Before its eruption in 1980, Mt St Helens had a summit elevation of 9,677 feet. Today, the highest point on the rim is a bit lower, 8,321 feet, but it still takes a lot of work to make it to the top. The standard hike climbs Monitor Ridge on the mountain's south slopes, gaining 4,500 feet in 5 miles for a strenuous but non-technical ascent. Permits are required year-round for all travel above the Loowit Trail.

The second highest peak in Washington stands 12,273 feet above sea level, a massive dome of rock and ice thrust into the sky north of the Columbia River. Standing on top of this grand volcano requires a 12-mile round-trip hike with 6,700 feet of elevation gain, a grueling route that many opt to spread over multiple days by camping in the wilderness on the way up. Climbing passes are required for hikers attempting to summit between May and September.

Oregon's third-highest peak stands 10,358 feet above sea level and is a popular objective for adventurous day hikers once the snows melt out and the Cascade Lakes Highway opens each summer. Starting at Devils Lake, the trail climbs steeply to an open tableland above Moraine Lake before rising sharply again towards the summit. The trail is tough, gaining nearly a mile in elevation over 5.5 miles of trail. Wilderness permits are required for hikes originating from the closest trailhead.

Once most of the snow has melted off the slopes of Oregon's largest ski resort, the 9,065-foot summit of Mt Bachelor becomes an attractive destination for day hikers. Starting from the West Village area, the Sunrise Trail ascends the mountain's eastern face, gaining 2,742 feet on a 6.5-mile round-trip route. From the summit, take in the views of the Cascade Lakes and the Three Sisters, and think about all the snow that will soon be piled up here once more.

This peak doesn't get as much attention as its neighbors. It's just across Diamond Lake from the dramatic lightning rod summit of Mt Thielsen, and it sits just a few miles north of Crater Lake National Park. But if you undertake the 10-mile round-trip hike and gain the 3,100 feet of elevation necessary to reach the summit, you'll be handsomely rewarded with sweeping vistas across Southern Oregon's volcanic landscapes.

Situated just east of the rim, the 8,929-foot summit of Mt Scott marks the park's high point and offers sweeping panoramas of the Cascades. A fire tower stands on the peak, offering shade to hikers on sunny summer days. It's a moderately strenuous hike to the top of Mt Scott (4 miles round trip, 1,200 feet elevation gain), but the views of the caldera and Crater Lake are incomparable.

The pyramidal summit of Mt McLoughlin stands 9,495 feet above sea level, the highest point in the Sky Lakes Wilderness. To stand atop this prominent peak, you'll gain nearly 4,000 feet in just over 4 miles of trail as you wind through beautiful forests and ascend the rocky eastern flank of the mountain.

The southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range is one of the easier to summit with a 2.5-mile trail climbing nearly 2,000 feet up its southern slopes. It's a strenuous hike on rocky terrain with no shade, but the route delivers you to the cratered summit of this volcano which last erupted in the early 1900s.