When To Climb or Backpack

The most popular times to make this climb are between May and October, during which time the roads will be plowed and cleared. Optimal times for skiing and glissading will start in late spring, during which time, some roads may not be completely cleared. By August, there have been known to be running streams as high as the summit plateau and at Piker's Peak. Winter storms in October and November can bring snow as low as 3000' closing off approach roads.

Location

MT. ADAMS RANGER STATION: Map location Lat. N45.9998 Long. W121.5419 / 45° 59' 59.4"N 121° 32' 30.9"W
COLD SPRINGS CAMPGROUND: Map location Lat. N46.1365 Long. W121.4965 / 46° 08' 11.4"N 121° 29' 47.4"W
BIRD CREEK CAMPGROUND: Map location Lat. N46.1402 Long. W121.4406 / 46° 08' 24.7"N 121° 26' 26.2"W
SNOWKING SNO-PARK: Map location Lat. N46.0543 Long. W121.4722 / 46° 03' 15.5"N 121° 28' 19.9"W
PINESIDE SNO-PARK: Map location Lat. N46.0487 Long. W121.5011 / 46° 02' 55.3"N 121° 30' 04.0"W
MT. ADAMS SUMMIT: Map location Lat. N46.2026 Long. W121.4906 / 46° 12' 09.4"N 121° 29' 26.2"W

Access

COLD SPRINGS CAMPGROUND: This is the most popular trailhead for the South Spur Route (South Climb Trail #183). The easiest road access is from the south using WA SR-14 or I-84 in the Columbia River Gorge.

From Portland, Oregon, drive about 60 miles east on I-84 to Hood River. Take exit 64 for White Salmon. Drive about .3 miles, turn left at the traffic light, and continue straight to the toll booth and pay $2 for cars. Drive about 1 mile across the steel grate bridge over the Columbia River.

Turn left at the traffic light onto Hwy 14, the Lewis and Clark Hwy. You are heading towards WA-141 alt.

Drive 1.5 miles and turn right onto Hwy 141 alt. Drive 2.2 miles and turn left onto Hwy 141, towards Trout Lake.

Follow Hwy 141 for 19 miles to Trout Lake. At the gas station, turn right onto Forest Service Road 23 and drive 1.3 miles, turning right onto Mt. Adams Rd for .6 mile.

Turn left onto Forest Road 80, following the South Climb signs.

Drive 3.7 miles on Forest Road 80 and turn right onto Forest Road 8040. Follow Forest Road 8040 on the bumpy, rutted gravel road for 8 miles to Cold Springs Campground. The gravel road has washboard sections and ruts that could high-center low-clearance cars.

COLD SPRINGS WINTER APPROACH: The road to the Cold Springs Campground is not plowed which means that you may have to ski or snowshoe in. Since the road is not plowed and snow can reach down to 3000 feet, if you decide to drive past the sno-parks and get caught in a snow storm, your vehicle may be trapped all winter. The road is usually snowfree by July 1. It is suggested that climbers use the Pineside Sno-park (Current conditions) or the SnowKing Sno-park (Current conditions) for parking. Sno-Park Passes will be needed at the Sno-Parks from November 1, through April 30. Snow machines share some of the winter trails. Check the road conditions section of the USFS Mount Adams Climbing Report. Sno-park permits are needed from November 1 through April 30.

In 2021 sno-park permits cost $25 per day or $50 for the season and there is a $2 administrative fee.

MOUNT ADAMS RANGER DISTRICT OFFICE is currently closed due to Covid-19
2455 Highway 141
Trout Lake, WA 98650
Tel: (509) 395-3400
Summer hours: Thurs-Mon, 8am-12pm & 1pm-4:30pm (Closed 12pm-1pm Thurs-Mon & all day Tues+Wed. No permits issued after 4:15pm.)
Winter hours: Check for updated office hours: Hours
Email questions to: SM.FS.r6_gp_forest@usda.gov
The office closes each workday between 12:00 to 1:00 PM for lunch.

Directions to the Ranger Stations: Driving north on SR-141, the Ranger station is about half a mile north of the junction with the Mount Adams Recreation Road. Look for the Chevron station at the junction. If you are heading to the South Spur trailhead or Sno-parks then you will return to this junction and turn left.

Permit Information

CLIMBING PASSES: Between May 1 and September 30, a Cascade Volcano Pass is required if you plan to climb above 7,000 feet. This is a per-person pass that costs $15 on weekend days or $10 on a weekday for a single climb. Weekend passes are required when above 7,000 feet on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. For example, a trip beginning on Wednesday and ending on Friday would require the purchase of a weekend pass.
A pass must be always carried on your person AND be placed in the windshield of your vehicle. Print two copies or have one downloaded on your phone and one printed in your vehicle.

That means to climb Mt. Adams in between May 1 and September 30 you must have two permits displayed in your windshield: the Cascade Volcano Pass and a Northwest Forest Permit or a Sno-park permit or a tribal-use permit needs to be dislayed when parked at the trailhead. However, you do not need a self-issued wilderness permit.

