It was a rainy day, so all the top of Mt Rainier was in clouds but we still wanted to go for a walk. Very quick, got to see a bunch of old trees which was really neat. All the elevation in a small 3 minute section, but unless stairs generally bother you, it will be a nice quick spot that actually benefits from the drizzle atmosphere. 

Arriving back on the Nisqually side of the park in the afternoon, I took some time to explore a few short trails below the Longmire gate.

The pullout was plowed at the trailhead and a tour van was just beginning the trail so I drove up to Longmire to use the bathroom and when I returned they were getting back into the van. Yay, the trail to myself!

The path was compact snow with the occasional punched through boot and I took it counterclockwise through the giant firs and cedars, climbing its 70 feet in gain.  There was a stream to cross at the top with a snow covered log bridge, it was slick and sloppy piled with snow so I opted to slide down a bit and just cross the stream itself which was shallow.

The trail dropped down, crossing a few wider foot bridges over streams and plopping me out near the road.  Even with the snow, you could still count rings in the cut downed trees and marvel at nurse logs.

From here there the tracks diverged, some stayed in the woods and some just took a few steps down to the parking lot like I did.  There was a stone marker at the trailhead that had seen better days, hopefully it will be fixed soon.

We've driven past this coming in and out of Longmire and Paradise dozens of times. Decided to finally stop for it since we finished our day hike a bit early. What a great little trail! I doubt you'll find a more enjoyable 1/2 mile trail anywhere. The trees are incredible--some of the biggest Douglas firs I've seen anywhere. There's even one twin tree that is two different species--a Douglas fir and cedar.

From previous reports it looks like there was some blowdown on the trail. That is all removed now--the trail is a clear path the whole way.

Fallen trees have been cleared from the trail. There were a couple spots with overgrown foliage, but overall the trail is in good condition. Note there are some narrow plank bridges you have to cross. The trail is to your left as you go past the trailhead sign. No problem finding parking on a Saturday afternoon. Bring bug spray!

We hiked this trail with two children, ages 7 and 5. It is a beautiful, short trail with huge trees and you can smell the green. There are multiple large trees down blocking the trail, but if you are limber, you can crawl under or climb over them. In one place, it looks as though the trail may go straight after you crawl under a few trees back to back, but you will need to crawl under one slightly to the left, as the trail branches off that way going down. (The photo with two adults is the trail as it continues down, after crawling under a few fallen trees.)