Mountain Climbing

Mountain Climbing Areas

• Mount St. Helens Area

  Visit Mount St. Helens from any direction! View areas below for current information.

  • Mount St. Helens West

    

    From I-5, drive into the heart of the blast zone. Spectacular crater views, visitor centers, picnic areas and hikes await. Learn what's open along State Route 504!

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  • Mount St. Helens East

    

    This summer and fall route offers views of the crater and Spirit Lake, interpretive sites, and easy or rugged hiking. 

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  • Mount St. Helens South

    

    Lava flows, waterfalls, caves, and lush forest abound. Plenty of year-round recreation options.

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  • Mount Margaret Backcountry

    

    Rugged, steep trails and amazing landscapes typify the Mt. Margaret Backcountry. Permits required for overnight camping.

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• Sno-Park: Marble Mountain
• Mount St. Helens Summit

  Mount St. Helens is an active volcano and the central feature of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. The mountain is a popular climb for both beginning and experienced mountaineers. Although people are able to climb Mount St. Helens year-round, late spring through early fall is the most popular season. Most climbers use the Monitor Ridge Route from Climbers Bivouac. A climbing permit is required year-round. 

  This route gains 4,500 feet in five miles to the crater rim at 8,365 feet elevation. Although strenuous, this non-technical climb is suitable for people in good physical condition who are comfortable scrambling on steep, rugged terrain. Most climbers complete the round trip in seven to twelve hours. While climbing to the crater rim is permitted, entry into the crater is strictly prohibited.

  A dangerous cornice, an overhanging mass of snow formed by wind, grows through the winter on the leeward side of the wind exposed edge of the summit and crater. As it grows, the cornice can hang quite a distance over the edge, making it fragile and extremely dangerous to walk upon to get a view into the crater. Stay back at least 30 ft (9 m) from the visible edge. There may not be any flagging stakes or markers indicating the danger zone, so use extreme caution. The high summit drift may prevent you from having any view over the rim to the North. Always check current conditions before your climb.  

  • Winter/early spring climbing tips
  • Climbing preparation, safety and route information.
  • Avalanche Forecasts (West Slopes South)
  • Avalance Observations Map (West Slopes South)

  ⚠️ Important Alert: The Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) has made the avalanche risk on Mount St. Helens RED for Friday 12/27 and Saturday 12/28 due to an incoming snow storm and lots of new snow accumulation. Please exercise caution around all areas with a slope over 35 degrees as you could trigger a large enough avalanche to be fatal. Please check the NWAC Avalanche forecast for more information.  

  Click here to read the most current climbing conditions from Mount St. Helens Institute. 

• Monitor Ridge Climbing Route

  The Monitor Ridge Climbing Route is the primary route used by climbers during the summer to reach Mount St Helens Summit. It is a non-technical scramble, gaining 4,500 feet in 5 miles. Most climbers complete the round trip in 7 to 12 hours.

  The climbing route used in the summer months begins at Climber's Bivouac south of the volcano. At 3,700 feet elevation, Climber's Bivouac has the highest vehicle access on Mount St. Helens. Start on Ptarmigan Trail #216A which climbs 1,100 feet in 2 1/4 miles to timberline at 4,800 feet elevation.

  Above timberline, the route generally follows Monitor Ridge, climbing steeply through lava flows and loose pumice and ash. From timberline the route is marked with large wooden posts to about 7,000 feet elevation. The upper 1,300 feet of the route is unmarked and covered with loose, rock, pumice and ash. On your descent, take care to stay on route. A minor detour may put you far off route at timberline.

   A dangerous cornice, an overhanging mass of snow formed by wind, grows through the winter on the leeward side of the wind exposed edge of the summit and crater. As it grows, the cornice can hang quite a distance over the edge, making it fragile and extremely dangerous to walk upon to get a view into the crater. Stay back at least 30 ft (9 m) from the visible edge. There may not be any flagging stakes or markers indicating the danger zone, so use extreme caution. The high summit drift may prevent you from having any view over the rim to the North. Always check current conditions before your climb.   

  • Winter/early spring climbing tips
  • Climbing preparation, safety and route information.
  • NWAC Avalanche Forecasts (West Slopes South)
  • NWAC Avalance Observations Map (West Slopes South)

  ⚠️ Important Alert: The Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) has made the avalanche risk on Mount St. Helens RED for Friday 12/27 and Saturday 12/28 due to an incoming snow storm and lots of new snow accumulation. Please exercise caution around all areas with a slope over 35 degrees as you could trigger a large enough avalanche to be fatal. Please check the NWAC Avalanche forecast for more information.

  Click here to read the most current climbing conditions from Mount St. Helens Institute. 

• Trailhead: Climbers Bivouac, Summer Climbing Route
• Trailhead: Worm Flows, Winter Climbing Route
• Mt. Adams area

  Mt. Adams area is administered by the Mt Adams Ranger District. This area is located in the eastern portions of Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwest Washington, and comprises 367,000 acres. This area includes Mt. Adams Wilderness, Indian Heaven Wilderness and Trapper Creek Wilderness.

  The Lewis River Recreation Area is within Mt. Adams Ranger District. The Lewis River Recreation Area is a 14-mile corridor, situated alongside the Lewis River and Forest Road 90 within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This popular recreation area is located 26 miles east of Cougar, and 29 miles west of Trout Lake, WA. This area provides access to the popular Lewis River Trail #31, and associated waterfall viewing. Advanced reservations via Recreation.gov are required daily during the busy visitor season from June 15 through September 30.  

