Twin Firs Trail

The Nisqually Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park is a monument to the classic National Park Rustic architecture and the impressive timber construction that is a staple of the style. The national park is still dominated by trees that are capable of producing such timbers. Old-growth stands of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), western redcedar (Thuja plicata), and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) carpet the lower elevations and park valleys adjacent to riverbeds.

On this short, 0.4-mile hike along the banks of the Nisqually River known as the Twin Firs Trail, visitors can stand below these giants and consider just how few of these remaining old-growth groves exist outside the protection of the National Park Service.

To explore more of these giants within the park, be sure to stop at the Grove of the Patriarchs on the park's southeast side.