Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument -

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

Attractions

West Side - State Highway 504

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

Daily: Daily, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Closed New Years, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
Purchase Passes Here
This facility is now operated by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. For more information, please view our Press Release.

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
Elevation 3,091 Feet / 942 Meters
Daily: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Purchase Passes Here

Situated within the National Volcanic Monument and 43 miles east of Castle Rock, the center will be subjected to winter conditions. Opportunities outside the building will be subject to snow depths and conditions.

Services inside the center include a video-wall theater program, interpretive exhibits, a staffed information desk, a gift shop, a Northwest Interpretive Association book sales area. The restaurant portion will provide a limited menu during the winter months, call the center for specific items available.

Highway 504 will be maintained and plowed by Washington State Department of Transportation. Please drive cautiously while plows are present and plowing.

Interpretive Talks
Times posted at Center

A reduced scheduled will be provided during the winter months. Events will be posted daily inside the center.

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

Purchase passes at the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center

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 - 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

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. No food service available at this site.

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.

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Attractions

West Side - State Highway 504