I caught up with this trail from the Ohanapecosh Campground via Silver Falls trail, which I think ends up being about 4 miles or so? Combining these made it into a great little hike. The Grove trail was pretty overrun with people but the trees are amazing and worth the chaos. Easy hike, people of all ages were out there, but I would suggest getting there early or doing it before sunset if you want a little quiet. If you go at peak times beware that the footbridge will take forever! One at a time crossing takes long in itself but then add all the parental paparazzi taking pictures of the kids and you will wish you packed a dose or two of patience in your pack.

This is a VERY easy short hike on the southeast side of Rainier. Our party consisted of three adults and a 12 year old, wearing "street" clothing and tennis shoes. We brought water for the 1-hour loop walk (really not a hike) and enjoyed all of it. For those inclined to dip their feet (or brave enough to swim!) there's easy access to the Ohanapecosh River not far from the trailhead. Conditions were clear, dry and warm so we welcomed the cool water. No bugs or other wildlife, but lots of fantastic scenery to take in, and we all loved the little suspension bridge! On the way it we felt overcrowded with two large groups, but took our time around the Patriarchs and had less traffic on the way out. Saw many with small children (as in babies) so again this is a simple, enjoyable and highly recommended jaunt into the woods.

Did a loop hike starting and finishing at Ohanapecosh campground. We took our time on this 40 mile hike, taking 5 days to do it. Day One- Hiking from Ohanapecosh, headed north past Silver Falls and connected with the loop trail. This was near the Grove of the Patriarchs trailhead. From there we made our way to Deer Creek Campground for night one. Two sites of which we were the only ones that night. The trail is easy and quiet, we only ran into a trail runner the entire portion of this hike. Water was accessible adjacent to camp. Day Two - We hiked to Tamanos Creek campground and didn't encounter any hikers. The trail was well maintained with a few area to stop and take in views of waterfalls. The blueberries we in season and were a nice treat as we made our way to Tamanos Creek campground. Two other hikers hiking together (coming from the opposite direction) made it to camp later that day. Water was nearby in Tamanos Creek. Day Three - We continued north to the Tamanos Creek Trailhead on the road that leads up to the Sunrise Visitor's Center. From there walked about 1/2 mile crossing the White River bridge, to the Summerland trailhead. Now heading south, we hiked to Summerland. This portion of the hike had some nice elevation gain and views of the the river and the Chimneys. This trail was quite busy and included a group of WTA volunteers doing some trail maintenance. The area around the campground was busy with many day hikers. It appeared as if most campsites filled up later in the day with overnight hikers as well. Water was nearby. Day Four - We hiked our way south over the Panhandle Gap to Indian Bar campground. While on this portion of the hike we enjoyed the vistas and watching mountain goats. We only had to small stretches of snow covered trail that was easy to cross. Indian Bar filled up this evening. Again water was available at this camp. Day Five - We finished our loop with a 10 mile 4,000 feet decent. Ran into one hiker coming from the other direction. The knees started "talking" a bit near the end of this day. Had wonderful views of both Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams in the first half of this day's hike. Made it to Ohanapecosh in time to drive into Packwood for a tasty burger and a beer.

We took the toddlers up to Rainier for a hike this weekend, to the Grove of the Patriarchs, for a simple, easy, scenic hike that would enable us to see some beautiful trees while simultaneously breaking in our brand new Osprey Poco Plus child carrying backpacks. The last hike we took, we tried using our Ergo Carriers and, while they functioned well enough, they left a lot to be desired from a comfort and ergonomics (no pun intended) standpoint. The Ospreys were light, comfortable, and allowed the children (aged 2 1/2 and 1 1/2) to see around themselves. The oldest, a boy, loved pointing out the river, the trees, other people, and the various steps and rocks along the way. Access to the Grove of the Patriarchs comes from Stevens Canyon Road, just past the Stevens Canyon Entrance gate. Parking is extremely limited, with a turnout loop accommodating a maximum of probably 25-30 vehicles. Further up the road, there are a couple of gravel turnouts that can accommodate a couple more cars each, and still further up, a paved turnout just short of a bridge, that can easily accommodate another 10 cars. That's where we parked, and we walked the additional 500 feet back down to the trailhead. The trailhead features a restroom facility, picnic tables, garbage and recycling cans, and a water fountain to top off the hiking bottle or hydration system. The Grove of the Patriarchs trail itself is a spur off of the East Side Trail, so expect to walk a good mile on a relatively easy stretch of the East Side Trail on your way to the turnoff for the Grove. At the turnoff, there is a set of switchbacking stairs down toward the Ohanapecosh River, and then the popular suspension bridge. There is a sign at the entrance to the bridge that recommends no more than one person on the bridge at a time. I get the feeling it's not necessarily weight related, but more due to the bouncing effect that walking creates on the walking surface of the bridge. If you're not paying attention, the steps can create a harmonic that can be difficult, or at least unsettling, to walk on. Adding another person's step to that is a recipe for some very awkward walking. The bridge is lined with cables on both sides, so falling off isn't an issue. Upon reaching the grove, the bulk of the trail is on a prepared wooden walkway, much like a wooden deck at a house. It weaves through the trees, and proudly displays Western Red Cedars, Douglas Firs, Western Hemlocks, and Alder trees. Some of the trees are quite tall and thick. Nothing to rival the giant size of the sequoias in California, of course, but very impressive in their own right. There is some seating available at about the halfway point, where you can sit and enjoy a picnic lunch, or just bask in the filtered sunlight of the forest. Bugs weren't too bad, with the occasional bee or fly buzzing past, and no mosquitoes that I observed. Both of my kids, and my wife and I enjoyed the hike for what it was, an easy jaunt out through the forest. I recommend this one as something that you can take your small children and teens on that won't overtax even an out-of-shape adult, or take too much time, if you choose to do it on a whim on your way through to or from the Ohanapecosh or Sunrise areas of the park.

This was a great, easy hike, nearly level, with the actual loop at the end entirely on a boardwalk. There were many informational placards throughout and no bugs to drive us crazy as we stopped to read them. There are some beautiful old trees all along this trail with some really big ones at the end. The suspension bridge is really low on the water, not scary at all by really anyone's measure. We had a squirrel follow us for most of the trail and saw great examples of new growth on downed trees. Overall, this was a fantastic leisurely stroll through the woods. We hiked there from the Ohanapecosh campground and got there around 11 when it was just starting to get busy. There was no parking at all, lots of people circling, and a ton of people on the trail by the time we left just after noon, so get there early.