Usually, when you set out on a trail called Twin Lakes Trail, you expect a pair of lakes. However, some hikers in Utah didn’t find a pair of lakes at the end of their trail; they found a drained reservoir instead. Though confusing and disappointing for hikers who didn’t know what was going on, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for the missing Utah lake.
Fox 13 News Utah reports that Salt Lake City Public Utilities is draining the lower lake (which is actually a reservoir) for dam repairs. Jesse Stewart, deputy director of Salt Lake City Public Utilities, told Fox 13 News: “We need to replace some of the valve stems and we’re going to assess the actual gates themselves in the valves. To do so we have to have an empty reservoir to get down and safely do that.”
The explanation makes sense, but that doesn’t make the situation any less confusing for people taking this 2.3-mile out-and-back trail without a clue. Hikers interviewed in the Fox 13 News segment expressed disappointment, similar to the trail’s recent reviews on AllTrails.
The AI-generated review summary on AllTrails says:
“Recent reviews of Twin Lakes Trail in Salt Lake City note that the lakes have been drained, leaving the area underwhelming. Despite this, hikers enjoy the trail’s great views and moderate difficulty, with some muddy conditions and low water levels in the lakes.”
When you set out on a hike, you never know exactly what you’re getting into. If you treat the journey as the reward, you’ll be less likely to feel disappointed by, say, a missing lake (or a crappy view).