Broads Fork Meadows & Twin Peaks

The hike described here can range from relatively easy to rather difficult depending on your choosing.  For a pleasant hike to an area where there are impressive views of the surrounding peaks along with the soothing sound of flowing water, the Broads Fork Meadows is the place to go.  It provides a great place to have a picnic lunch and to simply get away from the hustle-bustle of city life for awhile.  The Broads Fork Canyon is also the main access to Twin Peaks, which are the highest points along the Cottonwood Ridge, separating Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, and overlooking the Salt Lake Valley.  While these vantage points provide spectacular views of the valley below along with other points in the Wasatch Range, anyone attempting to climb the Broads Fork Twins should be in top physical condition and plan for a long day.

View of Dromedary, Sunrise, and part of
Twin Peaks from the lower meadow
area – Photo credit: Eric Willhite

To reach the Broads Fork trailhead from the Salt Lake Valley, take the 6200 South (Exit 6) off of I-215 and turn right (at the light) onto Wasatch Boulevard (SR 190).  At Fort Union Boulevard (7200 South), turn left (east) to go up Big Cottonwood Canyon towards the Brighton and Solitude Ski Resorts.  At approximately 4.5 miles up the canyon, the "Mill B Trailhead" sign appears to your right (south) at the bottom of what's known as the S-Curve.  Parking is available near the trailhead, or a second parking lot is available in the upper bend of the S-Curve.  Early arrivals during weekdays tend to guarantee a parking spot in the parking lot.  The Broads Fork trail begins near the west corner of the lower parking lot and makes a moderately steep climb westward to an overlook at about 0.3 miles.  Near the overlook, it enters the Twin Peaks Wilderness Area and levels out some as it veers to the left (south) into Broads Fork Canyon.  The trail eventually crosses to the west side of the stream where the climb becomes steep in places until the lower meadow area is reached at approximately 8,220 feet elevation.  Just before the meadow, the trail splits with the left (east) fork leading to a large pond.  Distance from the Broads Fork trailhead to the large pond in the lower meadow area is approximately 2.3 miles one-way with an elevation gain of approximately 2,040 feet.

Beyond the pond, the trail leading towards Twin Peaks becomes less distinct, and may at times disappear.  Continue hiking in the direction of the intermittent streambed, which may involve several stream crossings depending on the time of year.  Eventually, a terraced slope will begin to rise to the left (east) of the streambed.  This rather steep slope leads to an upper meadow area that levels out at about 9,600 feet elevation.  Here is a good spot to rest before pressing onward.  From the upper meadow, the route becomes a scramble over seemingly endless rock towards the saddle to the southwest.  Snow often remains in this area well into the summer months, and it is wise to carry along some crampons and an ice axe should you need them.  When walking on the snow, however, be aware of hidden voids that may collapse beneath you.  The terrain becomes steeper as you approach the saddle with various small cliff bands to work around.  Once the 10,800-foot saddle is reached, you can rest assured that the most grueling part of the climb is behind you.  Continuing northwest along the saddle ridge, you will run into one more obstacle during the final ascent.  It is a sloping rock wall on the Little Cottonwood side of the ridge with a one-foot irregular ledge spanning most of the way across it.  At the end of the ledge is a crack, perhaps 30 feet high, where there are holding points to wedge your hands and feet to pull yourself up.  This can be accomplished at a slow, steady pace if you're not too frightened of heights.  Beyond the crack, it's a standard scramble the remaining distance to the 11,330-foot summit of East Twin Peak.  The east summit is only two feet higher than the west summit, and they are approximately 0.14 miles hiking distance from each other.  While some sources place the one-way distance as high as 5.0 miles, based on my calculations, it is approximately 4.5 miles one-way from the Broads Fork trailhead to the summit of Twin Peaks.  Elevation gain from the trailhead is 5,130 feet.

West Twin Peak from the summit of
East Twin Peak

The wall & crack area on the
final ascent of Twin Peaks

East Twin Peak from the summit of
West Twin Peak