Grove of the Patriarchs

Nearby Destinations

Mount Rainier National Park

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Difficulty: Easy
Length: 1.2 miles / 1.9 km
Duration: 1 hour or less

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Overview: The Ohanapecosh River surrounds an island of towering, thousand-year-old Douglas fir and western red cedar trees. Walk the trail to discover the grandeur and peace of this island.

Isolated on the island, these giants have been protected from fire, allowing them to grow to enormous size. You have many trees that are more than 25 ft in circumference, at least one approaching 50 ft, and some over 1,000 years old.

Tips: On the east side of Mt. Rainier, near the Stevens Canyon entrance on Highway 123. Go .25 miles on the Stevens Canyon Road across the Ohanapecosh River bridge to the trailhead parking area on the right.

Points of Interest

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Grove of the Patriarchs Parking Area

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Ohanapecosh River

Meltwater from the Ohanapecosh glacier drains into the Ohanapecosh River giving it a crystal clear look.

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Old Growth Forest

Old-Growth forests, such as the on at Grove of the Patriarchs, comprise some of the richest and most productive ecosystems on Earth. These dense, coniferous forests clothe the lower slopes and valleys of Mount Rainier National Park. Reaching from an elevation of 2,000 ft to over 6,000 ft, these forests cover 60% of the landscape of the park. The Grove is an outstanding examle of the virgin forest that once extended over most of western Washington.

the Douglas-firs, Western redcedars and Western hemlocks that dominate the surrounding Old Growth forest are but parts of the total community of animals, plants, climate, geology, soil, sunlight and water that make this a stately place.