Best Mount Rainier National Park Short Family Hikes

Our family recently visited Mount Rainier National Park and it is gorgeous, though I still think Glacier NP is my favorite.  We did some longer hikes, but there are many Mount Rainier National Park short family hikes for those who are not up for a longer hike.  

Mount Rainier National Park Short Family Hikes

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If you are planning a summer trip to Mount Rainier, it is worth noting that the best time to visit to ensure that you are able to do all the hikes you plan without snow interfering would be mid-July til the end of summer. I would also consider visiting mid-week, as it is generally less crowded.

Be prepared to potentially wait in line to enter the park. Wait times at the Nisqually and White River Entrances can be over an hour on the very busiest summer weekends and holidays. The NPS recommends entering the park before 10:00 am or after 2:30 pm to help avoid delays when visitation is heavy. With that being said, here’s a list of the shorter hikes we did, some are not really even a “hike.”

Grove of the Patriarchs

NOTE: Unfortunately, this is no longer open since the bridge washed away in November 2021. This is an easy 1.5 mile loop trail just west of the Stevens Canyon Entrance.  The highlights are the suspension bridge across the Ohanapecosh River and the huge, old trees highlighted on the boardwalk trail after you cross the bridge.

There are bathrooms near the parking lot at the trailhead.  The lot seems to fill up as the day goes on, we got there quite early and pretty much had the whole trail to ourselves.  “Hank” spotted a 3 inch slug along the trail which was a fun find, so keep your eyes peeled for fun creatures along the trail.

Myrtle Falls

This is an easy hike from the Paradise Visitor’s Center, about a mile total.  We did this hike on July 5th, 2017 and about half the trail was still snow covered so it was more difficult than it would have been if the snow was all melted.  I also think the hike would be prettier if the snow was gone, but it was still a nice hike.

I would definitely recommend shoes with good grip and hiking poles if there is still snow on the trail.  The steps down to the viewing area were clear and the rangers were working on putting up the guard rails on the bridge that crosses above the falls while we were there.  There were a lot of marmots around the falls area that were fun to watch.

Narada Falls

This is a .2 mile hike down and back up.  While it is really short, the trail is somewhat steep so it does require some exertion.  There is a parking lot at the top of the falls and you cross a bridge over the falls and then down to a viewing area by the falls.  It’s worth a stop if you have time.

Hot Springs Nature Trail

This is an easy .4 mile hike right by the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center. Unless we missed something, there were really no pretty hot spring pools to see and we didn’t feel it was a worthwhile stop.  The trail was pretty and had signs identifying different flora in the area, but we were expecting more so it was a bit disappointing.  The Ohanapecosh Visitor Center was kind of fun, they had taxidermy animals of the area to view, which was neat and educational.

The park is beautiful to just drive through and stop at the Visitor Centers.  Even if you choose not to get out and hike, it is a worthwhile destination but you will certainly appreciate the beauty of the park more if you get out and explore a bit. For some longer family day hikes in Mount Rainier, visit our post on Mount Rainier National Park – Family Day Hikes.

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