Grove of the Patriarchs, Ancient forest grove in Mount Rainier National Park, United States
Grove of the Patriarchs is an old-growth forest in Mount Rainier National Park featuring massive Douglas firs, western hemlocks, and red cedars that have reached enormous sizes over centuries. The trees stand on an island in the Ohanapecosh River, creating a sheltered pocket of ancient forest surrounded by water.
These trees have grown for over 1,000 years, protected from wildfires and other damage by their isolated location on a river island. The remote setting allowed this forest to survive intact while other old-growth forests in the region were altered by fire and human activity.
The grove holds meaning for Native peoples of the region who recognized these trees as living witnesses to the land's long history. Walking through, visitors experience one of the few places where the forest has remained largely untouched by human intervention.
A short loop trail of roughly 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) takes visitors through the grove and crosses a suspension bridge over the river. The walk is easy and takes about one hour, making it accessible to most visitors of varying fitness levels.
The tree rings in these giants can show more than 1000 years of growth, a visible record that speaks to the patience required to reach such size. Examining cross-sections reveals decades of drought and abundant rain seasons encoded in the wood.
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