Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Washington State) - Helpful Travel Info for Visitors
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a national monument surrounding Mount St Helens, an erupted volcano in 1980, in Washington State.
Mt. St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon, and 96 miles south of Seattle, Washington.
Mt St. Helens National monument area is 110,000 acres (445 km2) land around the Mount Saint Helens volcano area set aside for research, recreation, and education.
The nearest commercial airport is located in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington State.
Mount St. Helens Monument visitor center can be reached by car from Seattle, WA, and Portland, OR by taking I-5 Interstate Hwy.
Mount St. Helens National Monument is part of Gifford Pinchot National Forest located around Mount Saint Helens.
However, Mount St Helens can be viewed from many locations on WA-504 (aka Spirit Lake Highway) including WA State Parks and Private lands.
From I-5 Interstate Hwy between Portland and Seattle, use exit 49 towards Castle Rock - Toutle, and take WA-504 Hwy east towards Mt Saint Helens.
Things to see and visit at Mt Saint Helens are:
1). Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silverlake in Castle Rock, WA - about 5 miles from I-5 intersection on WA-504 East - Admission Fee US$5.00 per Adult (WA State Park)
2). The Forest Learning Center, operated by Weyerhaeuser at milepost 33 on WA-504 East - Free for all and good for Elk Viewing in the valley below.
3). Elk Rock viewpoint - at milepost 37 on WA-504 East - Free for all
4). Loowit Viewpoint - at about milepost 51 on WA-504 East
5). Johnston Ridge Observatory, operated by the U.S. Forest Service - at milepost 52 on WA-504 East (end of the road)
6). Coldwater Lake - at milepost 47 on WA-504 East
Entrance Fee at Mount St Helens National Monument area:
Mt St Helens National Monument area between Coldwater Lake and the Johnston Observatory has US$8.00 per adult fee to hike the trails or view interpretive displays.
Free to holders of a federal interagency recreation pass like Annual National Park Pass holders.
No fee required to drive within the Monument on WA-504 Hwy also called Spirit Lake Highway.
There is no Entrance gate on WA-504 Hwy for this National Volcanic Monument.
Mount Saint Helens National Monument area has many trails for hikers:
- Mount Saint Helens Summit Trail - requires booking or reservation to hike and is available online
- Harry's Ridge Trail - Moderate trail
- Boundary Trail - Moderate trail at Loowit Viewpoint
- Coldwater Lake Trail - Moderate trail starting at Coldwater Lake Parking Lot
- any many more trails
Visit Mount St. Helens with whole family or friends.
One can spend a whole day hiking, viewing, playing in Coldwater Lake in this area of Mt. Saint Helens.
Mt. Saint Helen's, a national monument and active volcano, has a history dating back 40,000 years. She is one of 5 Washington State volcanoes. It was May 18, 1980, when the eruption brought this quiet mountain to the world's attention. On your tour, you'll see the devastation caused by the 1980 eruption and the slow return of nature’s flora. A full day of adventure, you'll visit: Mt. St. Helen's Visitor Center, lunch at a local restaurant, and visit Johnston Ridge Visitor Center.
Private Mount Saint Helens Monument Day Trip - $358.74