The climbing passes are available only at Recreation.gov
For 2022 the prices are: $15 per person 16 years of age and older for a Weekend Climbing Pass valid for a single climbing trip involving any weekend day, Friday-Sunday.
$10 per person 16 years of age and older for a Weekday Climbing Pass valid for a single climbing trip on weekdays, Monday-Thursday. In 2022 there are no restrictions on the number of permits sold each day.

Each person needs to have a volcano pass on their person. During other times, a free wilderness permit is required and can also be obtained at the trailhead. The maximum number of climbers per group is 12. See the USDA FS Mt. Adams Climbing Information page for more information. Mt. Adams is consistently patrolled by rangers looking for people without a volcano pass. Both dogs and pack animals are allowed on this part of the mountain however, be aware of the abrasive nature of the rocks on dog paws in summer.

HIKING OR CLIMBING ON THE YAKAMA INDIAN RESERVATION: If you wish to climb the any of the routes that start in the Yakama Indian Reservation like the Mazama Glacier, Klickitat Glacier, The Castle, or Rusk Glacier Headwall, etc. and want to start from Bird Creek Meadows then you will need a Yakama Indian Reservation Tract-D tribal-use permit. This permit is also needed to hike the entire Round-the-Mountain trail. This permit is also available the area of Bird Creek Meadows Campground. Also, if you are not a member of the Yakama Indian Nation, your climbing season is restricted from July 1 to October 1. Map of Yakama Nation Mt. Adams Recreation Area

HUMAN WASTE BAGS (This is not optional): All solid human wastes must be packed off the mountain and pack-out bags are available at the Mount Adams Ranger District Office. Disposal cans are available at the Cold Springs Campground by the trailhead sign.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest Wilderness Regulations (Including Mt. Adams).

Parking

A Northwest Forest Permit is needed to park at Cold Springs Campground. A daily or yearly permit can be purchased online or many outdoor equipment stores.

An annual permit can be purchased online from the USGS Store website.

In the winter climbers should use the Pineside or Sno-King Snow Parks for parking with the Sno-park permit displayed in your windshield.
Daily and annual Sno-park permits can be purchased online from the State of Washington.
Oregon Sno-park permits are no longer valid in Washington.

Camping

There are no permits needed for camping at Cold Springs Campground other than the parking permit.

COLD SPRINGS CAMPGROUND: Many people climb the South Spur Route in one day and return the same day. To do this they camp at Cold Springs Campground and start hiking before sunrise. If you plan on staying at the Cold Springs Campground, be sure to bring earplugs or camp far away from the gravelled areas. There is a shelter along the Cold Springs Trail #72. Climbers routinely arrive past midnight and make no effort to remain quiet, waking all but the soundest sleepers several times during the night.

Water is an issue at this campground. The only water in the summer is at Cold Springs. Later in the summer you have to find the spring because the stream dries up. To find the spring go to the east end of the parking lot and take trail down past the shelter to the streambed about .2 mile from the parking lot. Follow upstream and you will find the spring coming out of a pipe at about N46.13537 latitude, W121.49271 longitude. In the summer, once you start up the trail, water is not easy to find until Crescent Glacier and Lunch Counter.

BIRD CREEK CAMPGROUND: $20.00 per day. Camping Fee is $30.00 per night purchased from the Yakama Indian Nation at the campground. Note the campground may be closed for the 2022 season.

There is plenty of water around this campground at Bird Lake.

LUNCH COUNTER: There are numerous camping locations that have been built up on the talus slopes below or above Cresent Glacier. The area above Cresent Glacier is known as "Lunch Counter" and immediately below the Suksdorf Ridge. These camping areas have crescent shaped rock walls of varying heights facing the west to block the wind and wind-blown grit.
On weekdays many of these spots are available, however, they may be hard to find during the summer weekends. If you are looking for a way to avoid crowds during heavy-use times of the year, there are a few locations below and to the north of Lunch Counter though the sites are hard to find without prior knowledge. Other people hike up towards Pikers Peak for tiny, rocky sites. Don't forget your "blue bag" as you need to pack out your solid waste above timberline.

Water is usually available in the late spring and summer. In the late summer, the small streams can freeze up at night.

Mountain Conditions

The Mount Adams Ranger District Office is a good resource to call because the rangers hike the area and climb the mountain often and will be able to report conditions in the field. Be prepared for snow storms and bad weather any month of the year on Mt. Adams. A good example of how quickly the weather can change on the mountain comes from a mining-era report showing temperatures above 100°F+ in the afternoon with an incoming storm that dropped the temperature to -48°F only 12 hours later. Additional resources you can check include:

USFS Mount Adams Climbing Conditions Report
Mount Adams Ranger District Office Phone: (509) 395-3400

Washington State Snow Survey
Mount Adams Hotline: (360) 891-5015
Search & Rescue (Yakima County Sheriff): (800) 572-0490
Emergencies: 911 or 1 (800) 572-0490

Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center
Winter Avalanche Advisory (WA): (206) 526-6677
Winter Avalanche Advisory (OR): (503) 808-2400

Mt. Adams National Weather Service Forecast

Buck Creek weather history 10 miles south of Mt. Adams for the last 7 days

Potato Hill weather history, 33 miles northwest of Mt. Adams for the last 7 days

Webcam for Trout Lake looking at Mt. Adams