Mount Adams is situated in the eastern Cascade range, east of Mount Saint Helens and north of Mount Hood. It is the third highest peak in the Cascade range, just behind Mount Rainier (4,317 meters) and Mount Shasta (4,317 meters). Mount Adams, with its last eruption about a thousand years ago, the volcano is considered dormant. Its snow capped cone is moderately eroded and the eastern and western slops of the mountain drop more suddenly than do the northern and southern slopes.

When climbing Mount Adams, be careful of rockfalls, especially the headwall routes. There are many alternate routes to the summit, however, the North Ridge class 2, aka North Cleaver), between the Adams and Lava Glaciers, is the second most popular. This route is much more pleasant early in the season when still snow covered and is accessed by the Killen Creek Trail #113.
The ideal time to climb is between May and October when the roads are plowed and 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.