Season: Year-Round

Twin Firs Loop Trail is a 0.4 mi/0.6 km trail that explores a small piece of the park’s old-growth forest. The original “twin firs” that gave the trail its name no longer exist, but look for the “big three” conifer species of the forest: Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar. Forest wildflowers like western trillium, vanilla leaf, and bunchberry bloom along the trail during summer. In fall, the orange-red foliage of vine maples creates pops of color among the tall conifer trees. While short, a section of the trail is steep, climbing up a hillside before crossing a creek on a narrow log footbridge and descending back to the trailhead. The trail is dirt, softened by forest duff or debris, and often broken by large tree roots. In winter the trail can be snow-covered. Pair this hike with the Trail of the Shadows in Longmire to further experience Mount Rainier’s low elevation forests.