Mt. Adams Center

A UNIQUE ADVENTURE AND LEARNING DESTINATION

What is the Mt. Adams Center?

The Mt. Adams Center is located in the heart of the Cascade Mountain Range beneath 12,276’ Mount Adams, a treasured wilderness region surrounded by a spectacular landscape of forests, rivers, waterfalls, and mountains. The Mt. Adams Center is an educational organization created to preserve and protect the environment with the helping hand of AmeriCorps volunteers. The Center was established in 1994 as Northwest Service Academy’s rural based AmeriCorps program and is operated by the Educational Services District 112, based in Vancouver, Washington.

The center has served as the hub for volunteerism in the Mid-Columbia region for over twelve years. Today we are proud to continue that tradition and have grown to provide a wide array of learning activities and outdoor adventures. Whether you are a newcomer or coming back for a repeat visit, our staff is honored to share with you the spectacular wonders of our wild lands along with the fun, learning, and excitement that our programs offer. 

Facilities and Attractions

Trout Lake is a small town nestled in a picturesque valley at the end of a dead end highway with snowcapped Mt. Adams as its backdrop. This is where you will find the Mt. Adams Center. Within a 25 mile radius of the center you will have access to many natural wonders including:

• Mt. Adams Wilderness Area
• Gifford Pinchot National Forest
• White Salmon Wild and Scenic River
• Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
• Trout Lake Natural Area Preserve
• Klickitat River Canyon
• Indian Heaven Wilderness Area
• Conboy National Wildlife Refuge 

For casual exploration you can choose to take a walk along a self-guided riverside trail or hop on a bike and explore the nearby country roads. Natural riverside pools or secluded mountain lakes invite a swim or wildlife watching. Remarkable viewpoints will reveal up to five Cascade Mountains including: Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, and Mt. Jefferson.

Our facility is located adjacent to the Mt. Adams Ranger Station (U.S. Forest Service). The park like campus is nestled beneath towering pines. The education center offers a classroom, a natural history library, recreation room and internet wi-fi nook, low ropes challenge course, campfire circle, volleyball court, frisbee golf course, horseshoe pit, along with a thriving organic garden. Plus within minutes of our campus you will find:

• A birding paradise with hundreds of Cascadia residents and migrants that populate the Trout Lake Natural Area Preserve
• A geologic natural wonder – a quarter mile long underground lava tube cave with a mysterious story at its terminus
• Scenic backcountry roads and two scenic rivers – Trout Creek and the White Salmon River
• Organic dairy and herb farms that checker the Trout Lake Valley

Activities and Programs 

• Teacher training with clock hour certification
• Natural history workshops and seminars
• School groups: ½ day to nine-day programs featuring environmental and leadership education
• Wilderness first aid training
• Volunteers and Internships
• Family Adventure Vacations
• Summer Youth Corps for Teenagers
• Low ropes challenge course

The Mt. Adams Center is dedicated to field based education for folks of all ages. Programs are led by trained educators and naturalists. Extended youth programs include recreational activities, service learning opportunities, and interaction with local experts.

Affiliations

Educational Services District 112
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Corporation for National and Community Service
AmeriCorps
National Association of Service and Conservation Corps
Association for Experiential Education
4H
Institute for Earth Education
Columbia Gorge Ecology Institute
Washington State University Cooperative Extension
Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
The Orion Society

Lodging

For workshop participants, students, adventure or retreat groups, Mt. Adams Center offers several accommodation options:

Mt. Adams Bunkhouses
Single and double occupancy rooms in our three bunkhouses. Bath facilities are shared. Maximum bunkhouse occupancy is 38 persons.

Mt. Adams Tipi Village
Indulge in an “out of the ordinary” lodging. Overnight in the forest beneath the stars and tall pines. Stay in one of our five 18’ tipis complete with comfy beds and decorative interior. Fully equipped for groups up to 30.

Mt. Adams Guest Rooms
One room can be reserved for group leaders or volunteers. A bit more privacy, but bath facilities are shared.

Local Bed and Breakfast, Motel, Cabins
Deluxe and standard rooms are available in nearby Trout Lake. Ask for our list of recommended lodgings complete with descriptions, prices, and a special discount coupon for Mt. Adams Center program participants.

Visiting the Mt. Adams Center

Mt. Adams Center is located 24.5 miles north of White Salmon, Washington (across the Columbia River from Hood River, Oregon). Hwy 141 is the access highway from White Salmon. Driving times are approximately two hours from Portland, Oregon or Vancouver Washington, or three hours from Bend, Oregon.

Office hours are from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Advanced reservations are required.

Become part of the Mt. Adams Experience

• Attend one of our outstanding learning and adventure programs. Call today for information, schedules, and costs.
• Book and reserve our facility for your event.
• Make a tax-deductible donation to support our educational programs, scholarship program, and support volunteers that are helping preserve and protect our wild lands. (Donations are gratefully accepted at the center office or at the Educational Services District 112 office in Vancouver, Washington). Learn more...

Contact:

Mt. Adams Center Northwest Service Academy	Educational Services District 112
2455 Highway 141	NE 65th Avenue
Trout Lake, WA 98650	Vancouver, WA 98661
Phone: 509-395-3469	Phone: 360-750-7500
Fax: 509-395-3689	Fax: 360-654-2491
E-Mail: Contact us about the Mt. Adams Learning Center here