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Mount St. Helens Washington Tourism |
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From the time the mountain rumbled then blew its lid on May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens has attracted an enormous crowd to see it from every angle.The following information, provided by the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Headquarters, should be most helpful when you decide to take a look yourself. Viewpoints: For an awe-inspiring look at the power unleashed by Mother Nature, nothing quite compares to the viewpoints at Windy Ridge and Coldwater Ridge. Easily accessed by car on paved U.S. Forest Service roads due south from Randle, Windy Ridge dramatically displays the effects of the forces that vaporized 1,313 feet of mountain top. On the way to the viewpoint, only 4-1/2 miles from the crater, you’ll see thousands of acres of big timber blown down or snapped off by the force of the blast. Summer and fall are the best times of the year to visit Windy Ridge with an elevation of 4,170 feet. The road to the ridge is closed by snow during the winter. On the west side of Mount St. Helens, the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, an extension to Highway 504 from Castle Rock leads to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The observatory is 90 minutes from I-5 and is open 7 days per week 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. but is closed in the winter. It offers interpretive talks and eyewitness accounts of the eruption. Views from the highway are impressive, with many turn-outs along the way. The rebirth of the landscape is remarkable to see. This is an evolving environment that will fascinate for years to come. |
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