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
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Welcome
Mount St. Helens as
viewed with the new high definition VolcanoCam. USDA Forest Service
photograph from VolcanoCamHD by Dennis Lapcewich taken on Friday,
July 27, 2007 at approximately 2:02 pm PDT. ( Click
here to download/view a 127 kb full-size uncropped copy of
this image.)
At 8:32 Sunday morning,
May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted.
Shaken by an earthquake
measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, the north face of this tall
symmetrical mountain collapsed in a massive rock debris avalanche.
Nearly 230 square miles of forest was blown down or buried beneath
volcanic deposits. At the same time a mushroom-shaped column of
ash rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted downwind, turning
day into night as dark, gray ash fell over eastern Washington and
beyond. The eruption lasted 9 hours, but Mount St. Helens and the
surrounding landscape were dramatically changed within moments.
In 1982, the President
and Congress created the 110,000-acre National Volcanic Monument
for research, recreation, and education. Inside the Monument, the
environment is left to respond naturally to the disturbance.
Mount St. Helens Climbing
Update
[Last Updated: 14
January 2009]
Fall / Winter
Climbing Access: Snowfall and wind will form
unstable cornices (snow overhangs) on the crater rim (please see our climbing
page and scroll down to cornice photo). The crater
rim is unstable and can be hazardous at any time.
Attention
Climbers: Winter access to south side climbing routes may be
limited by road damage, snow or malfunctioning plow equipment. Check
the current
snopark conditions page for updated information on access to Cougar
Snopark and Marble
Mtn Snopark. Permits are required
above 4800 foot elevation on the volcano year round.
During the Nov 1 to March 31 winter climbing season permits are available
at no charge by self-registration at the Climber's Register or at Marble Mtn
Snopark. The Climber's Register is located at the Lone
Fir Resort, 16806 Lewis River Road, Cougar, WA. (360) 238-5210.
2009 Climbing
Permit Sales will begin at 9:00 a.m. PST on February 1, 2009: Permits
for the April 1 October 31 climbing fee season are sold online, in-advance
on a first-come, first-served basis through the Mount
St. Helens Institute.
Mount
St. Helens Update - The latest information including earthquakes,
volcano advisories and visitor access information.
MSH
Volcanic Activity Response Plan
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On the Monument Today |
Join us
for a Weekend Work Party
Help share the
wonder and protect this special place. Become
a Mount St. Helens Volunteer
- Live VolcanoCam
- Image of Mount St. Helens as viewed from the Johnston
Ridge Observatory. Now in HD!
- Teacher's
Corner - For teachers, educators and students planning
field trips to Mount St. Helens.
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General Visitor Information |
May 18, 1980 eruption - USGS photograph by Austin Post. |
About
Mount St. Helens
- Visit and
Discover the Drama of an Active Volcano - A brief
description of Mount St. Helens and the National Volcanic Monument.
- 25
Years of Change - Impacts of the 1980 eruption
and landscape recovery revealed through repeat photographs
- Life Returns FAQs:
Information about plant and animal recovery following
the 1980 eruption
- Digital
Library - Photographs and other information before
and after the eruption.
- Mount
St. Helens Volcano Review - The Volcano Review
is published annually during the summer and distributed throughout
the Monument and surrounding local communities for folks visiting
Mount St. Helens. We've reproduced the current issue on our
web site, and have included downloads so you can read it offline
as well.
Climb, Hike,
Learn
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Snow-covered Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center Sign - December 2002 |
Planning
Your Visit
Visitor Centers
Exploring Mount
St. Helens
- Photo Gallery
- View before and after images of the volcano.
- Mount St.
Helens Institute - a private, not-for-profit
organization dedicated to improving stewardship and appreciation
of the dynamic natural environment surrounding the volcano.
- Volunteering
- Become a Volcano Volunteer at Mount St. Helens
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May 1980 Eruption |
Contact Us!
- Phone Numbers
- Important telephone numbers for Mount St. Helens National Volcanic
Monument and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- We Want To Hear
From You! - Please tell us what you think about our
web site, information, and/or services. Please include contact
information, so we can reach you in case we have any questions.
Additional Information
- Charles
W. Bingham Forest Learning Center At Mount St. Helens
- Open daily at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., May through October. Closing
times may vary in September and October. The Washington Department
of Transportation, Weyerhaeuser Company and Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation are partners in this visitor center, rest area and
viewpoint for elk herds in the valley below the center.
- USDA
Forest Service Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station Scientists
arrived within weeks to assess disturbance effects and study initial
and long-term ecological responses. Research has revealed how
species and ecological processes respond to disturbance, and has
contributed to planning for the recovery of other disturbed areas.
- MtStHelens.net
- Information about our area presented by local folks. Plus, access
to a database of visitor resources and a variety of links to informative
web sites.
- MountStHelens.com
- Mount St. Helens Information Resource Center, your one stop
source for hiking, shopping, lodging, touring, dining, and viewing
information. Follow the footprints to begin your Mount St. Helens
adventure.
- Pacific
Seismograph Network - In addition to locating regional
earthquakes, the
Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network, in cooperation with
the Cascades Volcano Observatory, is also
responsible for monitoring seismic activity at volcanoes in the
Pacific Northwest.
- United
States Geological Survey - Volcano information, especially
Mount St. Helens.
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