Trail #2 Summit Prairie
This is a multi-use trail.
Starting at the Forest Road 90, the 9 mile Summit Prairie Trail begins with a steep climb for 2 miles before crossing Road 9075 near the west end of Quartz Creek Butte Trail 5B. From this point, the trail continues north in a series of switchbacks to the crest of Quartz Creek Ridge. As you traverse the ridge top, meadows reward you with views into the expansive tree-lined valleys of Quartz and French Creeks. The horizon holds snowcapped volcanoes and high open ridges of the Dark Divide.
Before reaching the junction with the Boundary Trail #1, you will pass by remains of the Summit Prairie fire lookout built in 1929-1930. The lookout was abandoned in the 1960s, but if you use your imagination you can visualize what it must have been like to be a fireguard at this remote location. As you near the junction with the Boundary Trail, a small prairie opens where domestic sheep herds and Forest Service pack stock once grazed in the summer months.
At a Glance
Current Conditions: | 11/06/2023: Trail received snow. For information contact Mt. Adams Ranger Station 509-395-3402 |
---|---|
Closest Towns: | Trout Lake, WA |
Water: | Treat all non potable water before consuming. |
Operated By: | Forest Service |
Information Center: | Mount Adams Ranger District |
General Information
Directions:From Cougar, WA travel east on Forest Road 90 for about 41 miles. The access point is about a mile west of the Forest Road 88 intersection with Forest Road 90.
Trail can be accessed from Forest Road 90 or Boundary Trail #1.