Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument -

Attractions

[Last Updated: August 29, 2008]

Cold Springs Fire near Mt. Adams: Fire information available on Inciweb

[Last Updated: August 29, 2008]

Some roads on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest remain closed due to road damage. Please check our Current Conditions Reports or call the local Forest Service office for updates.

Spring / Summer Advisory: Some potentially unstable cornices (snow overhangs) remain on the crater rim of Mount St. Helens (please see Climbing page and scroll down to cornice photo for details). Flood and wind damage from Fall 2006 storms still affects access to some popular sites. Please use caution when venturing out on roads and trails.

Mount St. Helens

Johnston Ridge Observatory is Open Daily
Forest Road 99 (access to Windy Ridge) on the East side is closed at Bear Meadows Viewpoint due to winter road damage.
Attention Climbers: Forest Road 81-830 is open to Climber's Bivouac.
Forest Road 83 (access to Lava Canyon) remains closed at Marble Mountain Sno-Park
The lava-dome building eruption of Mount St. Helens that began in 2004 and continued for three years appears to have ended.
Forest visitors near the volcano should still be prepared for the possibility of ash fall .

Monument Fees - Pass sales help maintain recreation facilities.

Download a full-color Visitor Guide to Mount St. Helens.

West Side - State Highway 504

Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake
Elevation 505 Feet / 154 Meters

Click here for current hours

Closed New Years, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

This facility is now operated by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. A fee of $3.00/adult is charged to visit this site. Separate fees are charged to visit sites within the National Volcanic Monument

Located 5 miles east of Castle Rock on the shores of Silver Lake, the Center introduces visitors to Mount St. Helens' history and to the powerful events that took place on May 18, 1980. Take a walk on the 1 mile Silver Lake Wetlands Trail and discover how this lake was formed by a previous eruption and how the aquatic life continues to change Silver Lake today! Visitors can enjoy distant views of Mount St. Helens, and Silver Lake while identifying native plants, birds, and other wildlife.

Services include a 16 minute theater presentation, interpretive exhibits, a staffed information desk, and Northwest Interpretive Association book sales area. You may continue your hiking adventure into Seaquest State Park, located directly across Highway 504 from the Visitor Center. Seaquest offers camping, hiking and picnicking.

Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center - Closed Limited resources are being focused on serving the public at the Johnston Ridge Observatory

Discover Coldwater Lake!
Elevation 2,523 Feet / 769 Meters

Purchase passes at the Johnston Ridge Observatory

Coldwater Lake Recreation Area is located 45 miles east of Castle Rock in the heart of the blast zone. Experience the effect the May 18, 1980 eruption had on the Coldwater Valley. Walk on the .25 miles Birth of a Lake Interpretive Trail and enjoy close up views of this 20 year-old lake.

Facilities include picnic tables, restrooms, a fish cleaning station, boat launch and a hands-on discovery area. While enjoying the Coldwater Lake Recreation Area, please remember this is a DAY USE AREA only. CAMPING IS NOT PERMITTED. For fishing regulations, check the information board located on site or call one of the visitor centers.

Johnston Ridge Observatory
Elevation 4,255 Feet / 1,297 Meters

Summer Hours: Open Daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May 16, 2008 - Late October 2008

Purchase Passes Here

Located at the end of State Highway 504 and 52 miles east of Castle Rock, in the heart of the blast zone, the Center's state-of-the-art interpretive displays magically portray the sequence of geologic events that transformed the landscape and opened up a new era in the the science of monitoring an active volcano and forecasting eruptions. Read amazing eyewitness accounts from eruption survivors. Take a .5 mile walk on the Eruption Trail and learn how the eruption shaped the surrounding landscape. Visitors can expect to see views of the lava dome, crater, pumice plain, and the landslide deposit. Services include a wide-screen theater presentation, interpretive exhibits, a staffed information desk and a Northwest Interpretive Association books sales area. There are no food services at Johnston Ridge.

Interpretive Talks Times posted at Center Forest Interpreters share the magic of the geological events surrounding the 1980 eruption through a variety of formal talks and guided walks. Experience how volcanoes are monitored and discover how Mount St. Helens has taught us new answers to old mysteries.