Parking
Use the signed roadside Twin Firs Trailhead pullout, about 2 miles west of Longmire between the Nisqually Entrance and Longmire. Trailhead parking can fill; the park does not permit overflow parking.
Overview
About Twin Firs Loop Trail
Why go
- Stand among lowland old-growth conifers on a genuinely short loop.
Heads up
- A steep, rooted patch and narrow log bridge make it rougher than the distance suggests.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Mount Rainier map
Full mapElevation2,464–2,552 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active Mount Rainier alerts
- ClosureWildfire closures in the northern parkGrand Park 2 and Wonderland Complex fire closures affect trails, backcountry camps, and Sunrise access; stay out of closed areas.Official details
- ClosureSR 165 bridge closed: no public access to Carbon River or Mowich LakeThe SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge is closed to vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians; there is no public access or alternate route to Carbon River or Mowich Lake.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Rainier Tour Guide
Your drive to Twin Firs Loop Trail, narrated.
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 trailhead
Twin Firs: A Short Walk Among Old Trees0:00 / 0:26
“You're coming up on Twin Firs trailhead, where a four-tenths-of-a-mile loop takes you among old Douglas-firs, hemlocks and cedars.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Mount Rainier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Why Iron Mike Runs Rusty
- Kautz Creek: A Short Walk Through a Flood-Shaped Valley
- Longmire: A Museum, Mineral Springs and a Meal
- Fay Fuller’s Mountain Murmurs
- 77 audio storiesacross Mount Rainier’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Wolverine, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 99 trails, 87 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Twin Firs Loop Trail
A quick old-growth loopThe Twin Firs Loop Trail is a 0.
The Twin Firs Loop Trail is a 0.4-mile circuit through lowland old-growth forest, two miles west of Longmire. Allow about 20 to 30 minutes. Come for the big conifers and a short forest walk, not a mountain view or a long outing. If you want another easy forest stroll nearby, the separate Trail of the Shadows loop starts in Longmire.
Roots and a short climbThe dirt tread is softened by forest litter and crossed by large roots.
The dirt tread is softened by forest litter and crossed by large roots. One section climbs steeply up a hillside, then the route crosses a creek on a narrow log footbridge before descending toward the trailhead. Take that uneven stretch slowly, especially when snow covers the trail.
The trees behind the nameThe original twin firs that gave the walk its name are gone, but the loop still passes large…
The original twin firs that gave the walk its name are gone, but the loop still passes large Douglas-firs, western hemlocks, and western red cedars. Fallen trunks and root balls make room for seedlings and ferns. Western trillium, vanilla leaf, and bunchberry bloom in summer; vine maples add orange-red color in fall.
AccessStart at the signed roadside Twin Firs Trailhead pullout, between the Nisqually Entrance and…
Start at the signed roadside Twin Firs Trailhead pullout, between the Nisqually Entrance and Longmire. The trailhead is about two miles west of Longmire. Parking can fill, and the park does not allow overflow parking. There is no toilet at this trailhead, and pets are not allowed on park trails. Snow can cover the route in winter.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Mount Rainier
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.
