Mt Adams Washington Hike Guide
Mount Adams is the 2nd highest mountain in Washington behind 14er Mt Rainier. Although most people attempt Mt Adams in multiple days, it can absolutely be done in one very long day. This is a popular mountain to ski or board down since, when timed right, one could ride over 7,000ft of continuous snow from the summit to the upper trailhead (or further). Mt Adams does require some fairly basic mountaineering skills in order to summit but no navigation of crevasses.
Mt Adams Washington Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Mt Adams Washington In A Day
Mt Adams Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Distance: 12+ Miles RT (12 from Upper TH)
Elevation Start: 5,227ft / 5,555ft (Upper TH)
Summit: 12,280ft
Total Elevation Gain: 7,200ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 12 Hours – Multiple Days
Difficulty: Strenuous (depending on snow levels) What does this mean?
Class: Class 2– What does this mean?
Season: Year round (This route generally melts out sometime in July)
Avalanche Risk: Mt Adams presents some avalanche risk, even in spring months. This route is generally safe until you reach the climb up Pikers Peak which is chalk full of avi terrain. Due to the complicated nature of the terrain, please understand the conditions and risks before heading out.
Snow Climb Grade: 35-40 degrees on average at its steepest.
Directions to Mt Adams Washington
Trailhead: Cold Springs Campground
Getting Here: Enter Cold Springs campground into your navigational device. During Spring and Winter months, you may have to park several miles below the actual trailhead. There are several spots to pull a handful of vehicles off the road and the Morrison Creek campground which is a larger area to park. I had absolutely no issues getting a rental AWD vehicle to and from the trailhead.
Parking: If/when you are able to reach the upper trailhead (at the campground),there is plenty of parking. However, if you plan on tackling this with snow, parking can be tricky. There are several areas to pull off from the forest road and park a handful of vehicles. There are two restrooms at the upper trailhead.
Fees: $20 climbing permit (good for 3 days), purchase here.
Summary
Camping: When the campground is open, that is the obvious spot to camp. However, there are several other options to camp for Mt Adams. The forest road leading to the trailhead has several spots to car camp which would be your best option when the road is still snow covered. If you do plan on turning Mt Adams into a multi day outing, there are a handful of spots to camp near the Lunch counter in addition to spots lower on the mountain as well.
Dogs: I can’t really speak to bringing dogs up Mt Adams. With snow, I would absolutely NOT bring a dog up here. The slopes are too steep. However, when the snow melts – I am not sure. Someone drop a comment if you have any feelings about bringing a dog here during the dryer months.
Make it a Loop: Mt Adams is an out and back hike. If there is a variation to be had, one could summit and then ski/ride down the South chutes and then link back up to the standard trail.
Hike X Factor: Elevation Gain
7,000+ feet of climbing in a day is absolutely no joke. Mt Adams is basically one big climb with very few spots that are flat. In my opinion, the hardest bit of climbing was getting up to Pikers Peak. This slope went.on.forever. Typically, the mountains tend to play games with your eyes and look larger than they actually are. This is not the case with the climb up Pikers, it’s massive.
Hike Tip(s): Check The Weather Often & Have a GPS
Mt Adams is notorious for bad weather, especially high winds. When planning your trip, check the weather, even under 24 hours prior to your starting time. The week of my hike, the weather seemed to change almost every day and this is NOT a mountain you want to be battling the elements on. Once you leave the treeline, very early on in the hike, there is nowhere to bail if the weather gets bad.
This second tip applies to when climbing with snow, but really all year. Have a gpx line to follow. I usually have a fairly good sense of direction but I was frequently checking my phone and watch to make sure that I was on route on both the way up and riding down Pikers on the way down. There is a lot of complex terrain on Mt Adams and going down or up even slightly the wrong way could make your day even more difficult than it already will be.
Best Views: Once you leave the treeline, the views on Mt Adams are basically the same thing (Mount Saint Helens and Mt Hood) all the way to the top. From the summit, the views of Mt Rainer are SPECTACULAR and if you are lucky, you should be able to see all of the other volcanoes in Oregon and Washington. I was not lucky.
Gear Needed
- 14er Day Hike Packing List
- Winter Backpack
- Hiking/SkiPoles
- Headlamp
- Climbing Helmet
- Mountain Axe – Petzl EVO
- Mountain Axe – Black Diamond Raven – Great for Beginners
- Crampons
- Crampon Bag
- Snowboard Boots: Deeluxe Spark – No link, can be hard to find.
- Snowboard Boot Crampons
- La Sportiva Mountaineering Boots
- Snowpants
- Gloves
- Microspikes
- Gaiters
- Optional: Avalanche Gear: Beacon, Probe, Shovel
- Optional: Snowshoes
- Optional: Skis or Splitboard
- Optional: Goggles
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, Selfie Stick, GoPro 360, Drone, Insta360
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
