The 10 Tallest Peaks in the US State of Washington

Mount Rainier is the highest peak in the US state of Washington. The mountain is 14,411 ft tall, making Washington one of the four US states with a mountain higher that 14,000 ft. Four of the state’s tallest peaks are all active volcanoes. Although Mount St. Helens was the fifth tallest peak in the state prior to the destructive eruption in 1980, its position has been now replaced by the 9,516 ft high Bonanza Peak, since the eruption reduced the size of Mount St. Helens from 9,677 ft to 8,365 ft.

1. Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in Washington, and is the Cascade Range’s tallest peak. The mountain is 14,411 ft tall and is located about 87 km away from the city of Seattle. Mount Rainier is an active volcanic peak and is regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Since the mountain is largely covered by glaciers, an eruption of the volcano would trigger massive lahars that would destroy everything in the path as it flows down the volcano into the settlements below, including Seattle's metropolitan area.

2. Mount Adams

Mount Adams is also part of the Cascade Range, and is an active stratovolcano like Mount Rainier. Located about 80 km north of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams is sits in a remote wilderness area, where it rises to a height of 12,281 ft above sea level. Part of Mount Adams falls within the Yakama Indian Reservation, and is named "Pahto" in the Native American language. 2.5% of the mountain's surface area is covered by glaciers. The mountain offers great recreational opportunities for visitors, including mountain climbing, scenic driving, wildlife watching, boating, and backpacking.

3. Mount Baker

An active stratovolcano, Mount Baker is Washington’s third highest mountain. The mountain’s crater is the second most thermally active and second most glaciated mountain in the Cascade Range. The 10,781 ft tall Mount Baker also receives one of the highest volumes of snow in the world. The mountain has 10 glaciers, the largest of which is the Coleman Glacier.

4. Glacier Peak

Glacier Peak is a remote volcanic peak, also known as "DaKobed" in the local Native American language, is part of the Cascade Range and the Glacier Peak Wilderness. The volcano is the second closest to Seattle, located only 110 km away. It has a long history of explosive eruptions, which became more frequent after the retreat of continental ice sheets. The mountain offers a range of recreational activities to the visitors and the Pacific Crest Trail also passes near the mountain.

5. Bonanza Peak

Bonanza Peak is the fifth tallest mountain in Washington at a height of 9,516 ft. The peak is also distinct from the other peaks listed above in that it is non-volcanic in nature. Thus, it is Washington’s highest non-volcanic peak. Bonanza Peak is located approximately 23 km from Glacier Peak. The peak is also flanked by three massive glaciers.