Gifford Pinchot National Forest

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Gifford Pinchot
National Forest

Forest Headquarters
10600 N.E. 51st Circle
Vancouver, WA 98682
(360) 891-5000
TTY: (360) 891-5003

Cowlitz Valley
Ranger District
10024 US Hwy 12
PO Box 670
Randle, WA 98377
(360) 497-1100
TTY: (360) 497-1101

Mt. Adams
Ranger District
2455 Hwy 141
Trout Lake, WA 98650
(509) 395-3400
TTY: (360) 891-5003

Mount St. Helens
National Volcanic
Monument

Monument Headquarters
42218 N.E. Yale Bridge Rd.
Amboy, WA 98601
(360) 449-7800
TTY: (360) 891-5003

Johnston Ridge Observatory
24000 Spirit Lake Highway
P.O. Box 326
Toutle, WA 98649
(360) 274-2140

Mount St. Helens
Visitor Center
at Silver Lake
3029 Spirit Lake Highway
Castle Rock, WA 98611
(Operated by Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission)

TTY: Phone for the Deaf

Newsroom - 2008 News Release

News Home

	USDA Forest Service Gifford Pinchot National Forest
For Immediate Release: May 13, 2008
Contact: Peter Frenzen (360) 449-7835 or Chris Strebig (360) 891-5005

Johnston Ridge Observatory to reopen Friday, May 16

Admission will be Free on the 28th Anniversary of the Eruption – Sunday, May 18th

TOUTLE, WA – The Johnston Ridge Observatory will be reopening for the season on Friday, May 16th. The visitor center will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through October. Admission to Johnston Ridge and Coldwater Lake is $8 per person, kids 15 and under are free.

The reopening of State Route 504 and Johnston Ridge will restore access to a monument that has been largely inaccessible due to roads blocked by record snowfall. Visitors will be able to gaze into the crater at the steaming lava dome, view North America’s youngest glacier and learn how the landscape was reshaped by the 1980 eruption. The visitor center offers live seismographs, geologic exhibits, 16-minute eruption movie, ranger-talks, and bookstore.

Admission on the 28th Anniversary of the 1980 Eruption is Free: On Sunday, May 18th, admission to Johnston Ridge and Coldwater Lake will be free. USGS Geologist Joe Walder will speak about the recent eruption and the amazing changes in the Crater Glacier at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the auditorium at Johnston Ridge.

“It’s great to regain access to Johnston Ridge and reopen in time for the 28th anniversary,” said Tom Mulder, Monument Manager. “Our May 16th reopening is the result of long hours of hard work by crews from the Washington State Department of Transportation who cleared record snow from the highway. Our staff has also been working hard to dig out the building from 25 foot snow drifts and prepare the visitor center for Friday’s reopening. It has truly been a collaborative effort by a dedicated group of people,” Mulder added.

As additional information about access to the monument and roads blocked by record snow pack can be obtained online at www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/current-conditions or by calling (360) 449-7800.

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US Forest Service
Gifford Pinchot National Forest - Vancouver, WA
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument - Amboy, WA
Last Modified: Wednesday, 14 May 2008 at 17:55:46 EDT