Seattle Attractions

Mount St. Helens

One Sunday morning in May 1980, Mount St Helens, one of the snow-covered peaks of the Cascades Mountains, lying about 168 miles (271km) south of Seattle, erupted, causing a massive landslide and devastating a vast area of forest. The volcano continued erupting intermittently for six years. Today the area is being preserved as the Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument, being left to revive naturally from the experience while scientists continue to monitor the volcano and the environment of the surrounding landscape. The Monument has become a fascinating tourist attraction equipped with numerous viewpoints and miles of trails enabling it to be explored by car or on foot. Forest Interpreters host visitors during the summer months organising activities like walks and amphitheatre presentations, while in winter the mountain slopes provide cross-country ski and snowmobile trails. Climbers take on the journey to the crater rim and five visitor centres operate on State Road 504 on the west side of the mountain providing information about the volcano and the environment. A gift shop at the Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center offers hand-crafted items made from Mount St. Helens ash. 

Website: www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm; Telephone: (360) 274 0962 (Mount St. Helens Visitor Center); Admission: Depending on what sites one plans to visit, there is a Regional Northwest Forest Pass ($5 per vehicle)