Takhlakh Lake Campground, finally. After the dirt road adventure that gave us a few cold sweats and a dead end road to a campground that had no parking space, we were happy to find this pretty sweet campground on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

But let me back up a little. Last July, I had the chance to take a 10-day road and camping trip, sans kids, to discover the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest. It was the first time for both my husband and me, and believe me, we truly maximized our time. Adult hikes, here we come!

Mount Adams was one of our stops on the Presidential Range. Located in the southern part of Washington State, Mount Adams is one of the largest volcanoes in the Cascade Range and sits at 12,276 feet.

There are plenty of campgrounds around the mountain, but some are easier to access than others. After what seemed like forever and avoiding any road disaster, we made it through USFS road 23 and arrived at Takhlakh Lake Campground.

Those of you familiar with forest roads know it can be an adventure. Some roads might be severely damaged. We often parked to scout ahead. That being said, we always made it through. We drive a truck camper and have seen Class C RVs and trailers make it too. Anyhow, we found a fabulous site backing the forest.

Once we set up camp, we decided to take off our camper and let it sit at the campground. Bring on the dirt roads now! Our truck could handle it with ease, and we had such a fun ride! We parked at the Divide Camp Trail Head via USFS Road 2329. For about six miles, you'll hike through a dense forest. The floor was covered with fern and trees dressed with moss.

The trail was well maintained. We couldn't miss the Pacific Crest Trail signpost when we hit the crossing. It was really when we reached that point that Mount Adams appeared in all its splendor. We were almost blinded by the snow on top, and the glaciers were beaming. All the while, lupines surrounded us in one of the cutest meadows.

From there, you can either turn South, and you'll be headed toward White Salmon and Avalanche Glaciers or go North toward Adam and Lava Glaciers. We took North and shortly into the trail, we turned our head around to realize, and be amazed, that we were having a view of Mount Rainier, no less!

Picture that: Mount Adams on one side, Rainier on the other. Alpine wildflowers—lupine, paintbrush, aster, and arnica—punctuating our views of bright reds, purples, and yellows. Right? Pure bliss!

Bonus: many streams emanate from the mountain, so you'll get to cross Adams Creek if you follow our itinerary.

Oh and another "bonus": in July not only the flowers were in full bloom, the mosquitoes too ;)

About the Author

Melanie Saucier is a maker, a photographer and overall a creative entrepreneur who runs Lemonee on the Hills. She has combined her passion for the outdoors, her photography and product design background to handcraft a line of nature-inspired goods. You can see her photography and adventures on Instagram instagram.com/melanieonthehills and find her products at lemoneeonthehills.com or on Instagram at instagram.com/lemoneeonthehills