Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route
South Cascades
As of late May 2026, the Worm Flows route on Mount St. Helens is largely snow-free in its lower sections. However, snow levels increase significantly above 5,500-6,200 feet, making ice axes and microspikes advisable for the upper reaches, particularly for early morning climbs on firm snow. Reports from mid-May indicate some sections had significant powder, while earlier April and late May reports mention softer, slushier snow conducive to glissading, though with increasing rock exposure and potential for thin snowpack or hidden cracks.
The road to Marble Mountain Sno-Park is clear. Parking may be impacted by snow at the Climbers Bivouac trailhead for those approaching from that direction. Expect potentially hot conditions and strong sun exposure, especially on snow-free lower sections. There are warnings about a large pothole on NF83 shortly after turning off NF81.
generated from 41 reports
Sources
We hiked from Marble Mountain Sno-Park to Swift Creek where we camped near Chocolate Falls. The trail was snow free with only one tree across the trail, an easy step-over.We enjoyed camp, went to bed ...
This update is long overdue. We climbed Mount St. Helens on May 17th, but I’m only now getting the chance to share the trip report. A three‑day snowstorm rolled through just before our hike, dropping ...
We had a long day on the mountain with a group of 11 climbers, but despite the sparse snow conditions and the forecasted heat and sun, it could have been a lot worse, all things considered. Starting ...
We did this as our first “real” mountain — family of four with two teenage boys. We had expected light rain overnight and into the morning and were mentally and gear‑wise prepared for that, but the da...
I hiked in with a group of 12 people. We left the Trailhead before 0300. We took a layer break after ~20 minutes of hiking and we weren't cold the entire trip. Progress slowed down a bit when we hit t...
Back for round 2 today. Compared to last weekend things have changed with the thaw-freeze cycles. Now there are multiple snow fissures with various depths. It would be wise to avoid walking directly o...
St Helens via worm flows, started around 4am, and finished just after 2, with a small 1/2 hour detour to climb up one of the lava bolder piles. 11.1 miles and 5700 ft on my gamin round trip. Easy goin...
Started the hike at 0400, no snow for the first 2 miles (approx.). Trail is in good condition. Crampons and ice axe were needed for early morning ice to summit. By 1000 the sun was melting the snow ra...
Great day, no snow in the lot at the trailhead and views were clear on the way up. Snow still present and an ice axe for the descent would be my recommendation, but the pack was soft enough that you c...
Beautiful day on St Helens. Started from the lot around 5:45am, back to car at 4pm, good pace including breaks every hour. Not a lot of snow on the first two miles. Snow over on the ridge is very hot ...
Want to ask something specific about Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route?
Use AI-powered search to dig into trip reports for this trail.
Search Mount St. Helens - Worm Flows Route