The Mount Adams Recreation Area is a
recreation area
A recreation area is a type of protected area designated in some jurisdictions.
By country Canada
In the province of British Columbia, recreation areas are lands set aside for recreational use. These lands are also being evaluated to determine w ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
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managed by the
Yakama Nation Tribal Forestry Program. The area encompasses an ecologically complex and geologically active landscape. The region features the most rugged side of Mount Adams, including canyons and the Great Gap section of the Mount Adams circumnavigation route, a three-mile trail-less section over two great canyons and many difficult glacial creeks. At ,
Mount Adams is one of the major
Cascade
Cascade, Cascades or Cascading may refer to:
Science and technology Science
*Cascade waterfalls, or series of waterfalls
* Cascade, the CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defense (a protein complex)
* Cascade (grape), a type of fruit
* Bioc ...
mountains. The recreation area is on the east side of the mountain and is part of the
Yakama Indian Reservation
The Yakama Indian Reservation (spelled Yakima until 1994) is a Native American reservation in Washington state of the federally recognized tribe known as the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The tribe is made up of Klikitat, ...
and includes the popular Bird Creek Meadows area.
Recreation
![Mt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Mt._Adams_from_Bird_Creek_Meadows_01.JPG)
The Mount Adams Recreation Area offers activities such as
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
,
camping
Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...
,
Backpacking (at specific campsites),
picnicking
A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...
, and
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
. The area features Bird Creek Meadows, a popular picnic and hiking area noted for its outstanding display of wildflowers, and exceptional views of Mount Adams and its glaciers, as well as Mount Hood to the south.
Hiking
At Bird Creek Meadows, hikers can access the Hellroaring Overlook, where they can view Hellroaring Meadows, a
glacial valley
U-shaped valleys, also called trough valleys or glacial troughs, are formed by the process of glaciation. They are characteristic of mountain glaciation in particular. They have a characteristic U shape in cross-section, with steep, straight s ...
about down from the viewpoint precipice. From here, hikers can gaze up at Mount Adams, the
Klickitat Glacier, and various waterfalls tumbling off of high cliffs below the glaciers terminus. There are many loop trails at Bird Creek Meadows, including the Trail of the Flowers. Trails travel through meadows, streams, and waterfalls, including Crooked Creek Falls. Bird Creek Meadows was closed in 2015 due to the Cougar Complex fire and was not yet opened as of summer 2018
Little Mount Adams is a symmetrical
cinder cone
A cinder cone (or scoria cone) is a steep conical hill of loose pyroclastic fragments, such as volcanic clinkers, volcanic ash, or scoria that has been built around a volcanic vent. The pyroclastic fragments are formed by explosive eruptions o ...
on top of the Ridge of Wonders, and rises from the northeast end of Hellroaring Meadow and the Hellroaring Creek valley. It offers a trail to the east base of the peak. To reach the top, hikers must traverse rocky terrain; and if there are, user-made trails.
The Around the Mountain–Highline Circuit
![Mt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Mt._Adams_from_Bird_Creek_Meadows_03.JPG)
The Round the Mountain Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Highline Trail when joined almost completely encircle the mountain, save for a 4-mile section known as "The Gap" on the east side of the Mountain in the Mount Adams Recreation Area. The Round the Mountain Trail extends from the Pacific Crest Trail on the southwest side of the Mount Adams Wilderness, and travels east over the A.G. Aiken Lava Bed before crossing into the Yakama Nation Mount Adams Recreation Area. It then proceeds to pass through Bird Creek Meadows before ending at the western edge of Hellroaring Canyon. Hikers can continue the round the mountain circuit by following Trail #20 to Hellroaring Overlook, then continue following the (now poorly defined) trail to Sunrise Camp, perched between the Mazama and Klickitat Glaciers at 8,000 feet. North of Sunrise Camp it is completely trail-less and suited only for experienced backcountry travellers. Hikers have to negotiate dangerous creek crossings, 1,000 foot deep canyons and valleys, and a glacier-crossing of the Klickitat Glacier. At the north end, hikers rejoin the Highline Trail which ends at Avalanche Valley in the Mount Adams Recreation Area.
Camping
There are three campgrounds in the Mount Adams Recreation Area. A campground is located each at Bird Lake, Mirror Lake, and Bench Lake. The area is accessed from
Trout Lake via the Mount Adams Recreation Highway, northeast on Forest Road 82, to Forest Road 8225, and on Tribal Route 285 (Bench Lake Road), passing the Bird Creek Meadows Parking Area, and ending at Bench Lake. Bird Lake Road leads off of Bench Lake Road, and heads north to Bird Lake. All of the roads after the short section known as the Mount Adams Recreation Highway is gravel and dirt, and is known to be extremely rough and often only suitable for trucks or high clearance vehicles.
Climbing
![Mt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Mt._Adams_Glaciers_above_Bird_Creek_Meadows.JPG)
Each year, hundreds of people attempt to summit Mount Adams, but few attempt the faces within the Mount Adams Recreation Area. Crampons, ice axes, and ropes are needed on all routes here because of the glaciers, crevasses, and jagged cliffs found on Mount Adams' rugged east side. Climbing Mount Adams can be dangerous for a variety of reasons and people do die in pursuit of the summit.
References
External links
Mount Adams WildernessU.S. Forest Service
Mount Adams WildernessWilderness.net (The University of Montana)
{{Protected areas of Washington (state)
Cascade Range
Protected areas of Yakima County, Washington
Mount Adams (Washington)
Protected areas established in 1972
1972 establishments in Washington (state)
Yakama