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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Attractions
East Side
| South Side | West Side
[Last Updated: May 5, 2009]
For updates on 2009 storm damage click
here.
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.
Winter/Spring
Advisory: Most forest roads are not maintained
for winter/early spring travel so it is important to use extra caution,
carry approved
traction devices and recommended
safety equipment. Tell a friend or loved-one about where you are going
so they can confirm your safe return or notify authorities should you
need assistance.
Mount St. Helens
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Monument
Fees - Pass sales help maintain recreation facilities.
Download a full-color Visitor
Guide to Mount St. Helens.
West
Side - State Highway 504
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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
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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 Discover Your Northwest
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. |
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Coldwater
Ridge Visitor Center - Closed
Limited resources are being focused on serving the public
at the Johnston Ridge Observatory.
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Discover
Coldwater Lake!
Elevation 2,523 Feet / 769 Meters
Purchase monument passes (wrist bands) at the Johnston Ridge Observatory
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Birth
of a Lake Interpretive Trail |
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 at
Coldwater Lake include picnic tables, restrooms, a fish
cleaning station, boat launch and a hands-on discovery area.
Coldwater Lake Recreation Area is DAY USE only. CAMPING
IS NOT PERMITTED. |
Coldwater Lake
Fishing Information: Shoreline access is limited, but
a boat launch and fish cleaning station are available. WA State
fishing liscense required. Gasoline motors are prohibited,
but electric fishing motors are allowed.
Rainbow trout stocked in the late 1980s are reproducing
on their own; no additional planting is planned. Cutthroat
trout , both coastal and westslope (and hybrids) also
inhabit the lake. Single barbless hook, artificial lures
only (no bait), with a 16-inch minimum size and one-fish daily
limit. Although the lake is open to fishing all
year, road may not be plowed and access may not be available during
winter. Disabled accessibility - Level 2 at the
boat ramp.
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Johnston
Ridge Observatory
Elevation 4,255 Feet / 1,297 Meters
Winter:
Closed in winter, the observatory will reopen in May 17, 2009
Purchase Monument Passes (Wrist Bands)
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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. |
Crater
view at Johnston Ridge |
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Interpretive
Talks are Offered Daily (during the summer season)
Times are posted at the Johnston
Ridge Observatory
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. |
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