Killen Creek to High Camp

Take this remote, flower-filled trail up the north side of Mount Adams to the rocky alpine terrain of giant glaciers.

The Killen Creek Trail will take you on a dry, dusty climb through open lodgepole forest for more than 2 miles, but this initial stretch is more than worth it to get to the land of glaciers. Patches of summer wildflowers—lupine, paintbrush, aster—flank the trail and increase in number as you approach tree line; meadows appear and the forest drops away as you climb up into the heather-clad sub-alpine.

When the route intersects the Pacific Crest Trail just after 3 miles, continue straight ahead. The path quickly changes from dusty to rocky, and soon you’ll find yourself carefully picking your foot placement across some larger loose, rocky areas near a significant ledge. It gets a bit scrambly, but only for a few paces. Popping up around this area, the majestic world of Mount Adams’s icy dressing will be right in front of you!

From here, the trail becomes more challenging to follow in some spots, so pick your way—carefully stepping around the delicate phlox—and determine where you’d like to explore! Take note of where you popped up into the meadows—the return can be tricky to spot. Snow lingers late in this area and sometimes never fully melts out in these upper reaches. Be prepared to use your map and compass skills if you venture farther, or if the weather sets in at this elevation.

Now Adams Glacier is in full view, tumbling from the summit icecap. The enormous crevasses of the main icefall are right before you. Watch carefully and you may see some slides, and you are almost guaranteed to hear the glacier creak and moan. It is possible to hike right up to the terminus of the glacier at 7,000 feet, but do not attempt to climb the glacier unless you have the proper skills.