Hiking Guide
WTA's hiking guide is the most comprehensive database of hikes in Washington, and comprises content written by local hiking experts and user submitted information. All data is vetted by WTA staff. This resource is made possible by the donations of WTA members.
We respectfully acknowledge the lands we are visiting are the homelands of Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest, some of whom have reserved rights on these lands. Tribes continue to rely on and share in the management of these lands today. Please tread gently and treat these places with respect.
Results List
64 HikesSouth Cascades > Mount Adams Area
2.9 miles, one-way
Gain: 1,000 feet
Highest Point: 4,600 feet
Rating:
Gotchen Creek Trail is a 2.9-mile, high-elevation, single-track in the middle of Gotchen Meadow, south of Mount Adams and the Mount Adams Wilderness. This trail intersects with Cold Springs Trail (#72) and Morrison Creek Trail (#39) and crosses Hole-in-the-Ground Creek.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
11.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,710 feet
Rating:
This forested trail leads to a fine campsite primed for exploring the base of Mount Adams.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
8.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 350 feet
Highest Point: 1,500 feet
Rating:
Low-lying with impressive trees bordering each side of it, this trail is a nice option year-round. The Doug-fir bigleaf maple, and hemlock forest canopy in this narrow valley shades hikers in the heat of summer, and in winter the elevation means it's unlikely to have heavy snow to navigate. And since it's a former railroad grade, the trail is easy enough for hikers of all types.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 800 feet
Highest Point: 6,500 feet
Rating:
Bird Creek Meadows is a short crowd pleaser of a hike. Known for its abundant wildflower meadows, views of Mount Adams and the Hellroaring Canyon, and little creeks, lakes and waterfalls, this trail provides a nice 3-mile loop for hikers.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
3.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 219 feet
Highest Point: 1,905 feet
Rating:
The Willard Springs Trail is a loop along the edge of the Conboy Lake marsh and through the pine forest. Beginning at the refuge headquarters, the trail parallels the west shore of the old Conboy Lake lakebed, with views across the lakebed and north to the 12,000-foot Mt. Adams from the Observation Platform, then returns through the forest.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
12.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,700 feet
Highest Point: 6,100 feet
Rating:
Burnt Rock is a scenic, fire-scarred outcrop near the Pacific Crest Trail on the west side of Mount Adams. The best way to approach Burnt Rock is via Divide Camp Trail. This route offers the easiest climb to the PCT, after which point the hike becomes a nearly level promenade of vistas, wildflowers, and cascades.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
0.6 miles, one-way
Gain: 85 feet
Highest Point: 4,285 feet
Rating:
Use the Pacific Crest Trail as an alternate approach to the Indian Racetrack via the Shortcut Trail.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,000 feet
Highest Point: 4,780 feet
Rating:
This heavily-used trail passes numerous lakes and meadows and is an excellent foray into the Indian Heaven Wilderness. Hikers will find amble opportunities for a lakeside lunch spot.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
5.7 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 960 feet
Highest Point: 5,193 feet
Rating:
View the South Cascades peaks in all directions from this loop hike across a craggy summit of Indian Heaven's spine.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
Gain: 787 feet
Highest Point: 5,387 feet
Rating:
Potato Hill is a summit just off from the Pacific Crest Trail in the Mount Adams Area. There is no trail to the summit, and the top marks the boundary to the Yakama Reservation.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
7.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,235 feet
Highest Point: 5,107 feet
Rating:
Hike a 7.5-mile loop from Horseshoe Lake Campground with a side trip to views of South Cascade peaks from the summit of Green Mountain.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
6.8 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2,600 feet
Highest Point: 8,300 feet
Rating:
Hike through beautiful woods, subalpine meadows and glacial moraines to the Hellroaring Viewpoint. The trail then becomes poorly defined up to Sunrise Camp.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
11.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,600 feet
Highest Point: 5,250 feet
Rating:
Just a half mile off the Lemei Lake Trail is a gorgeous blue lake nestled in an old volcanic crater. Surrounded by trees, this is a sheltered refuge perfect for an overnight in Indian Heaven.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
6.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,660 feet
Highest Point: 4,968 feet
Rating:
Near the famous Indian Racetrack in the Indian Heaven Wilderness, Red Mountain Lookout makes an excellent addition to any outing here. Hike there, or make it a quick stop from the road -- either way, it's a must-see.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
12.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 6,700 feet
