Twin Lakes State Park (Blog Hike #300)

Trails: Goodwin Lake, Dogwood Hollow, Between the Lakes, and Otter’s Path Trails

Hike Location: Twin Lakes State Park

Geographic Location: west of Burkeville, VA (37.17439, -78.27934)

Length: 4.9 miles

Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: April 2010, May 2014

Overview: A quiet forest hike circumnavigating Goodwin and Prince Edward Lakes.

Park Information: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/twin-lakes.shtml#general_information

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=940880
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Burkeville, take US 360 west 2.5 miles to CR 621.  Turn right on narrow paved CR 621.  Take CR 621 1.1 miles to CR 629 and turn left on CR 629, following signs for the park’s Day Use area.  Take CR 629 0.8 miles to the Day Use Area entrance on the left; this is located just past the park office.  Turn left to enter the Day Use Area, pay the nominal entrance fee, and park in the large gravel parking lot for the swimming area.  If this lot is full, you could also park in the nearby picnic area parking lot.

The hike: Though you would scarcely know it by looking at the park today, Twin Lakes State Park has its origins with the same Depression-era federal land purchase that gave us Shenandoah National Park.  Unlike its mountainous counterpart, this land was unsuitable for the national parks system, so it was transferred to the state of Virginia for a state park in 1939.
            In the 1950’s, the park fell victim to the segregation doctrine of separate but equal, and the two lakes were treated as separate parks.  Prince Edward Lake was used by white people, and Goodwin Lake was used by black people.  That doctrine was ruled unconstitutional in 1964, and the two parks were merged to form present day Twin Lakes State Park in 1986.

Today this small-town park sees relatively light traffic except mostly from locals looking for some recreation.  The park boasts a small, homey campground, numerous picnic sites, a kids’ playground, two lakes (of course) for fishing, and several hiking trails.  The trail system is laid out in three loops, two of which encircle lakes while the third forms a small loop beside the campground.  This hike will use all three of the loops for a grand tour of the park.

Trailhead: Goodwin Lake Trail

            The hike starts at a wooden post bearing a blue “Goodwin Lake Trail” sign at the left rear corner of the parking area.  For better or worse, the Goodwin Lake Trail is the most developed trail in the park, as evidenced by its gravel surface, numerous benches, and several long, wooden bridges.  The trail undulates gently as it treads just above the lake level on the right.  At 0.1 miles, you will cross the gravel parking area for the Goodwin Lake canoe launch and reenter the woods on the other side.

Bridge on Goodwin Lake Trail

The trail makes a sweeping right turn as it crosses the main tributary to Goodwin Lake on one of the long wooden bridges.  I crossed this bridge when it was so new the stickers were still attached to the ends of the lumber, and it should serve hikers well for a very long time.  Now heading up the west side of Goodwin Lake, the trail passes through numerous small ravines.  These ravines would create some steep and wet spots but for more bridges taking you over the lowest and steepest areas.           

            As you head around a small inlet, you reach an area where the trail has been relocated further up the hillside in order to prevent erosion.  Near 1 mile, the trail comes out at paved Twin Lakes Road, where you must turn right and walk along the side of the road to continue the hike.  Remember to walk on the left side of the road so as to face oncoming traffic.

Goodwin Lake

The sunny road crosses the dam that creates Goodwin Lake.  If you just wanted to hike the 1.5 miles Goodwin Lake Trail, you would turn right after crossing the dam and follow the trail through the picnic area back to the swimming area parking lot.  This hike continues along the road as it climbs gently to reach the park office you passed as you drove in.  Across the road from the park office and beside the campground entrance, begin the Dogwood Hollow Trail, the second trail on this hike.

Trailhead: Dogwood Hollow Trail

            The Dogwood Hollow Trail is a short lollipop loop trail located adjacent to the campground, and hence it is more popular with campers than hikers.  The trail begins by heading through second-growth upland hardwood forest before it soon descends gradually into a broad ravine.  The main creek can be seen through the trees on the right; it is the same creek that forms Prince Edward Lake, the second of the twin lakes available in this park.

The trail never reaches the main creek but instead heads up a smaller side ravine.  Where the trail forks to form the loop, continue straight to hike the loop counterclockwise.  This trail is blazed with a few blue paint blazes, but they are sufficiently infrequent that one may not be present when you need it.  The trail continues heading up the ravine with the creek through the trees to your right and the hillside rising steeply to your left.

