Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a

U.S. National Monument In the United States, a national monument is a protected area that can be created from any land owned or controlled by the Federal government of the United States, federal government by Presidential proclamation (United States), proclamation ...

that includes the area around

Mount St. Helens Mount St. Helens (known as Lawetlat'la to the local Cowlitz people, and Loowit or Louwala-Clough to the Klickitat) is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States ...

in Cowlitz,

Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...

, and Skamania Counties,

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

.About 70% of the national monument, including Mount St. Helens itself, is in Skamania County. Cowlitz county holds about 25% of the monument and Lewis County holds the remaining 5%. It was established by

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

on August 27, 1982, following the 1980 eruption. The 110,000 acre (445 km²) National Volcanic Monument was set aside for research, recreation, and education. Inside the monument, the environment is left to respond naturally to the disturbance. It was the third national monument to be managed by the

U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...

and is part of the

Gifford Pinchot National Forest Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a National Forest located in southern Washington, managed by the United States Forest Service. With an area of , it extends along the western slopes of Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the C ...

. At dedication ceremonies on May 18, 1983, Max Peterson, head of the USFS, said, "we can take pride in having preserved the unique episode of natural history for future generations." Since then, many trails, viewpoints, information stations, campgrounds, and picnic areas have been established to accommodate the increasing number of visitors each year. Due to the eruption, the state recognizes the month of May as "Volcano Awareness Month" and events are held at Mount St. Helens, or within the region, to discuss the eruption, safety concerns, and to commemorate lives lost during the natural disaster. Beginning in 1983, visitors have been able to drive to Windy Ridge, only northeast of the crater. Mountain climbing to the summit of the volcano has been allowed since 1986 and requires a permit.

Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake

The Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake, about west of Mount St. Helens and five miles (8 km) east of

Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...

(outside the monument), opened in 1987 by then-

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

George H.W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

. The center was formerly operated by the U.S. Forest Service and has been operated by

Washington State Parks The U.S. state of Washington has over 140 state parks that are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. These include 19 marine parks and 11 Historical Parks. The park system was established in 1913 by the creation of the ...

since October 2007. Exhibits include the area's culture and history, and the natural history and geology of the volcano and the eruption, including the recovery of the area's vegetation and animal life. The Center includes a theater, a gift shop and outdoor trails. By the end of 1989, the center had hosted more than 1.5 million visitors and in 2007, approximately 300,000 guests were recorded. The space underwent its first upgrade in 2024, which included artworks and exhibits expanding on the history and connection of the

Cowlitz Indian Tribe The Cowlitz Indian Tribe is a federally recognized tribe of Cowlitz people. They are a tribe of Southwestern Coast Salish and Sahaptan indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest located in Washington. Other Cowlitz people are enrolled in the C ...

to the mountain and surrounding lands. Additional features included numerous science displays regarding earthquakes and volcanoes along with historical artifacts related to the 1980 eruption. The renovation was completed and the center reopened in May 2025.

Johnston Ridge Observatory

The Johnston Ridge Observatory is east of

Castle Rock, Washington Castle Rock is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, Cowlitz County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. Located between the Willapa Hills and the western base of Mount St. Helens, Castle Rock is at the heart of Washington timber count ...

, at the end of

Washington State Route 504 State Route 504 (SR 504, designated as the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway) is a State highways in Washington, state highway in southwestern Washington (state), Washington state in the United States. It travels along the North Fork Toutle R ...

, four miles from the mountain. Open daily mid-May through October, exhibits focus on the geologic history of the volcano, eyewitness accounts of the explosion, and the science of monitoring volcanic activity. Two movies and ranger-led programs are available every hour. A half-mile paved trail provides views of the

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...

dome,

crater A crater is a landform consisting of a hole or depression (geology), depression on a planetary surface, usually caused either by an object hitting the surface, or by geological activity on the planet. A crater has classically been described ...

pumice Pumice (), called pumicite in its powdered or dust form, is a volcanic rock that consists of extremely vesicular rough-textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals. It is typically light-colored. Scoria is another vesicula ...

plain, and landslide deposit, with access to hiking trails in the restricted area. The observatory is located near the site of

volcanologist A volcanologist, or volcano scientist, is a geologist who focuses on understanding the formation and eruptive activity of volcanoes. Volcanologists frequently visit volcanoes, sometimes active ones, to observe and monitor volcanic eruptions, col ...

