SEKI Wilderness Permit — Lodgepole — Twin Lakes

Twin Lakes (Lodgepole): what makes it different

Twin Lakes is the Lodgepole entry point that climbs out of the campground to two granite-rimmed lakes under Silliman Pass. Recreation.gov sells 30 people a day, the first legal camp is 3 miles up at Cahoon Meadow, and the permit page warns of fire damage from 2021.^1,2

Getting to the start

Permits for this trail are issued only at the Lodgepole Visitor Center, which NPS lists with quota-season desk hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Recreation.gov says to park near the Walter Fry Nature Center in Lodgepole, or in the lot northeast of Wuksachi Lodge.^2,3,1

NPS says the trail begins at the Lodgepole Campground. A 2012 blog puts the trailhead at the east end of the campground, just past the bridge over the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River, at 6,700 feet.^2,5

A 2024 route guide describes an alternate start near Wuksachi Lodge that skips the first 450 feet of climbing. It warns that parking there is limited and that Lodgepole is the more reliable start.⁶

The first leg

NPS describes a moderately steep climb through forests and meadows, with Cahoon Meadow as the first allowed campsite at 3 miles. Recreation.gov repeats the 3 mile figure for both the Lodgepole and Wuksachi starts.^2,1

Cahoon distances do not agree. A 2024 guide says the meadow is only about half a mile past the first creek crossing, not the full 3 miles people assume. Use the permit figure of 3 miles to plan, and check your map on the ground.^6,2

That guide counts about 450 feet of climbing in the first stretch, then another 1,000 feet to Cahoon Gap, a dip into the Clover Creek drainage, and a final climb of about 1,000 feet to the lakes. The 2012 blog gives the gap as 8,659 feet and the lakes as 9,400 feet.^6,5

Terrain and difficulty

Recreation.gov rates the trail moderately strenuous. The 2012 blog found it well maintained, shaded by red fir and lodgepole pine for the first hours, with yellow triangles nailed high on trunks to mark the route for skiers when snow buries the tread.^1,5

The 2024 guide says the hike gains roughly 2,000 feet over more than 6 miles. It calls the trip a good option for fit beginners but not an easy first overnight, since the climb past Cahoon Gap is exposed and can feel hot.⁶

Recreation.gov flags that this entry point reaches an area burned in 2021, with hazards from the fire. NPS offers separate advice for walking through recently burned ground, so check it before you go.^1,2

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Twin Lakes (Lodgepole), overnight: 30 people a day. This is the daily quota in the Twin Lakes division text on Recreation.gov, read October 15, 2026, with 20 of the 30 reservable. The availability calendar would not load that day, so the number comes from the division's own published description.¹

Rules specific to this entry point

No campfires are allowed above 9,000 feet in the Kaweah River drainage of Sequoia National Park, and the permit page says that includes Twin Lakes. Kings Canyon, across the divide, sets its line at 10,000 feet.^1,4

The 2012 blog saw a bear box and a pit toilet at Twin Lakes. That is one old report, so carry your own approved container and confirm with the Lodgepole rangers.⁵

Recreation.gov names this permit as the start of a lollipop loop with the Belle Canyon and JO Pass trails, which leave from the Jennie Lakes Wilderness side.¹

Where it leads

Twin Lakes sit on a plateau at about 9,400 feet. The 2024 guide found good camping along the creek that leaves the southern lake and calls the basin a natural first night under the granite of Silliman Pass.^5,6

Silliman Pass is about a mile and 1,000 feet above the lakes by switchbacks. The 2012 blog stood on the divide at about 10,218 feet and looked down on Ranger Lake and Silliman Lake, roughly 1,000 feet below on the Kings Canyon side.^6,5

The 2024 route kept going to Ranger Lake, which it says has more campsites, then 1.5 miles farther to Lost Lake, a quieter basin ringed by forest. It names Lost Lake as the reason to do the trip.⁶

What trip reports say

A September 2012 post on Way Points walked to the pass and back in a dry year. The writer saw a young black bear bolt from the meadows on the way down, found the creek crossing easy to rock-hop, and logged 8.3 miles on the odometer from the trailhead to Silliman Pass.⁵

A 2024 Sierra Rec Magazine guide reports reliable water the whole way in June and a trail that is easy to follow with a map or GPS. It put the best months at late June through early October.⁶

The 2012 writer also noted that no fires were allowed at Twin Lakes, a rule that applies on the Sequoia side only, and told readers to read the posted signs.⁵

When to go from here

The 2024 guide says snow can linger near Silliman Pass in heavy years, and that early season brings wildflowers and strong water while late summer has steadier weather and fewer mosquitoes. It calls late June through early October the usual window.⁶

The 2012 writer went in mid September and found the trails dry and dusty, the creeks low and the campgrounds quiet. Snow on the peaks was gone by then.⁵

Compare with nearby entry points

• JO Pass: JO Pass has a smaller quota, 15 people a day with 10 reservable, and starts from the Big Meadows or Rowell Meadow trailheads inside the Jennie Lakes Wilderness. NPS puts its first camp at Rowell Meadow, 2.2 miles in.^1,2
• Alta: Alta starts at Wolverton, climbs to Alta Peak and has its first camp at Panther Gap, 3 miles in, with no water. Its quota is 25 people with 20 reservable, and the route climbs a peak rather than reaching a lake basin.^1,2
• Pear & Emerald: The Lakes Trail also starts at Wolverton. NPS says you must camp in designated sites, that Heather and Aster Lakes are closed to overnight use, and that Emerald Lake, 5 miles in, is the first allowed camp.²

Sources

1. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness Permits, Twin Lakes division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Wilderness Trail Descriptions, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Wilderness Permits & Reservations, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Minimum Impact Restrictions, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Way Points: Twin Lakes and Silliman Pass, Way Points blog. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Backpacking Silliman Pass in Sequoia: Twin Lakes to Lost Lake Route Guide, Sierra Rec Magazine. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Twin Lakes permit