USGS/CVO Logo, click to link to National USGS Website
USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, Washington

Mount St. Helens and Vicinity
Points of Interest

Meta Lake

Image, Meta Lake

Meta Lake Viewpoint
USGS Photo by Lyn Topinka, September 14, 1983



Driving Directions
  • From Interstate 5 -- take Exit 21 (Woodland Exit)
  • Head east on Highway 503 and USFS Road 90, approximately 52 miles to junction of USFS Roads 25 and 90.
  • Continue north (left) on USFS Road 25 another 25 miles to the junction USFS Roads 25 and 99.
  • Turn west (left) on USFS Road 99 and continue 9 miles to the junction of USFS Roads 26 and 99.
  • Turn west (left) on USFS Road 99 and continue 0.2 miles to the Meta Lake Viewpoint. Park where appropriate.


Meta Lake

Meta Lake Vicinity

This site is within the May 18, 1980, blast zone, about 8.5 miles from the volcano; to the northeast, the blast swept out to a distance of 13 miles. A short trail leads from the road to Meta Lake, an interesting path through downed timber, to a lake that was only moderately disturbed by the blast. Small trees on the shore and fish in the lake survived because they were under the snowpack. One blown-down tree near the start of the trail shows tightly clustered rings for a few years after A.D.1800 (the year when pumice of the T tephra was erupted from Mount St. Helens).

A car damaged by the blast belonged to a family killed at their small mine, on the ridge 1 1/2 miles to the west. Thick tephra layers are exposed along USFS Road 99 from here to the Windy Ridge parking lot.

Excerpts from: Doukas, 1990, Road Guide to Volcanic Deposits of Mount St. Helens and Vicinity, Washington: USGS Bulletin 1859, 53p.



Other Nearby Points of Interest

Map, Mount St. Helens Points of Interest - Interactive Imagemap, click to enlarge Mount St. Helens
Points of Interest -
Interactive Imagemap

Click button for Clearwater Overlook Clearwater Overlook (east)
Click button for Independence Pass Independence Pass (south)
Click button for Ryan Lake Ryan Lake (north)


Other Menus of Interest


Useful Links

Click button to link to the USFS National Monument Website Link to: USFS Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

CVO HomePage Volcanoes of the World Menu Mount St. Helens Menu Living With Volcanoes Menu Publications and Reports Menu Volcano Monitoring Menu Servers and Useful Sites Menu Volcano Hazards Menu Research and Projects Menu Educational Outreach Menu Hazards, Features, and Terminology Menu Maps and Graphics Menu CVO Photo Archives Menu Conversion Tables CVO Index - Search Our Site ButtonBar
URL for CVO HomePage is: <http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/home.html>
URL for this page is: <http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/NatMonument/PointsInterest/meta_lake.html>
If you have questions or comments please contact: <GS-CVO-WEB@usgs.gov>
03/27/07, Lyn Topinka