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Twin Ferns Forest Trail
10:15 a.m.
The Twin Ferns Forest Trail is an easy .4 mile loop through
the forest on the north side of the road, not too far from
the entrance station. There is a small turn out, but otherwise
the trail is not marked until you are actually into the forest
just a bit, then there is a small metal sign naming the trail
and giving the distance.
The trail is soft and bouncy in places, do to the years of
fallen plant debris. You'll find a variety of old growth trees,
some of immense size, lots of ferns and fungi, Dogwood and
Devil's Claw, and any number of smaller damp forest plants.
We were amazed at how dark it can get deep in the tall forest,
even on a clear, sunny morning.
We wandered around examining the huge plants, wondering over
the stature and girth of some of the pines, listening to the
sounds of water tricking along the small streams, and enjoying
the enchanted nature around us. It's a very pleasant walk
and a great introduction to the local vegetation.
We were pleasantly surprised by the lack of insects flying
around. I had really expected to be fighting mosquitoes and
flies and other nasty bugs. The only insects that we saw were
black beetles making their way across the trail.
Longmire Museum
There is quite a bit of parking near the Longmire Museum, but even on the off season we had to look to find a spot. I would imagine that during the heavy tourist months this could be a very congested area.
There are a number of interesting historic buildings in this area of the Park, including the stone Longmire Administration Building, the museum, and an old gas station. The museum is staffed by a ranger who can provide trail maps of the area and other necessary information. It looked like there is a lodge here as well.
We toured the museum, and poked around the old gas station some, and hiked the Trail of the Shadows.
Trail of the Shadows
This is an easy .75 mile loop trail that skirts a marshy area, several hot springs, including the interesting stone works that remain from the baths, an historical cabin in the woods, and then passes through the forest. It's a pleasant walk with interpretive signs that describe the human as well as the natural history of the area. We spotted several slugs, a Douglas Squirrel, several varieties of birds, and lots of large trees. One of the things that fascinated us on this walk were the many relatively young trees that were growing from within the trunks of fallen trees. The fallen trees are called parent trees for obvious reasons. Of course everything here is covered by one type of moss or another, and once again, we were surprised by the lack of insects.
Christine Falls
12:08 p.m.
This was just a quick stop to view the falls as they poured down a rocky canyon and under the rustic stone auto bridge, and then cascaded down the canyon. It's a very pretty setting well worth at least a quick visit.
Narada Falls
Again, this was a quick stop to view another cascading waterfall. You can peer down from the parking area, or cross the stone bridge and hike the short but steep trail down to an observation area closer to the bottom of the falls.
Paradise
2:00 p.m.
Paradise seems to be the hub for the southwestern part of the park, with huge parking areas that apparently fill in quickly during the peak of the tourist season. The Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center has a museum depicting the history of the surrounding area, rest rooms, food service, gift shops, and rangers who can provide you with whatever information you need. It is a very interesting building, with ramps leading up to an enclosed observation level with views of the glaciers and the Tatoosh Range to the south. There is also lodging nearby at Paradise Inn. This is a congested area, with lots of activity, so be prepared.
We stopped at the Paradise Picnic Area and had lunch. This is a large area that can accommodate a good number of picnickers. The tables are situated close to parking areas for easy access, but most seem to have great views of the Tatoosh Range and the surrounding forests. There is also drinking water and rest rooms with modern flush toilets. Because we went in the off season, and ate a little later in the afternoon than normal, we had the picnic area almost to ourselves. While we ate we were visited by several Blue Jays and a cluster of Clark's Nutcrackers.
Nisqually Vista Trail
Just to the north of the Visitor Center is the trailhead for several trails, including the Nisqually Vista Nature Trail. This is an easy 1.25 mile paved loop trail with some ups and downs and interpretive signs. The trail winds through the forest and provides scenic overlooks to the Nisqually Glacier and the Nisqually River, which originates at the Glacier's base. The roar from the escaping water, as is cascades over the boulder fields below, is quite amazing. As you might expect, the views are spectacular. At this point in the day the sky was clouding over, and the very top of the peak was covered. But we could see a great deal of Nisqually and spent some time identifying the glacial features of the area.
This is a popular trail, because of the views and easy access, so be prepared to share your experience with strangers.
Box Canyon of the Cowlitz
4:30 p.m.
The Box Canyon of the Cowlitz is a fun area. There is a parking lot for easy access, and a paved trail that passes along the gorge. The Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz river has cut a narrow, deep channel through the basalt and you can observe its churning, roaring activity from a foot bridge high above. The vegetation in this area was displaying its fall colors, and against the dark stone and white water made for some interesting photographs.
Back near the parking area you can walk across the stone auto bridge and observe the slot canyon from a different angle.
Sunrise Visitor Center
5:45 p.m.
After we finished touring the Paradise area we didn't have much time left in our day. We did want to get up to the Sunrise Visitor Center before we left the Park, so we drove the rest of the way without stopping, passing by, we're quite sure, other interesting areas. The Park is just too large and too interesting to visit in just one day. But sometimes that's all you've got.
The drive through the Park is interesting in itself. There are great views of the forest, the peaks, the streams, and the bridges. After we passed the Stevens Canyon Entrance (the southeast entrance to the Park) we headed north on Highway 123 to its junction with Highway 410. Somewhere along in there we came across a crew of fire fighters doing some mop up work after a local fire. We could still smell the smoke and ash in the air. And there are places along this road where the trees are so tall that you feel like you are driving at the bottom of a deep canyon.
By the time we made it up the mountain to the Sunrise Visitor Center the clouds had completely covered the peak and the glaciers. It was misty and gloomy and vacated. The large parking lot had maybe three cars in it, and the Sunrise Visitor Center was closed for the day. The immediate area is surrounded by tall trees, so we tried to find a trail to a lookout, but everything seemed too far for that late time of the day. We were starting to drag a bit, the clouds looked threatening, and so we called it a day and headed back down the road, then to the north and west to our evening's destination in Tumwater. |
