Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a
National Forest located in southern
Washington, USA, managed by the
United States Forest Service. With an area of 1.32 million
acres (5300 km
2), it extends 116 km along the western slopes of
Cascade Range from
Mount Rainier National Park to the
Columbia River. The forest straddles the crest of the South Cascades of Washington State, spread out over broad,
old growth forests, high mountain meadows, several
glaciers, and numerous volcanic peaks. The forest's highest point is at 12,276 ft. at the top of
Mount Adams, the second tallest volcano in the state after
Rainier. It includes the
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, established by Congress in 1982.