David A. Johnston David Alexander Johnston (December 18, 1949 – May 18, 1980) was an American United States Geological Survey (USGS) volcanologist who was killed by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. A pr ...

's camp on the morning of May 18, 1980, and was opened in 1997. On May 14, 2023, access to the observatory was barred due to the

2023 South Coldwater Slide The 2023 South Coldwater Slide is a mudslide that occurred in May 2023 near Mt. St. Helens. The volume of debris, and subsequent destruction of a bridge, closed off Washington State Route 504 and access to the Mount St. Helens National Volcani ...

, a landslide that destroyed a bridge on

. A team composed of U.S. Forest Service staff and volunteers hiked to the building to retrieve scientific items and supplies so that work to observe the volcano, as well as the continuation of services for visitors, could proceed at the Coldwater Science and Learning Center. Another landslide a month later would affect access to Windy Ridge. In early 2024,

Washington State Department of Transportation The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT or WashDOT, both ) is a governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of transportation infrastructure in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. Establi ...

(WSDOT) announced that because of cost and a limited construction schedule for repairs due to a combination of weather, elevation, and issues with the terrain, the highway and access to the observatory would be closed until 2026. The USFS and the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

(USGS) disclosed that the site is without electricity and that the observatory may not open until spring 2027.

Science and Learning Center at Coldwater

The Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center in the Coldwater Lake area opened in 1993, operated by the Forest Service, but closed in November 2007 due to a lack of funding. The grounds were reopened in 2011 for limited use, providing educational programs and events to the public. The center reopened as the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater (SLC) in May 2013, operating as an educational facility and conference center in cooperation with the nonprofit Mount St. Helens Institute. It was open to the public on weekends from 10am to 6pm, though many of the exhibits were removed, the gift shop, theatre, and some signage remained. The campus was closed during the

Covid-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, though it was available for educational residential visits, and reopened to weekend visits in 2022 and normal visitation in 2023. A proposed expansion of the SLC would include space for an amphitheater, overnight camping, an outdoor school, improved hiking trails, and timber lodges. Starting from a 30-year permit from the U.S. Forest service, the upgrades are projected to cost $35 million. , the beginning phases of the project has raised 20% of its projected $10 million, including a $900,000 donation from a foundation run by the

. The expansion was declared on hold after federal spending cuts in 2025. After the South Coldwater Slide in 2023, the center was outfitted with exhibits and other facilities as a temporary alternative to the Johnston Ridge Observatory while cleanup and repairs were underway. By 2024, students participating in educational adventures held at the SLC could camp overnight in the building. In 2024, the Mt. St. Helens Institute reported over 54,000 visitors to the SLC with over 2,200 students participating in the institute's youth education programs. A fellow community program led to 69 members becoming certified volcano naturalists the same year. The Winds of Change Trail #232, a short, barrier-free interpretive trail, departs from the Science and Learning Center.

South and east sides of Mount St. Helens

The southern and eastern sides of Mount St. Helens are accessible only by U.S. Forest Service roads. The main roads are: * Forest Route 25

U.S. Forest Service Road 25 – Monument entrance from

U.S. Route 12 U.S. Route 12 or U.S. Highway 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90 ...

to Road 90. * Forest Route 26

U.S. Forest Service Road 26 – Road 99 to Norway Pass to Road 25. * Forest Route 81

U.S. Forest Service Road 81 – SR 503/Road 90 to Merrill Lake, Kalama Horse Camp, and Climber's Bivouac. * Forest Route 83

U.S. Forest Service Road 83 – Road 90 to Ape Cave, Ape Canyon, Lava Canyon lahar, and Smith Creek. * Forest Route 90

U.S. Forest Service Road 90 – Monument entrance from State Route 503. * Forest Route 99

U.S. Forest Service Road 99 – Road 25 to Bear Meadows, Meta Lake and Miner's Car, and Windy Ridge.

