This itinerary provides opportunities for you to enjoy Mount Rainier National Park’s magnificent old growth forest environments.
1) Twin Firs
(Moderate, 0.6 miles, 30 minutes round-trip): Look for the Twin Firs Wayside
on the north side of the road one mile east of Kautz Creek or two miles
west of Longmire. This short loop trail climbs through some of the best
examples of the immense Douglas-firs that line much of the road between
the Nisqually Entrance and Longmire.
2) Trail of the Shadows
(Easy, 0.7 miles, 30 minutes round-trip): Across the road from the Longmire
Museum and National Park Inn, this easy loop trail circles mineral springs,
a beaver pond, a historic cabin, and massive Douglas-fir and western redcedar
trees.
3) Rampart Ridge (Strenuous,
4.6 miles, 2½ hours round-trip) The Rampart Ridge Trail branches
off from the west side of the Trail of the Shadows, climbs steeply to
the ridge-top, then circles back to Longmire by way of the Wonderland
Trail. The lower portions of this trail climb through stands of ancient
trees of various ages. Some Douglas-firs on the east side of the loop
are around 1,000 years old.
4) Eagle Peak (Strenuous,
7.2 miles, 5 hours round-trip): Eagle Peak offers panoramic views of the
Nisqually Valley and Mount Rainier. The lower portions of the trail climb
steeply through stands of ancient Douglas-fir and younger mountain hemlock
trees.
5) Carter Falls (Moderate,
2.2 miles, 2 hours round-trip): Stroll along the Paradise River from Cougar
Rock Campground to Carter Falls. Forest ages vary from very young to very
old, with some stands less than a century old and some more than 700 years
old.
6) Grove of the Patriarchs
(Easy, 1.3 miles, 1 hour round-trip): At the east end of the Stevens Canyon
Road is one of the most accessible stands of ancient trees in the park.
A short trail and suspension bridge take you to a boardwalk loop through
thousand-year-old Douglas-fir and western redcedar trees, protected from
forest fires on an island in the Ohanapecosh River.
7) Ohanapecosh: Stop at
the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center to learn about the old growth forest ecosystem,
or spend the night among the big trees in the Ohanapecosh Campground.
The Silver Falls Trail begins here too (Moderate, 2.5 miles, 1½
hours round-trip), which takes you through 500-year-old trees along both
sides of the Ohanapecosh River.
8) East Side Trail (Moderate,
6.7 miles, 4 hours one-way): Hike south from Deer Creek to the Grove of
the Patriarchs through 700 to 1,000 year old trees along Chinook Creek
and the Ohanapecosh River. In the spring, snowmelt creates dozens of waterfalls
along the trail. This trail is best done with two vehicles, one parked
at each end of the trail.
9) Owyhigh Lakes (Moderate,
7.0 miles, 3½ hours round-trip): From the White River Road, climb
steadily up the side of Tamanos Mountain through a 700-year-old forest
to Owyhigh Lakes. Tamanos Creek backcountry camp, near the lakes at 5,270
feet elevation, makes a great place to spend the night. Pick up a free
backcountry permit at the White River Wilderness Information Station,
two miles east of the trailhead. If you’d like a longer hike, continue
south another 4.8 miles to Deer Creek and the East Side Trail (above,
number 8), which also has a backcountry campsite.
10) Carbon River: Some of
the best places to find old growth forests in Mount Rainier National Park
are at Carbon River, in the northwest corner of the park. The forest here
is classified as “temperate rainforest,” and is home to both
spotted owls and marbled murrelets. Most of the mature trees along the
entrance road are around 600 years old, but climb a short distance up
the Wonderland Trail toward Mowich Lake and you’ll find yourself
hiking for several miles through a primordial forest more than a thousand
years old. Another ancient stand may be found along the trail between
Carbon River and Cataract Valley backcountry camps, beginning three miles
east of Ipsut Creek Campground.
