AFTER THE ERUPTION of Mount St. Helens in May 1980, then-president Jimmy Carter observed that the devastation made “the moon look like a golf course.” My, how things change. In the last 30-plus years, life has flourished anew on this Cascade peak: forests have retaken barren flanks, migrating elk have returned, wildflower displays burst with color, and new glaciers are even forming.
Located east of Castle Rock, on State Route 504, the Mount St. Helens Forest Learning Center fast-tracks geology and history lessons. Inside, exhibits include the “eruption chamber,” where visitors can experience the full-force blast fury, and a virtual aerial tour of the crater. Thrill seekers, though, can land the ultimate perch: Hillsboro Aviation’s St. Helens helicopter tours (mtsthelensheli coptertours.com) offers flights that take in sightlines of the entire blast zone, remnant ghost forests, and herds of elk.
Further up Highway 504, the Johnston Ridge Observatory (fs.usda.gov/mountsthelens)—perched just five miles from the massive crater—is still used by scientists to monitor the volcano. An observation deck lets visitors peer into the massive crater, and the auditorium hosts a popular documentary film about the 1980 blast. (Stick around for the credits.)
Don’t just stay inside: several excellent hikes depart from the observatory, including Harry’s Ridge, offering views of clusters of alpine flowers and the deepblue waters of log-jammed Spirit Lake, beneath the summit. —BRIAN BARKER
Read More About The Volcanoes
There are as many ways to experience Mount Rainier as there are seasons in a year.
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Mount Rainier looms in the distance, but that's not what has 14-year-old Garrison's attention.
Approach from the west and you parallel the Toutle River, proceeding uphill through an orderly progression of visitors centers and overlooks that end at Toutle's Johnston Ridge Observatory.
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Find Out More
Please visit our Tourism Partners
Cowlitz County Tourism
360-577-3137
Lewis County Convention & Visitor Bureau
800-525-3323
Skamania County Chamber of Commerce
800-989-9178