How Many People Have Died on Mount Adams? 4 Hiking Deaths on Record
As of 2026, 4 people have died hiking Mount Adams in the documented record — out of 9 incidents in this database, 4 of which were survived. This counts hiking and backcountry incidents only — widely-cited mountain death tolls that include railway, auto-road, and aviation accidents run higher. The causes that recur most here are fall, navigation error, exposure. Higher counts partly reflect how heavily a peak is hiked, not just how dangerous it is — it’s hiked safely far more often than not, but it rewards real preparation.
Most common causes on Mount Adams
- Fall5 incidents
- Navigation error1 incident
- Exposure1 incident
- Lost1 incident
- Medical1 incident
When incidents happen
Documented incidents by month. Darker = more. Incidents cluster in January; winter incidents skew toward ice and traction, summer toward heat and exhaustion.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survived | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| Fatal | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Based on incidents with a known date. Use it to plan the season — not to assume any month is “safe.”
Mount Adams deaths by decade
Across the documented record (1969–2026), Mount Adams averages 0.1 hiking deaths per year — about 0.1 per year over the last 20 years. Averages flatten real variation: a single winter storm can account for several deaths in one year, and none the next.
| Decade | Incidents | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1 | 1 |
| 1970s | 1 | 1 |
| 2000s | 1 | 0 |
| 2010s | 5 | 2 |
| 2020s | 1 | 0 |
Rescue records are documented far more consistently in recent decades than in the historical archive, so rising incident counts reflect improving records as much as changing risk. The fatality column is the more comparable series.
Every documented incident on Mount Adams
Each links to the full sourced report.
- Rescue · Valley Way TrailJun 25, 2026
- SAR (no subject found) · Northern Presidentials (started from AMC parking lot, Route 2, Randolph)Apr 22, 2018
- Fatality · Star Lake Trail (between Mount Madison and Mount Adams), Northern Presidential RangeFeb 15, 2015
- Fatality · Great Gully Trail, King RavineJan 26, 2013
- RescueAug 22, 2010
- Rescue · Gulfside TrailMar 28, 2010
- RescueJan 10, 2007
- Fatality · King Ravine TrailSep 23, 1972
- FatalityFeb 9, 1969
Frequently asked
Is Mount Adams dangerous to hike?+
Mount Adams appears in 9 documented incidents in this database, including 4 fatal. The most common contributing factors here are fall, navigation error, exposure. Higher counts partly reflect how heavily a peak is hiked, not just how dangerous it is — Mount Adams is hiked safely far more often than not. Check the forecast, carry the Ten Essentials, start early, and be willing to turn back when conditions or daylight run short.
How many people have died on Mount Adams?+
This database documents 4 deaths on Mount Adams out of 9 recorded incidents. The record reaches back into the historical archive and is updated as new reports are reviewed, so it captures the documented fatality record plus a growing, primary-sourced sample of rescues — not a complete tally of every call.
What is the Mount Adams death rate — how many people die per year?+
Across the documented record (1969–2026), Mount Adams averages about 0.1 hiking deaths per year — 4 deaths over 58 years. Over the last 20 years (2007–2026) the rate is about 0.1 per year, from 2 recorded deaths. These are hiking and backcountry deaths only; totals that also count railway, auto-road, and aviation accidents run higher. Averages also flatten real variation — a single bad winter storm can account for several deaths in one year.
Part of the WMNF Hiker Incident Database. This tracks hiking and backcountry incidents — widely-cited mountain death tolls also count non-hiking fatalities (railway and auto-road accidents, aircraft, skiing, natural causes at the summit) that this database doesn't. Counts reflect the documented record, not every call NH Fish and Game responds to.