Hiking Twin Lakes via the Barkley Valley near D'Arcy
Contents
Twin Lakes Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 16.50Km
Elevation Gain: 1,000m
Highest Elevation: 2,232m
Average Gradient: 12.12%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 6 – 7 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 6 Hours
– Fast: 4 – 5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~July to October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Twin Lakes Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 50°29’04.8″N 122°22’24.9″W
Twin Lakes Overview
Twin Lakes are a pair of beautiful turquoise lakes accessed via the Barkley Valley trail near the small community D’Arcy, northeast of Pemberton. Set within the traditional territories of the N’Quatqua and St’at’imc First Nations, there is a long history of settlement in the area going back centuries. Barkley Valley also has a more recent history of prospecting, with a rough mining road developed in the 1960’s, and to this day you can find signs of old vehicles, dwellings and other mine workings in the area. An old cabin still remains in the zone, which you will hike past on the way to the lakes. A sign explaining the history is included in the photo gallery at the bottom of this page.
The lakes themselves are fairly popular in the summer, though the significant drive out tends to keep away the masses. Still, plenty of parties come up to camp in the region, though finding a suitable spot to set up a tent isn’t always simple. There are no facilities anywhere along the trail, so make sure to practice LNT if staying in the area.
Thanks to a wide, double track trail for much of the route, many parties will take up dirt bikes, ATV’s and mountain bikes into the zone, so don’t be surprised to encounter some on your visit. These will not be able to reach the lower lake, however, with most stopping either before or on the switchbacks up to the lake. Grizzlies and black bears are common in the area, so ideally you will travel in a group and be prepared for possible encounters.
While the lakes themselves are a worthy destination, many parties will continue further afield, typically up to Crystal or Elliott Peak. Crystal is simple talus hiking to the summit, while Elliott requires some Class 3, mildly exposed scrambling.
Access to the zone requires driving almost 15km along Haylmore FSR. This road is often in excellent shape and suitable for all vehicles, however during our visit (2026) some parts of the road towards the end were scattered with rockfall, making the last few kilometers suitable for only higher clearance vehicles with AT tires. That said, this may well be cleared up in due course.
In terms of seasonality, given the high elevation of the lakes this is best left for peak summer, so July to early October. If you visit earlier the lakes may still be frozen and you may have to deal with snow on the approach.
Dogs are welcome in the area, though of course with the potential for grizzly encounters you may want to keep them on leash, at least in the lower parts of the valley near the cabin. Camping is allowed in the zone.
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Are the Twin Lakes worthwhile?
The Twin Lakes and indeed Barkley Valley in general offer fantastic views in a gorgeous alpine setting, whether visiting as a day hike or overnight. Most parties will likely want to consider at least summiting Crystal Peak, given the non-technical nature of doing so, while others more comfortable with scrambling may want to consider Elliott Peak as well. Either way, this is an extremely worthwhile trip despite the long drive out.
How difficult is the hike to the Twin Lakes?
The AllTrails route linked here includes the drive to the trailhead for some reason. The actual Barkley Valley trail begins on Haylmore FSR at around 1,250m, and for the most part is a wide, double track route through the valley before some steep switchbacks up to the lower lake. It’s quite a moderate, well groomed hike that isn’t particularly difficult.
The only technical aspect of the route to the upper lake would be traversing around the lower lake. The lower lake has very steep embankments dropping into it on all sides, and the only way around is traversing across these. This is pretty simple, but one spot where you cross a creek is a bit tricky as the terrain is loose and steep. Beyond that, the route up to the upper lake is simple, albeit not always obvious.
Twin Lakes Route Information
The hike begins from a trailhead approximately 15km down Haylmore Creek FSR. The road is typically in good condition and suitable for most vehicles, however that may not always be the case. When we visited (2026) the last couple of kilometers we scattered with rockfall from the embankments overhead, and only higher clearance vehicles were making it all the way to the trailhead. With that said, you may choose to park earlier than the trailhead and hike in, obviously adding a bit of distance and time to the day.
From the trailhead you will find a wide, double track trail leading through the forest. This trail is almost wide enough to drive up, in fact. Many parties actually bring dirt bikes, ATV’s or mountain bikes for the approach as a lot of the trail is smooth and gradual enough to benefit from this. We did not have that luxury, so we just hiked in.
The first hour or so of hiking follows a very simple, forested trail into the valley, before you break out of the treeline and are greeted with stellar views ahead. The valley is really scenic, with steep, meadow filled slopes overhead. At around 1,590m you will pass by the Barkley Valley cabin, while also passing by signage explaining the history of the valley and the Indigenous people that traveled there.
Beyond the cabin, the gradient picks up a little, but it’s still a scenic and pleasant hike. At around 1,750m you will reach a junction in the trail, whereby continuing straight will remain in the valley, and turning left will climb up to Twin Lakes. The terrain also gets a bit rockier underfoot, and those with mountain bikes may want to consider leaving them around here, though you can continue further if desired.
You’ll now follow a series of switchbacks as you climb steeply, with ever improving views of the valley behind you as you do. The southern summit of Crystal Peak will be on full display as you climb up. At around 1,925m the switchbacks end, and this is realistically where any dirt bikes / ATV type vehicles will probably reach the end of their journey. Further travel will now require hiking as the footbed now gives way to rockier terrain as you work your way towards the lower lake.
Lower Twin Lake lies at around 2,100m and is arguably the more scenic of the two lakes. It’s surrounded by very steep embankments on almost every side, with mostly grass covered slopes to the northwest, while the cliffs of Elliot Peak spill down into the lake to the east. Due to the very steep embankments, traversing around the lake is somewhat more complicated than most lakes.
The route now crosses the outflow of the lake by continuing clockwise around the lake. You’ll climb up to a trail that traverses the slopes high above the lake, with relatively simple travel other than a section where you need to cross a creek bed. The creek likely isn’t flowing in the summer months, but the bed is all loose dirt, and given the steepness it’s a bit finicky. Thankfully it’s short lived and after a couple of steps you’re back on stable ground.
Beyond the lower lake the route becomes a little less defined as you cross some boulders before a somewhat steep climb up the upper lake at 2,200m The upper lake is truly alpine, with every around either talus or scree. The lack of grassy meadows gives a bit of a stale environment versus the lower lake.
Depending on your plans, you will either now return to the trailhead the same way you came, or continue on. Many parties are visiting the area to summit Crystal and/or Elliott Peak, but that will be covered separately.
When should I hike Twin Lakes?
Most visitors to Twin Lakes will go during peak summer when the lakes are thawed and the snow is melted at these elevations. That realistically means July to October. As always in this region, mosquitos will be abysmal in July and early August, so keep that in mind.
Top Tip
If you have access to a dirt bike / ATV / e-mountain bike you can make this day far easier by using them. You can easily get to the switchbacks at 1,750m, and potentially to the top of the switchbacks if you’re happy with rougher terrain.
Summiting at least Crystal Peak is probably worthwhile for all visitors to the zone. Crystal is a simple talus plod to the summit, which offers far better views than the upper lake alone. It will not take too long to add Crystal Peak, perhaps 1.5 hours round trip from the upper lake.
Grizzlies are common in this region, so prepared accordingly.
