Was a perfect day for a hike with the little ones 9 and 3, they were able to do this one with ease

This was a great little hike for the kids and us.  We all loved the beautiful trees and foliage.  Being right next to the river was a major bonus.  The suspension bridge was fun to cross for our 6yr old and 3yr old. Downside was that most people ignored the recommendation that only 1 (or 2 if you have small children) should cross the bridge at a time.   The boardwalk inside the grove was well maintained and the girls loved it.  The trees were incredible.  After the grove, we sat by the river while the girls played and just enjoyed the clear waters. We will definitely revisit this again.

One side note is that its quite dusty on the trail and on the way back a woman slipped and almost slid completely down a little hill.  My husband helped them back up but I'd be very careful and mindful of where you stand since the dust makes the trail slightly slippery.  She also didn't appear to be wearing good trail shoes, so that might have added to the mishap.

We did this mid morning on a Sunday. The trailhead is just inside the national park pay stations on the Ohanapecosh entrance. Parking was just barely full, but we were able to get a spot barely 1 minute from the trailhead.

The bathrooms at the trailhead were descent, not too crowded, and stocked with tp.

The trail itself is quite easy, smooth dirt 95%+ of the way through. There are quite a few sizable trees during this descent which are already amazing to see. You descend to the river level and reach a suspension bridge. This is how you cross the river to see the big trees. Only a few people can cross the bridge at a time(sign recommends 2 , though many groups did more than what was suggested). This is where we waited in line roughly 10 mins, while people crossed to the grove, and people crossed back out from the grove.

The bridge is pretty wobbly, even taking it slow. The wires are good handholds if you aren't steady on your feet. It was a fun walk over to the proper grove.

The grove itself feels like a church of sorts. The crowds that were so chatty in line are all virtually silent at this part, simply taking in the awe inspiring trees. The hollow that the loop follows is also very quiet, so there is a silent grandeur given to the place. This is the section that actually loops(very short) and around each turn is another jaw dropping tree. Pictures really don't capture the sheer size of these trees.

After finishing the loop the wait to cross back over the bridge was shorter. There is river access, a nice sand/rock beach on the loop side, where a few families were cooling off. The river is low, and there are many safe places to swim.

Overall a great trail to see some of Washington's oldest growth trees. Easy, tons of families with small kids on the trail. There were a lot of people but it didn't feel ungodly crowded, especially in the grove itself. If you are in Rainier NP add this one to your list, it will take under an hour and is worth it.

I arrived at the trailhead at 7:15 am on Saturday. The parking lot is not very big and can fill up fast, so I did this hike first thing before driving further to Paradise. The suspension bridge was an unexpected highlight of this hike and I had it all to myself. There is a sign that recommends only one person should cross the bridge at a time. After crossing the bridge there is a boardwalk loop that goes through some big trees and has some nice benches. The trail was in great shape and relatively flat the whole way. This was a great warm up hike for the morning and doesn't need a clear sunny day for the views. I arrived back at the trailhead at 7:55 am and clocked a total of 1.2 miles. 

Grove of the Patriarchs is a beautiful 0.3 mile trail with large trees over 1,000 years old. There is a loop trail going through the tall trees that is on a bridge, There is also a draw bridge over a river near the middle of the trail. We relaxed by the river and ate lunch. At the end of the loop trail there is a large cedar tree, along the loop trail are twin trees, and signs teaching you about the trees. It is a wonderful trail, I would definitely recommend it.