Mount St. Helens

Mount St. Helens is Southwest Washington's favorite landmark. Coming up on 25 years since the eruption on May 18, 1980 that blew 1,313-feet off her top and devastated 150 square miles (250,000 acres) of forested habitat, the mountain ecosystem has made a remarkable comeback. The recovery of nature in this area as well as the diversity of terrain makes for exciting exploring, hiking and cross-country skiing.

Helicopter tours provide an exhilarating and speedy way to take in the full scope of the eruption. The one half-hour trip follows 22 miles of mudflow and sweeps around the inside of the crater. The helicopters depart from the Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center. For fares and schedule information, call 360-274-7750.

In the summer only, the east side of Mount St. Helens can be accessed from Lewis County near Randle by taking Forest Service Road 25 to Windy Ridge. This route provides the closest access to Spirit Lake - the lake that reflects the mountain. Forest interpreters at Windy Ridge offer 25-minute presentations in an outdoor amphitheater. Consider continuing from Hwy. 25 south through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to the Columbia River Gorge.

Mount St. Helens Glassworks in Hoffstadt Bluffs incorporates bits of volcanic ash into its creatively elegant pieces – show plates, vases, bowls, paperweights and more. The showroom is open Monday through Friday and glassblowers can be viewed on weekdays at Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center April through September, and at their studio from October through March. They take a break at Christmas time. Their glass items are available at the studio, and also at NW Factory Co-op at the Centralia Factory Outlets.

The National Forest Service is planning events to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of Mount St. Helens eruption in May 2005.

Mount St. Helens Information
Mountain Climbing Mount St. Helens
Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center
Tatoosh Wilderness Area
White Pass Scenic Byway
Mt Rainier National Park Scenic Drive