Bear Meadows

Bear Meadows is an alpine meadow and viewpoint northeast of Mt. St. Helens. It is located on U.S. Forest Service Road 99. Gary Rosenquist camped here with friends on May 17–18, 1980. He started taking his famous eruption photographs from this location. The sequence of eruption photos provide a time-lapse view of the developing eruption. As the lateral blast developed, he and his friends abandoned their campsite fearing for their lives. He continued taking photos as they escaped in a car. The eruption's lateral blast narrowly missed the site as it was deflected by a ridge just west of the meadow. In an interview with

KIRO-TV KIRO-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with CBS and Telemundo. Owned by Cox Media Group, the station maintains studios on Third Avenue in the Belltown, Seattle, Belltown section of Downtown ...

in 1990, a friend called that ridge "the line of death."

Windy Ridge

Windy Ridge is the closest view point accessible to the general public. Beginning in summer 1983, visitors have been able to drive to Windy Ridge, on U.S. Forest Service Road 99, only northeast of the crater. From this vantage point overlooking Spirit Lake, people see not only the evidence of a volcano's destruction, but also the remarkable, gradual (but faster than originally predicted) recovery of the land as revegetation proceeds and wildlife returns.

Ape Cave

Ape Cave is a

lava tube A lava tube, more rarely called a pyroduct, is a 'roofed conduit through which molten lava travels away from its vent'. If lava in the tube drains out, it will leave an empty cave. Lava tubes are common in low-viscosity volcanic systems. La ...

located in

just to the south of Mount St. Helens. Its passageway is the longest continuous lava tube in the continental United States and the third longest (in total mapped length) lava tube in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

at 2.5 miles (4,023 meters). The cave was formed approximately 1,900 years ago, is situated at an average depth of 50 feet below ground, and the air temperature remains a constant 42 degrees throughout the year. Lava tubes are an unusual formation in this region, as volcanoes of the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...

are mostly

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with ...

s and do not typically erupt with

pahoehoe Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or unde ...

(fluid basalt). Two competing mentions of its discovery exist. The cave was discovered in 1947 by a logger who almost fell into the system while operating a tractor. Another account mentions a discovery around 1951 by Lawrence Johnson, also a logger, when he noticed a tree that "looked wrong." After investigating the tree, he discovered it tilted into a lava tube collapse. A few days later, Johnson brought a group of other people back to the cave, and an individual named Harry Reese was lowered to the floor and became the first known person to explore the interior. The cave system takes its moniker from a local

Boy Scout A Scout, Boy Scout, Girl Scout or, in some countries, a Pathfinder is a participant in the Scout Movement, usually aged 10–18 years, who engage in learning scoutcraft and outdoor and other special interest activities. Some Scout organizatio ...

troop, named the Mount St. Helens Apes, who undertook subsequent explorations of the tube after its discovery. Ape Cave is a popular hiking destination with beautiful views of the Mount St. Helens

lahar A lahar (, from ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of Pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a valley, river valley. Lahars are o ...

region. Ape Cave Trail No. 239, which runs along the interior of the cave, is a

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

receiving 170,000 visitors each year.

Trails and recreation

In 2024, trails in the area of Spirit Lake were closed during weekdays due to a project to repair the 1985 drainage tunnel. Closure of the area for hiking is expected to last through 2027.

Notes

References

External links

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
– official U.S. Forest Service site
Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake
– official Washington State Parks site

– Visit a Volcano, includes maps and volcano information
Travel information about Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Johnston Ridge Observatory
{{Authority control National monuments in Washington (state) Mount St. Helens Gifford Pinchot National Forest Museums in Cowlitz County, Washington Natural history museums in Washington (state) Protected areas of Cowlitz County, Washington Protected areas of Lewis County, Washington Protected areas of Skamania County, Washington Protected areas established in 1982 1982 establishments in Washington (state) United States Forest Service national monuments