Twin Sisters TH and park near the gate.
- From I-25/I-70 to Twin Sisters Rd
- 67 miles 1 hr 30 mins
Lily Mtn TH is on the west side of SH7, 0.5 miles further north. VERY limited parking.
- GPS
- Parking
- 40.3073 -105.5372
In General:
Two trails leading to summits with panoramic vistas in all directions. The Twin Sisters Trail is within Rocky Mountain Ntl. Park and does not allow pets or mountain bikes. Lily Mountain Trail is in the Roosevelt NF and pets on leashes are welcome.
Photo Ops:
Twin Sisters:
- Length: 7.4 mi RT
- Elev gain: 2340 ft
- Rating: 12.1 Strenuous
- Hiking Time: min. 3 hour 30 mins
These two peaks sit off by themselves to the east of the Peak to Peak SB and offer outstanding 360° vistas. Start by hiking up the road beyond the gate. At the Twin Sisters TH sign, head up the well maintained trail as it climbs through the trees. After about 0.9 miles you’ll see the first view of Long’s Peak (14,255 ft) and Mount Meeker (13,911 ft). At about 3 miles you will reach treeline and the trail will switchback through the scree to a saddle. On the right is the Twin Sister most people climb, Sister “west”, which is actually shorter (11,413′) than sister “east” (11, 428′). Sister west has a communication building and solar panels. The trail continues on the right side of the building, then climbs to the top of the peak.
Lily Mountain Trail 
- Length: 4 miles RT
- Elev gain: 930 ft
- Rating: 5.9 Easy/Moderate
- Hiking Time: min. 2 hours
The trail is relatively level for the first mile then begins a series of switchbacks toward the summit. Near the top of the trail, signs point the way; small rock cairns have been placed to indicate the short scrambling route through some boulders to the summit. At a point where the trail appears to split, the lower route leads to a saddle area below the summit. The saddle and the summit offer panoramic views including Longs Peak and much of the Continental Divide, sights around the Estes Valley with much of the city of Estes Park and Mary’s Lake and Lake Estes, Twin Sisters Peaks, Lion Head, Rocky Mountain National Park, Storm Mountain, and the Mummy Range.