Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument Favorite Tips by Geoff_Wright Top 5 Page for this destination

Road's End

Favorite thing: Well, this is as far as the highway will take you, to the Observatory. It's about 52 miles from here to I-5, at Castle Rock.

Prior to the eruption on 18th May, 1980, the summit of Mount St Helens stood at 9,766 feet.

After the explosion the highest point of the Mountain is 8,365 feet.


After the blast of 18th May 1980, volcanic activity at Mount St. Helens declined significantly. Smaller explosive eruptions continued throughout the remainder of the year, with a final eruption in early 1982. Most of the ash from these eruptions blew eastward, but on two occasions winds carried some ash westward into the heavily populated Columbia River valley. A volcanic dome was formed on the floor of the central crater by a series of small lava eruptions, the last of these occurring in 1986. Minor steam explosions continued into the early 1990s. Current activity consists of the occasional rumble of small earthquakes, but the situation could alter at any time. Today, Mount St. Helens is once again slumbering, but the sleep is fitful, and the Scientists believe that it is only a matter of time before the 'Fire Mountain' awakes again.

The next volcanic activity in the area is forecast to be Mount Rainier, in Washington State! Hold on to your hat, Seattle!!

Mount St Helens

Favorite thing: The distance between each edge of the crater is approximately 1 and a quarter miles!

The May 18th eruption may have appeared to be large and very destructive, but it was relatively small compared with earlier eruptions, as confirmed by the thick deposits of older volcanic rock around Mount St. Helens. This is only one of several volcanoes to be found in the Cascade Range, from northern California to southern Canada. All these volcanoes grew in the same geologic setting and are of the same explosive type as Mount St. Helens. Some eruptions at other Cascade volcanoes have been huge, such as the explosion nearly 7000 years ago that reduced Mount Mazama to today's Crater lake, and spread ash across the whole of the United States. That explosion was 100 times the size of Mount St Helens!

Scientists predict that volcanic eruptions ranging in size from Mount St Helens to the Mazama blast could occur at any time at any of the Cascade volcanoes.

Mountain or Monument?

Favorite thing: This view, taken from one of the Viewing Centres, shows Mount St Helens, 5 miles distance.

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Besides the enormous ash cloud that stayed near the ground, millions of tons of fine ash were forced high into the atmosphere, in excess of 50 thousand feet, and carried hundreds and thousands of miles downwind. These poisonous clouds dropped several inches of ash over many communities and agricultural areas, destroying machinery and crops.

Losses to property and crops were estimated at more than $1.8 billion. The impact on human life could have been much greater had the main eruption occurred on a workday, rather than a Sunday, or if the blast had been directed to the Southwest toward the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area, 45 miles away, or if the wind had been blowing toward the southwest. Fortunately, for most, the mass of superheated steam and ash blasted upward and outward over the top of the avalanche, roaring to the north and west at speeds reaching hundreds of miles an hour

Crater and Lake

Favorite thing:
The sleeping giant began to awake from its slumber in March 1980, with a series of steam explosions and bursts of ash. Following the initial outbursts, the mountain was monitored closely by seismologists and volcanologists. Small earthquakes and tremors accompanied the outbursts, indicating that fresh lava was being intruded into the mountain's heart. Gigantic cracks apperard at the summit and in the mountain's sides, and the whole of the northern face expanded outward some 450 feet. Many non-scientists looked upon this initial activity as a 'minor' incident, and despite official warnings that the mountail and its surroundings had been designated as a dangerous 'Red Zone', tourists swarmed to the area, evading the overworked Rangers, to get a closer view of the spectacular natural 'fireworks'. Residents and workers in the area were advised to leave, but many refused, claiming that they 'knew the mountain'. Several camps were established by Volcanologists in order to monitor the mountain's activity, some being perilously close to the mountian in order to provide the necessary data.

VTer Phildeni and Mount St Helens

Favorite thing: To the uninitiated, the serenity of the mountain and its surroundings was misleading. Mount St. Helens was known by local Indians as "Fire Mountain," and even they were reluctant to approach the mountain despite the plentiful amount of game in the area. To the experienced observer, the conical shape and composition of the mountain's rocks were confirmation enough that Mount St. Helens was, in fact, a volcano. Evidence of previous lava flows and multiple layers of ash (powdered volcanic rock) could be found everywhere, even though trees had re-established themselves following the numerous prior eruptions. Volcanic deposits had reshaped the entire region around the mountain, and a huge mudflow that raced down the mountain some 3000 years ago, backed up a stream which eventually created the beautiful Spirit lake, which today is maintained at a level of 3,445 feet.

Here we see VT member Phil (phildeni) admiring the view of Mount St Helens, about 25 miles distant, from Coldwater Creek Bridge.

Mount St Helens from Coldwater Creek

Favorite thing: Mount St. Helens was intermittently active between 1832 and 1857. These small eruptions were not enough to deter habitation of the area by settlers from the East. The mountain became dormant for the next century or so and during this time the small settlements became towns, and towns became metropolitan centres such as Portland and Seattle. These new neighbours of Mount St. Helens knew only the mountain at rest, and its violent past was largely ignored or forgotten.

From the Valley Floor

Favorite thing:
Shortly after the outrush of the avalanche and ash cloud, enormous mudflows, formed when the glacial ice and snow that had capped the mountain were melted by the intense heat and mixed with the powdered and fragmented rock created by the eruption, slid off the mountain. The resulting hot and cold masses of mud poured down adjacent river valleys at speeds in excess of 80 miles an hour, sweeping away everything in its path; buildings, vehicles, trees, and bridges. One such flow even blocked the shipping channel of the Columbia River, 55 miles downstream.

The Forest Learning Center

Favorite thing:

Celebrate the Return of the forest to Mount St Helens

The center details the impact that the eruption had on the largest private landowner in the surrounding forest--Weyerhauser. The Center is located 33 miles east of Interstate 5 on Highway 504 (Spirit Lake Memorial Highway), and attracts more than 200,000 visitors every year.*

Exhibits include a virtual chopper tour, eruption chamber multi-media program, and kids exhibits.

The Learning Center is open daily from mid-May until the end of October. Admission is free.

You can write to the Centre at:

PO Box 188
Longview WA 98632

Voice Phone
360-414-3439

Grow by the inch, Killed by the Foot!

Favorite thing: During the violent eruptions, two hundred and thirty-two square miles of forest were destroyed, including three billion board feet of timber with an estimated commercial value of $400 million.

When you cross the edge of the Blast Zone at Hoffstadt Creek Bridge you won't notice the effects of the devastation at first, for over the past 20 years or so, the forests have been replanted. However, as you drive closer to the Mountain, you will begin to notice dramatic changes in the landscape. Firstly, in place of the lush, young green trees, you will see stunted and broken trees on the lee side (that facing away from the blast), and thousands of flattened and uprooted trees on the windward side of the slopes. Later on you will see no trees at all, just the mangled and twisted stumps amongst the millions of tons of rock and volcanic debris.

So, take heed of this little sign:

Plants Grow by the inch, and die by the Foot!

Keep to the authorised trails and paths.

Johnston Ridge Observatory

Favorite thing:

52.5 miles from I-5 is the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Here you will find the best trail for seeing the seven wonders, which begins at the southeast corner of the parking area, which accommodates 350 cars, 50 RVs and 20 buses.

Fondest memory: Johnston Ridge was closed for the winter on Sunday, October 26, 2003.

Summer Hours: Open Daily, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Daily admittance to one visitor center is $3 per adult and $1 for youth ages 5 to 15. Admittance to all visitor centers costs $6 per adult and $2 for youth. (2003 prices)