Hiking the Dogwood Hollow Trail

            1.7 miles into the hike, the trail begins climbing the hillside.  The climb is only moderate as a pair of broad switchbacks eases the grade.  At the top of the hill where a short side trail leads directly to the campground, the trail turns sharply left as it begins a moderate descent back into the ravine to close the loop.  Turn right and retrace your steps uphill back to the park office to complete the Dogwood Hollow Trail.

To continue the hike, head around the right side of the park office and walk down the gravel park road you drove in on an hour or so ago.  Pass the swimming and picnic area parking lots on the right (returning to your car in the swimming area parking lot at this point would create a 2.3 mile hike) and pick up the Between the Lakes Trail, which exits the gravel road to the left just past the swimming area parking lot.  This two-track trail doubles as a park maintenance road, and as its name suggests, it leads to the second lake in the park, Prince Edward Lake.

Trailhead: Between the Lakes Trail

            At 2.5 miles, the Between the Lakes Trail quickly reaches an intersection with the Otter’s Path Trail, which circumnavigates the lake.  You could go either way, but this description will turn left and circle Prince Edward Lake clockwise.  The Otter’s Path Trail is the most primitive trail in the park, and it is also the trail that is most likely to provide solitude.  The park map lists the trail’s length at 4 miles, but based on my hike, it is closer to half that.  
            The trail starts by heading downhill and crossing the main outlet of Prince Edward Lake just below the dam.  On my hike, I saw a large number of monarch butterflies fluttering around the dam area.  On the other side of the dam, curve left to remain on the Otter’s Path Trail near the lakeshore.  Some orange paint blazes soon reassure you that you are on the right trail.

Prince Edward Lake, as seen from spur trail near the dam

            Your approach may cause some turtles to plop off of logs into the lake water as the trail heads up a shallow inlet of the lake.  After curving right to cross a tributary of the lake without a bridge, you will come to another trail intersection where you need to turn left to stay on the Otter’s Path Trail.  The trail continuing straight leads to the cottage area.  This intersection is marked by a wooden post, but the sign is oriented in such a way that you could easily miss this turn if you were not expecting it.

After gradually climbing along the tributary for a few hundred feet, the trail curves right and takes on the steeper hillside as it climbs through some of the nicest forest in this park.  Several large beech trees can be seen in this area.  At 3.1 miles, you will cross the paved Cedar Crest Conference Center access road and reenter the woods on the other side.

Descending on the Otter Path

            For the next 0.4 miles the trail descends gradually to return to lake level.  Some parts of this trail have been damaged by erosion, but the effects are not bad compared to some other trails.  Once back at lake level, the trail intersects what appears to be an old access road, as indicated by a wooden gate that now stands in the middle of nowhere.  As indicated by the blazes, you should turn left and head into a small stand of pines.  The pine needles underfoot here make for a soft, cushy trail surface.

After crossing a couple of small lake tributaries, the trail climbs steeply to regain the ridge.  Fortunately, the ridge is less than 100 feet higher than the lake, so the climb is also rather short.  3.8 miles into the hike, the trail angles left to join an old logging road, which soon curves right to descend gradually back to lake level.

Just before reaching a creek crossing that looks wet in season, the trail abruptly turns right to leave the road.  This turn is signed with another post identical to the one you passed near the cottage area earlier.  The trail soon crosses the creek without the aid of a bridge, but at this point the creek can usually be jumped over with ease.  The park map indicates that the Beaver Point Trail exits to the right near this point, but the woods seemed to have reclaimed this path on my visit.

Hiking through shallow ravines

            The final 0.7 miles of the Otter’s Path Trail lead along the west bank of Prince Edward Lake.  There are a large number of steep but shallow ravines that must be navigated, and the lack of bridges such as were present on the park’s other more developed trail make these ravines somewhat difficult to hike.  When you reach the gravel boat launch area, angle uphill and look for another wooden post that marks the trail’s point of reentry into the woods.

At 4.7 miles, you will reach the end of the Otter’s Path Trail as you close your loop around the lake.  A left turn on the Between the Lakes Trail will lead you uphill as you retrace your steps back to the gravel park road.  A right turn and brief walk along the park road will return you to the swimming area parking lot and complete the hike.