If it stood alone, 12,276-foot Mt. Adams would be a prime recreation site, silhouetted on license plates and key chains. But from a Seattle viewpoint, Adams is geographically behind and below its limelight-hogging neighbors. The distance from main towns and roads make Mt. Adams an ideal spot to escape civilization.

Like its more active neighbors, Mt. Adams is of volcanic origins; unlike its neighbors, the mountain is believed to have been formed by a congregation of volcanic cones instead of a single large one. The mountain has been relatively quiescent for 10,000 years, and large glaciers crown its summit, including the Klickitat Glacier, second biggest of all Cascadian glaciers.

Getting to Mount Adams

There are two ways to approach Mt. Adams: from Seattle, take I-5 south to I-205 near Vancouver, then follow I-205 to Highway 14 and head east. At Underwood, take Highway 141 north to Trout Lake.

An alternative is to take I-5 south past Chehalis, then east on Highway 12 to Randle and take the Randle Road (Forest Service Road 23) south for 56 miles to Trout Lake. This isolated road is definitely the scenic route, and the entire length is paved.

Approaching from the east, you can drive down Highway 97 to Goldendale and west on Highway 142 to Klickitat and take the Glenwood-Trout Lake Road, or follow Highway 14 from Maryhill to Underwood and drive north. The roads into the Mt. Adams area are closed each winter due to heavy snowfall.