Toys and Trails Jr.

Hapy Birthday Tahoma!

Happy Birthday! Mt. Rainier National Park is 125 Years Old!
Have a Great Sunday! ~ Scott Eliot Photography

Today, Earth Day, kicks off the first day of National Park Week! National Park Week is a nine-day celebration. Today’s theme for Day 1 is “connection.”

Toys and Trails, Jr. feels especially connected with our Nation’s parks and its many trails. There is a brightness in our lives thanks to the power of the outdoors and the public spaces in which we can connect with communities, stay active, and discover hidden treasures (even in our own backyard). Thank you to our National Park Service for its investment in public awareness, appreciation, use, access, and sustainability of the National Trail System. We value its impact in our everyday lives and our enduring connection with nature!

Love national parks? There's a holiday for that! Join us for , a nine-day celebration of everything "parks."

National Park Week is happening from April 22 to April 30. Entrance fees will be waived on Saturday, April 22, 2023, to kick off the celebration and to encourage everyone to enjoy their national parks in person.

National Park Service parks, programs, and partners will host events and activities all week long! Follow National Park Week on social media and join the fun all week using and .

Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/national-park-week.htm

Graphic reading “Your Park Story. National Park Week”; with park-related images including a ranger hat on several books with one open, Statue of Liberty, sunrise, mountains, historic buildings, rock arch, eagle, and cactus.”

🌍 Wishing you all a beautiful Earth Day! 🌏

The way the Earth has always given us comfort and warmth, it is our time to take care of it with love, respect, and restoration. We are interconnected, and we love that we take time on a specific day to be grateful for our beautiful planet!

Let’s get outside on Earth Day! Enjoy this free printable Earth Day scavenger hunt for the trails:
https://www.kitchencounterchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Earth-Day-Scavenger-Hunt-for-kids.pdf

April 22nd is fee free day where all entrance fees are waived at National Park Service sites across the country, including Mount Rainier National Park!

check it out: https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm

To kick off National Park Week, this Saturday, April 22, is a fee free day! All entrance fees are waived at Mount Rainier National Park and NPS sites across the country. So are you ready for some winter recreation? That’s right, up on the mountain April still means plenty of snow! Follow these tips to make the most of your visit:

- Be prepared to hike on snow and watch for hazards like snow bridges and avalanche terrain. Review safety tips on the Spring Hiking Safety page at https://go.nps.gov/SpringHikingSafety
- Check Twitter for current status of the Longmire-Paradise Road. The road opens daily, but closes at night. Depending on conditions, the road may have a delayed opening.
- Visit the Longmire Museum, 9am-4:30pm, or Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise, 10am-3:15pm, for maps and updates on current conditions.
- Most park roads are still closed for the winter season.

NPS Photo from the Visitor Center we**am at Paradise, 4/18/23. Webcams can be viewed at https://go.nps.gov/MORAwe**ams. ~kl

After a much needed spring break, Toys and Trails, Jr. are back at it! We are excited about International Good Deeds Week!

Good Deeds Day took place on 17 April. Over 100 countries worldwide take part in Good Deeds Day. Comment below 👇 and share with us your weekly good deeds no matter how big or small it is or was! We l😍ve to hear what the community is doing to leave it better than it was found. Our acts of kindness or service and giving your time is truly priceless. One small weekly makes the world a slightly happier place... 🫶🏼

Trek to a grand 120-foot falls for your next pacific paradise hike at Mt. Hood’s Ramona Falls!

Mt. Hood Family-Friendly Hike: Ramona
Falls (7 miles loop/moderate)

Do you have moderately skilled hikers in your family? If you do, this trek is for you! It’s one of the greatest waterfall hikes found around Mt. Hood, with vistas, wildflowers, and, of course, the enormous cascading fan waterfall that stands 120 feet tall. The Ramona Falls Trail is best done in the summer or early fall due to a need to cross the Sandy river by ford or on a log to fully reach the falls. The main access road to the trailhead is also closed Dec 1st to April 1st.

Does the 7 miles loop seem too far? Turn around at the river crossing and you’ll still capture an amazing Mt. Hood view on a clear day and experience a gradual incline that you’ll barely notice. About a mile into the hike, the trail will wind down the riverbank to the Sandy River crossing where you can decide if proceeding further is for you!

