The Klickitat Indians who called Mount St Helens   Tahonelatclah ("Fire Mountain") knew what they were talking about. A snowcapped peak long popu lar with scout camps and climbing expeditions, Mount St Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, leaving a scorched area of near-total destruction. Its blast wave flattened the surrounding forests, heavy clouds of ash settled as far away as Portland, and a massive mudflow sent an avalanche of debris down the Toutle River Valley. Since then, the forests have started to grow again, and many animal species have made a surprisingly quick recovery, while others have seemingly vanished for good. With the scarred landscape testifying to the awesome force of nature, Mount St Helens has justifiably become a major tourist attraction.

Located in a remote pocket of Gifford Pinchot National Forest, there are three entry routes into the region. Most visitors arrive along Hwy-504, off I-5 roughly halfway between Olympia and Portland. The road snakes through dark green forests, until bald, spiky trees signal a sudden change: thousands of gray tree-skeletons lie in combed-down rows, knocked flat in different directions as the blast waves bounced off the hillsides. At the end is the Johnson Ridge Observatory (May-Sept daily 10am-6pm; tel 360/274-2140), offering breathtaking views of the still-steaming lava dome and crater, plus state-of-the-art interpretive displays, an exciting film of the eruption of Mount St Helens and powerful testimonials by blast survivors. On bright summer days, views of the mountain can be both unexpectedly picturesque and starkly ominous. The only real disadvantage with the Hwy-504 approach to Mount St Helens is its popularity - you can expect long caravans of SUVs on any fair-weather day.

One alternative is to take Hwy-503 from Portland (or I-5) to COUGAR , on the mountain's southern periphery, from where challenging, summer-only forest roads, USFS-90, -25 and -99, wind along its flanks to Windy Ridge viewpoint on the northeast side of the mountain. Attracting only a fraction of the tourists swarming on Johnson Ridge, this is the best place to view the volcanic apocalypse up close, with shocking views of shattered trees and torn-up hillsides. Windy Ridge can also be accessed from the north from RANDLE along USFS-25 and -99, which provides access to what remains of Spirit Lake and passes through lava flows with numerous viewpoints en route.

Mount St Helens National Monument charges a $6 admission fee that allows visitors access to all the sites, good for one week. En route to Windy Ridge from Hwy-503 is the Mount St Helens Volcanic Monument Headquarters (tel 360/247-3900, ) in Amboy, which has information and issues backcountry permits ($15; reserve at 360/247-3961). Just off the I-5 near Castle Rock is the Mount St Helens Visitor Center (daily 9am-5pm; tel 360/274-2103), complete with informative exhibits. The Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center (daily 10am-6pm; tel 360/274-2131) focuses on the ways plants and animals have successfully recolonized in the blast zones. There are also areas in the Monument where you can hike and camp .

Mount St Helens

• Mount St Helens
• The eruption of Mount St Helens

Washington cities


All U.S. city guides