  Mt. Adams is a prominent landmark in the area. Elevations here range between 1200 feet at the Wind River Work Center, 12 miles north of Carson, WA., and 12,276 feet at the summit of Mt. Adams. Precipitation varies from 70.7 inches of rain and 65.1 inches of snow at the Wind River Work Center and 44.1 inches of rain and 95.7 inches of snow at the Mt. Adams Ranger District office in Trout Lake, WA. The area features a great diversity of habitats and features, from old growth to second growth forest, wetland areas, low and high elevation meadows, glaciers, and low and high elevation lakes.

  • Locations on and off the forest to explore
  • Forest Vicinity Map
  • Mount Adams Climbing Conditions Report 
  • Recreation Conditions Report 
• Trail #10 High Camp
• Trail #113 Killen Creek

  This Trail Open to Hiker and Equestrian Use.

  Historically used for berry-picking and later for sheepherding on Mt. Adams, the 3.1 miles Killen Creek Trail climbs through forested areas and open meadows within Mt. Adams Wilderness. It offers spectacular views of Mt. Adams as well as meadows full of wildflowers in season. The trail ends on the Pacific Crest Trail #2000 at about 6000 feet near the intersection with High Camp Trail #10. 

  It is often used as an access trail for mountain climbers attempting routes up the north faces of Mt. Adams. Review the Mt. Adams Summit page for information about climbing Mt. Adams. A Cascade Volcano Pass is required from May 1^st to September 30^th for anyone age 16 and older traveling above 7000ft elevation on Mt. Adams, even if not attempting the summit.

   

• Trailhead: Killen Creek
• Trail #114 High Line
• Trail #12 Stagman Ridge

  This Trail Open to Hiker and Equestrian Use.

  This 4.1 mile trail follows a long ridge through timber, meadows and the burned area from the Cascade Creek Fire. It offering views of Avalanche and White Salmon Glaciers, and ends at the junction with the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. It touches Cascade Creek at a nice waterside spot for a picnic.

  The trail leaves the trailhead from a clear-cut at 4,193 feet elevation, then climbs northeast, enters Mt. Adams Wilderness, and continues through heavy timber and rocky slopes. The trail ends at the junction with the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 on top of the ridge at 5,800' elevation. The scar from a massive debris avalanche can be seen from this trail. The avalanche occurred in 1920 and again in August 1997. It originated in the Avalanche Glacier cirque, at approximately 12,000' elevation.

• Trail #183 South Climb

  This heavily used trail provides access to the South Climb route up to the summit of Mt. Adams within Mt. Adams Wilderness.

  Initially the trail follows an old road bed through a burn scar created by the 2012 Cascade Creek Fire. As the trail nears timberline it moves into sub-alpine forest and meadows where it intersects Round the Mountain Trail #9, which heads northwest to meet the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 Trail. South Climb Trail #183 continues to climb before veering west to cross the Morrison Creek drainage and surmount Crescent Ridge. This section of the trail until its end about 1 mile above is marked by tall poles mounted in rock cairns. From Crescent Ridge, it continues north and up along the rocky ridge of krumholtz trees running adjacent to Crescent Glacier until it reaches a large snow field leading to “Lunch Counter.” The trail ends at about 8500ft elevation in the snowfield. Beyond this point it is considered to be a primitive, alpine climbing route that varies with conditions.

  Mountain climbers continuing beyond the trail’s end head up the snow field to “Lunch Counter”, a relatively flat portion of Suksdorf Ridge, then upwards to the false summit “Pikers Peak” and the true summit above. This is a challenging climb of about 6,700 vertical feet that takes climbers at least 6 to 8 hours to ascend and another 4-6 hours to descend. Many do it in more than one day, camping along the route. The entire trip from trailhead to summit and back is about 12 miles. Be prepared and know your limits. For more information on climbing Mt. Adams, please see the Mt. Adams Summit page.

• Trailhead: South Climb
• Wilderness: Mt. Adams

  Mt. Adams Wilderness envelops an ecologically complex landscape along the west slope of Mt. Adams and its summit. The 47,122 acres that comprise the wilderness area are a blend of dry east-side and moist west-side ecosystems, allowing diverse types of vegetation and wildlife to flourish. Several areas along the flanks of Mt. Adams have burned in wildfires over the last several decades, providing sharp contrast with the lush unburned forests nearby and a glimpse at how landscapes regenerate after fire. Volcanic activity on Mt. Adams spans many geologic eras, with the most recent activity occurring just 3,500 years ago. Multiple trails provide access to spectacular views of Mt. Adams, including its glaciers, mountain streams, meadows, open alpine forests and lava flows.

  At an elevation of 12,276 feet, Mt. Adams is the second highest peak in Washington; however, with an 18-mile wide diameter it is the largest volcano by bulk in the state. Its glaciers, along with adjoining ridges and permanent snow fields, sport many climbing routes of varying difficulty to the summit. All involve a significant degree of inherent danger and risk. Review the Mt. Adams Summit page for information about climbing Mt. Adams. A Mt. Adams Climbing Permit ( https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74420) is required from May 1^st to September 30^th for anyone age 16 and older traveling above 7000ft elevation on Mt. Adams, even if not attempting the summit.

  The remoteness and wilderness character of Mt. Adams led to its designation as a wild area under the Forest Service U2 regulations in 1942 and ultimately to its inclusion in the Wilderness Act of 1964. This designation includes the summit of Mt. Adams, and thus Wilderness Regulations apply for those seeking adventure on its higher ridges and summit as well as those enjoying the meadows, forest, and lakes below.

  Only the western half of Mt. Adams lies within the Mt. Adams Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service. The eastern half of Mt. Adams lies within the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation and is managed by the tribe. The portion of the mountain on Yakama Nation lands is largely closed to recreation. Contact the Yakama Nation for information regarding areas open to recreation.

  Mobile Friendly Map via Avenza: Mount Adams Wilderness Map (Learn more about how Avenza works.)

• Mt. Adams Summit