There are areas at the falls to have a picnic if you hike the whole 3.5 miles up. The trail is shaded, follows alongside the Ramona Creek, and has tons of green foliage filled with stunted mountain hemlock, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine. You’ll discover carpets of moss, pinemat manzanita, and reindeer lichen. You’ll come across tons of kayakers, fishermen, hikers and runners, families camping, and people ATVing all with an incredible forest backdrop and snow-capped mountains looming in the distance. You could definitely spend more than a day here!

How to Find the Trail: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/recarea/?recid=53600

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: If the river is high or running fast DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS. If you decide the water is low enough for you to safely proceed, look for a log that crosses the water, walking up or downriver if necessary. If you have to forge it, do so carefully and follow tips that are printed onto signs on the trail. Happy Hiking!

We love music 🎵 and we love Mount Rainier! 🏔️ Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the 3rd Annual Rainier Music Festival this summer! Ages 17 and under are FREE!

The 3rd Annual Rainier Music Festival happens August 5th, 2023, at the Ashford Amphitheater, located at the base of Mount Rainier. Attendees can enjoy live music from 12 PM to 10 PM, delicious food from various food trucks, local craft vendors, and a beer garden. Tickets are $40 with advance purchase or $45 at the gate, and children ages 17 and under can attend for free. Come early and stay late to make the most of your visit to Ashford, which offers a range of lodging options a few miles away from the festival grounds.

Also a place for reflection, the Trillium Lake Loop Trail is a relaxed hike perfect for families looking for a day spent outdoors!

Mt. Hood Kid-Friendly Hike: Trillium
Lake Loop Trail (2 miles loop)

Mt. Hood makes an amazing backdrop at Trillium Lake straight from its parking lot! This mostly level trail is great for toddlers to navigate. It is a 2 mile flat, off-road loop that goes around the lake. Bonuses are: it’s accessible for strollers and visitors with limited mobility, fishing is allowed, there is a campground, and there are many picnic tables for day trips. The loop features stunning views of Mt Hood along the way. Birdwatchers will enjoy the opportunity to spot local species. Take a break by sitting on a bench along the way or pack a lunch to eat at the Trillium Lake campground. This path typically opens around Memorial Day Weekend.

Want to still hike the road to the lake in the winter? You can snowshoe or cross country ski down a well-groomed, snowy road to the lake trail in the winter. However, it makes the loop 4 miles total if you do go during these snow-packed months.

How to Find the Trail: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/recarea/?recid=53514

Explore Mt. Hood’s glacial reflection from a backcountry view at Mirror Lake Trail!

Mt. Hood Kid-Friendly Hike: Mirror Lake Trail (3.7 miles round trip)

The majority of this family-friendly route is shaded, winding through secondary forest en route to small, but picturesque Mirror Lake. The trail is a steady uphill hike for about a mile and rated "easy" in most hiking guides. Although, it's still a breathy experience for folks who are not accustomed to uphill hiking or mile-high altitude; so take it easy, rest when you need to, and drink lots of water.

Once arriving up to the lake, the hike includes an optional .5 mile circuit around the small lake consisting of trail and plank sections to equal a total of a 3.7 mile loop. On a clear day, you’ll experience amazing backcountry views of Mount Hood and its reflection! Just one of the many beautiful hikes in the Mount Hood area, Mirror Lake is an excellent choice for little ones because of both the shorter distance and the reward of the mountain and its classic glacial cirque lake views upon its waters.

Is your family comprised of more experienced hikers? If you answered yes, then you can include an even further ascent 1.8 miles up the ridge overlooking the lake for a special treat as it boasts views of Mount Hood, Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens and Mount Jefferson all at the summit. A very spectacular, but challenging addition!

How to Find the Trail: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/recarea/?recid=53430

Attention all nature lovers and park enthusiasts! On March 8th at 6:00 PM PST, we are hosting on Twitter. We'll be discussing Mount Rainier National Park. From amazing women who made historic contributions, to wildlife encounters, stargazing experiences, and more, this chat will cover lots of ground! If you're on Twitter please join us for a fast fun hour of stories and insights about one of the most beautiful parks in the country. https://twitter.com/visitmtrainier

Choose Your Unique Hiking Adventure at the Mount St. Helens Ape Caves!

Mount St Helens Kid-Friendly Hike: Ape Caves (Lower cave 1.5 miles roundtrip)

Known for being the third longest lava tube in North America, the Ape Caves are fascinating! When you arrive, you’ll begin by descending two staircases to the floor of the cave where you’ll meet the junction between the Upper and Lower cave routes and get to choose your adventure.

