#10 of 61 sights in Mount Rainier
Sight · Mount Rainier National Park
Old-growth conifers on a small island in the Ohanapecosh River
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The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Rainier Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Mount Rainier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Mount Rainier audio tourRecorded for this area
Laughingwater Creek: A Full Day to Three Lakes“You're coming up on Laughingwater Creek trailhead, where the hike to Three Lakes starts across the highway from the parking area.”
Plays on the road 0.9 mi from Grove of the Patriarchs in the Parkwolf Mount Rainier Tour Guide.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
The Grove of the Patriarchs is an old-growth forest on a small island in the Ohanapecosh River, just inside Stevens Canyon Entrance. Towering Douglas-firs and western red cedars are the draw, with silver firs, hemlocks and lush understory filling the spaces between them.
The former route started at the Grove of the Patriarchs Trailhead, followed the river and crossed a suspension footbridge to the island. A short loop wound over boardwalk and dirt past the largest trees, with self-guided waysides along the way.
Some Ohanapecosh Douglas-firs and western red cedars are hundreds of years old, and a few may be about a thousand. The area's relatively low elevation means snow rarely piles up for long, helping trees grow tall above a rich green understory. Look for silver fir and hemlock among the better-known cedars and Douglas-firs.
The trailhead is on Stevens Canyon Road, just inside Stevens Canyon Entrance. Auto parking and flush toilets are available at the trailhead, normally during the May-to-October season. No potable-water source is listed for this trailhead, so carry what you need. When the route is open, frame a fallen trunk against the standing trees from the boardwalk to show their scale.
Wildlife
466 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
383 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
58 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
574 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,853 sightingsHoary MarmotMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Mount Rainier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyGrove of the Patriarchs Trail1.1 mi · 1 hr · 0.4 mi awayAn easy island loop under some of Mount Rainier’s biggest trees.
ModerateEastside Trail to Ohanapecosh Falls7.4 mi · 4 hr · 0.4 mi awayA forest walk to a nearly 70-foot, two-tier waterfall.
ModerateCowlitz Divide Trail8.5 mi · 5 hr · 0.7 mi awayAn old-growth creek walk ends at a backcountry junction.
ChallengingLaughingwater Creek Trail12 mi · 6 hr · 0.9 mi awayA steady forest climb to backcountry lakes and an old patrol cabin.
ModerateSilver Falls Loop Trail2.7 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.9 mi awayAn old-growth river loop to a 75-foot waterfall.
EasyHot Springs Nature Trail0.6 mi · 30 min · 2 mi awayA shaded walk to bubbling springs and an old resort site.
ChallengingShriner Peak Trail8 mi · 6 hr · 2.6 mi awayA tough, exposed climb to a historic lookout and wide views.
ChallengingIndian Bar Trail14.5 mi · 11 hr · 3.8 mi awayA hard ridge crossing opens into a waterfall-filled alpine basin.
Entrance station · 0.6 mi awayStevens Canyon EntranceGet a map before setting out on the cross-park road.Sight · 0.8 mi awaySilver FallsA 60-foot drop and a footbridge in an old-growth gorge.
Campground · 2 mi awayOhanapecosh CampgroundOld-growth shade, river access, and hikes right from camp.
Visitor center · 2 mi awayOhanapecosh Visitor CenterTrail advice and deep local history under old-growth trees.
Picnic area · 2 mi awayOhanapecosh Picnic AreaEight tables and grills in the old-growth Ohanapecosh forest.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayOhanapecosh FallsTwo drops, a footbridge, and a long walk into the forest.
Sight · 3.3 mi awaySR 123 South Entrance ArchA cedar-log gateway added decades after the road opened.
Sight · 3.6 mi awayShriner Peak Fire LookoutA 1932 lookout caps a steep hike to Rainier’s southeast panorama.Parkwolf’s Mount Rainier ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