Highest Point: 12,276 feet
Rating:
The South Climb (or Lunch Counter Approach) of Mount Adams is the one that requires the least amount of technical expertise. However, ice axes, trekking poles, and crampons or microspikes (depending on the season) are required to summit. Hikers who put this investment in will be rewarded with stunning views on a clear day, as well as the satisfaction of having made it up one of Washington's five volcanoes.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
2.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,400 feet
Highest Point: 4,900 feet
Rating:
A beautiful rocky outcropping provides eye-popping views of Mount Adams.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
1.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 197 feet
Highest Point: 4,133 feet
Rating:
This short trail skirts along the northern edge of Steamboat Lake.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
0.85 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 186 feet
Highest Point: 3,152 feet
Rating:
The Ice Cave and Natural Bridges are two short nature trails near the Peterson Prairie Campground in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest that are fascinating to children and not as well known as they deserve to be. This is also a popular area to cross country ski and snowshoe in winter.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 825 feet
Highest Point: 825 feet
Rating:
This hike is a nice, long road walk leading to a trail, a good alternate to the Klickitat Rail Trail for a change of scenery.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 223 feet
Highest Point: 1,905 feet
Rating:
Conboy Lake is now more of a marsh than a lake but it is home to a variety of wildlife. The habitat consists of oak, pine, and aspen forests, wetlands and grassy prairies.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
1.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 150 feet
Highest Point: 5,373 feet
Rating:
A hike near Mount Adams.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
3.4 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
A hike near Mount Adams.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
4.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,000 feet
Highest Point: 4,177 feet
Rating:
Like its neighbor, the nearby Monte Carlo trail, the 4.1 mile-long Monte Cristo trail ventures into the small Monte Cristo range in the south Cascades between Willard and Trout Lake. From it, hikers see a myriad of wildflowers in the spring, and the occasional views of the south Cascade range.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
9.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,700 feet
Highest Point: 5,900 feet
Rating:
Stagman Ridge is a long spine reaching out southwest from Mount Adams, and the hike through the pleasing forest is never overly steep.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 770 feet
Highest Point: 1,090 feet
Rating:
A short, family-friendly loop that can be done all year round. You'll meander through douglas fir, western redcedar, bigleaf maple, and other deciduous trees, along a creek, and end at a lovely waterfall, perfect for picnicking.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
5.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,400 feet
Highest Point: 6,100 feet
Rating:
This trail ascends the south slopes of Mount Adams through dry lodgepole pine forest and crosses Crofton Creek before ending at the Round the Mountain Trail at treeline.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
0.9 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 feet
Highest Point: 3,620 feet
Rating:
This primitive trail can be difficult to follow as it wanders across a broad forested bench in the heart of the Trapper Creek Wilderness.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2,280 feet
Highest Point: 5,800 feet
Rating:
This route is the perfect gateway to Mount Adams spectacular high country on its less-visited western side. It climbs through dense forests, past a small lake, then across Riley Meadows (great campsites!) before joining the PCT. From there you can continue on to Sheep Lake or head off-trail to check out Crystal Lake at the edge of the tree line.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
5.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 500 feet
Highest Point: 4,900 feet
Rating:
Mount Adams, at 12,276 feet, dominates the South Cascades and provides the most dramatic scenery of the region. The mountain is a standout destination also for the massive basalt lava beds that cover large portions of the surrounding landscape. This relatively young volcano initially formed nearly a million years ago, about 3 miles southeast of its current location. That first cone was ground down by glaciers during the long succession of ice ages that swept the region, while the "hot spot" that gave birth to the mountain shifted northwest as plate tectonics and continental drift rearranged the landscape.
South Cascades > Mount Adams Area
22.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1,550 feet
Highest Point: 7,750 feet
Rating:
Climb the north side of the mountain to spectacular alpine tundra and panoramic views on Devil's Garden, situated on a high plateau below the heavily-crevassed Lava and Lyman Glaciers, then head down to Avalanche Valley below the rugged and remote northeast side of the mountain. You'll make two challenging stream crossings before reaching Devil's Garden.