Jumbo Peak

Jumbo Peak's wide, grassy slopes and seemingly endless trailside views make hikers feel like they're trekking through a storybook landscape. With huge extinct and active volcanoes on the horizon and an unbelievable bounty of flowers in the spring and huckleberries in the fall, Jumbo lives up to its name--stunning surroundings on a grand scale.

Starting from the Sunrise Peak trailhead, head southwest on the rough trail. It's a short but steep slope for about three-quarters of a mile to a lovely viewpoint featuring Mount Adams to the south, and ahead of you, Jumbo Peak's jauntily placed summit block slopes away to the northwest.

Continue along the trail--now quite a bit flatter than what you just ascended--wending your way around Sunrise Peak's flanks to a junction one mile from the trailhead. Your route lies straight ahead, though the trail heading up to Sunrise Peak is a worthy diversion if you have the time. If you do, it's two miles round trip, including a bit of scrambling to achieve the very top.

If you elect to head straight to Jumbo, proceed along the trail in front of you, gently descending for 0.3 miles to another T junction. Turn left here, the right hand trail is the multi-use access to Sunrise Peak.

Continue your gentle descent to where the trail flattens out in a hanging valley. If you're doing an overnight, this is an excellent spot for dispersed campsites, but take note that there is unlikely to be any water here.

Hike through the flat section and begin climbing yet again, now on the flanks of Jumbo Peak. The trail is moderately to steeply graded, but views northeast to Rainier and Sunrise Peak keep you distracted and there are plenty of photo opportunities.

Round Jumbo's northern flank and continue to a saddle with in-your-face views of Mount Adams. From the saddle, the trail begins yet another climb to a false summit, but don't lose heart! Once at the false summit you'll have your first breathtaking views that will stick with you to your lunch spot. Now it's a relatively flat meadow walk through unbelievable vistas in every direction. In spring, beargrass, paintbrush, and phlox dot the meadows and in fall, you'll have more than enough huckleberries to fuel your hike.

This route doesn't actually go to the summit of Jumbo, but rather circumnavigates it. Head around the west side of the mountain, enjoying views of St. Helens along the way. The trail here becomes quite narrow in places. Remember that this is a multi-use trail, and in the Dark Divide, that includes motorized vehicles, so be aware of the possibility that you may meet oncoming trail users and observe good trail etiquette.

Soon you'll arrive at an open meadow with rocks--great for sitting and snacking while enjoying the views all around you. Adams, St. Helens, and the Goat Rocks are visible here, as well as Dark Meadow and Holdaway Butte nearby.

WTA Pro Tip: Jumbo Peak can also be accessed from Dark Meadow or other feeder trails. Consider including it in a long traverse of several trails in this area and enjoy ever-changing vantage points of this incredible area.