For a milder route that is kid-friendly, you can explore the Lower Cave. It’s a wide tube with a mostly flat floor that provides a 1.5-mile roundtrip walk (3/4 mile in and 3/4 mile back out the same way you entered).

The Upper Cave is a rugged, 1.5-mile hike through rock piles, ledges, and fascinating formations and is for those more associated with a regular hiker standing. The largest challenge comes about 0.8 mile in. There is a tall lava fall that you will need to climb over. As you near the cave’s exit, you’ll be greeted with a “skylight”, a natural hole in the cave allowing the sun to beam through. Slightly farther down the cave, you’ll come to the metal staircase exit. After you climb out, you’ll enjoy a mild 1.5 mile hike through the forest back to the parking lot. The trail includes blue diamond snow markers to follow.

How to Find the Trail: http://www.mountsthelens.com/ape-caves.html

Happy 124th Birthday Mount Rainier National Park! 🗻

Shared with us by Emerita L Wheeling Photography

🍃Beauty is all around us 🌿

Sequoia national park, California

☯Image Credit for Respective owners.

This family-friendly interpretive trail is so nice you’ll want to hike it twice!

Mount St Helens Kid-Friendly Hike: Trail of Two Forests (.5 mile loop)

The Trail of Two Forests offers a window into two time periods of forestation shaped by nearby Mount Saint Helens. The current forest is obvious – moss, fern, trees, and fighting shrubs that have regrown over lava that covered this land approximately 2,000 years ago. The second forest is ghosts of trees that once stood there. As slow-moving molten lava cooled, it surrounded trees and began to harden. Because of the extreme heat, the trees burned to the ground, leaving hollow trunk-shaped holes in the now firm lava. You can observe the new forest and the old tree molds, which includes an optional crawl through a narrow fifty foot lava tube. Little legs will love it, and it is fully accessible making it a fun stroll for the whole family!

How to Find the Trail: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/trail-of-two-forests -full-description

Pack the snacks and fill your tanks. Let’s explore the South Cascades!

Mount St. Helens Kid-Friendly Hike: Hummocks Trail No. 229 (2.4 miles loop)

This is a fascinating hike past hummocks formed by the 1980 eruption when avalanche debris surged down the north side of Mount St. Helens. The once desolate landscape is now crowded with life - wild flowers, frogs, elk, beaver, and birds all signaling renewal. A relatively flat hike with only 100 feet of elevation gain, this is known as one of the best kid-friendly hikes in the region!

How to Find the Trail: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/hummocks

Walking along the Grove of the Patriarchs Trail is enchanting!

Mount Rainier National Park Kid-Friendly Hike: The Grove of the Patriarchs (1.1 miles round trip)

You’ll be surrounded by bright green color everywhere, all the moss, and of course the massive trees that are grand and centuries old! This short hike is located on the Southeast section of Mount Rainier National Park. The trail meanders along the Ohanapecosh River that takes you to a suspension bridge and to a small island destination. Here you will be surrounded by Douglas-firs, silver fir, hemlock, and Western red cedar trees. Some of the large trees can be 40-50 feet in diameter and over 300 feet tall. It’s a very unique and breathtaking trail that is very flat. Much of it is on a smooth boardwalk which makes it great for all ages to explore in the park!

How to Find The Trail: https://visitrainier.com/grove-of-the-patriarchs-2/

We love everything about this family-friendly hike!

Mount Rainier National Park Kid-Friendly Hike: Silver Falls Loop (approx 3 miles round trip/easy)

Visiting Mount Rainier National Park is such a fun experience! Make a short stop at The Stevens Canyon / Ohanapeckosh area of the park to Silver Falls Loop trail. There is a thermal feature, mossy forest, a narrow bridge across a gorge, a perpetual rainbow at Silver Falls itself. It’s a wonderful hike, particularly in the morning. It’s very interesting with a nice, gradual climb and easy path through the forest. What our kids love about this hike is the log bridge and then climbing on the rocks at the waterfall. Really, this is one of the most gorgeous places in the park that everyone will enjoy!

Keep in mind: Because of Silver Falls’ location, you need to plan a visit into your day, as it’s not near either Paradise or Sunrise, so getting to it needs to be an intentional trip.



How to Find the Trail: https://www.earthtrekkers.com/silver-falls-loop-trail