Belknap Crater
Mount Washington is a shield volcano rising above of lava-strewn plains. The wilderness includes Belknap Crater, a cinder and ash volcanic cone. Vegetation consists primarily of lodgepole pine, other species of pine, and mountain hemlock. There are 28 lakes in the wilderness. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail extends for through the Mount Washington Wilderness. It is the primary trail and extends from the north boundary near Big Lake to where it leaves the wilderness at its southern boundary near the Dee Wright Observatory.