Palmer Creek Lakes, AKA Twin Lakes in Hope
Palmer Creek Lakes is one of the more obscure-yet-established hiking trails in Southcentral Alaska, but it’s a true favorite of mine. I love that you can drive right up into an expansive, remote-feeling valley that feels like something you’d normally have to hike miles to reach.
This is hike 68 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and one of three great hiking trails in Hope, Alaska.
| Round Trip: 2.6 miles | Nearest community: Hope |
| Elevation gain: 935 feet | Typical season: June to October |
| Parking fee: No fee | Nearby trails: Gull Rock, Hope Point |
Palmer Creek Lakes Trailhead Directions
From Anchorage, drive south on the New Seward Highway. At mile marker 56.5, take the signed right (west) turn onto the Hope Highway. After 16.2 miles, take a signed turn left onto unpaved Resurrection Creek Road. After 0.5 mile, turn left onto Palmer Creek Road. There is a gate here that is typically closed for the winter season by October.
Continue on Palmer Creek Road for 6.7 miles to reach the Coeur d’Alene Campground, then continue through the campground and on for another 4.1 miles of sometimes muddy single-lane “road” with a shallow stream crossing. This road is minimally maintained and can get quite rough depending on when the last maintenance was done, but passenger vehicles with good clearance can usually get through if carefully driven.
There is a rough pullout at the end for turning around or parking, and the trail to Palmer Creek Lakes starts on the obvious old roadbed at the far end of the parking area.
Hiking to Palmer Creek Lakes
No matter what you call this hike, the first part of the trail is an old mining road. Excepting a bit of brush in the first mile or so, you’re out in the tundra with pretty good visibility right away. It’s tempting to follow the road past a shallow creek crossing, but this takes you toward an abandoned mountaintop mine.
If your goal is Palmer Creek Lakes, also known as Twin Lakes, look for a narrow footpath leading through thigh-high brush on your left, just before the creek crossing. This footpath sidehills up a slope to your left, taking you toward the visible waterfall which is also the outlet for the first of the lakes.
I realize that almost 1,000 feet of elevation gain isn’t always the criteria for an “easy” hike, but I feel like this trail is straightforward enough, and the incline gradual enough, that this trail still qualifies for the tougher end of the “easy” scale, making it a great starter hike.
What IS the Name of This Trail, Anyway?
Some Alaska hiking trails are known by so many different names that it can be difficult to choose the most popular. This trail is obscure enough that I had the opposite problem — it was a struggle to identify a name that is well-known enough to spur some recognition.
I ended up going with Palmer Creek Lakes, because that’s the name given in the distinguished and much-loved guidebook 55 Ways to the Wilderness in Southcentral Alaska. Some people also call this trail Twin Lakes, and I believe I’ve heard it called “Hope Lakes” a few times too.
Speaking of the classic 55 Ways, did you know there’s a new, re-envisioned edition available? Read the author interview here.
Access During the Shoulder Season
Getting to the Palmer Creek Lakes trailhead takes you through a couple of gates that are only open seasonally, and don’t necessarily open at the same time. If there’s any question about whether you’re too far into the shoulder season for the gates to be open, why not call the US Forest Service to be sure? Or you could bring mountain bikes to help you reach the trailhead. This is also a great solution if you decide the last access road is too rough for your vehicle.
Lisa Maloney
A long-time Alaskan, Lisa has written three award-winning guidebooks including "Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska" and "50 Hikes Around Anchorage." She also served as senior editor of Alaska magazine and has written hundreds of newspaper columns and magazine articles about her adventures around the state. Learn more about her at http://maloneywrites.com.
