Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is an outdoor activity in Castle Rock, WA, part of the Portland, Oregon guide. Cost: under $25. East side Forest Roads 25 and 99 are typically open late June through November; Ape Cave requires timed reservations May 18 to October 31.

State Route 504 (Spirit Lake Hwy), east of Castle Rock · Castle Rock, WA

Why you should go…

The Forest Service manages 110,000 acres around the volcano, set aside as a monument in 1982. On the west side, State Route 504 runs into the blast zone to the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater, Coldwater Lake and the Hummocks Trail. The south side has Ape Cave, a lava tube 2.5 miles long, plus Lava Canyon, and the east side roads reach Windy Ridge and views of Spirit Lake. Johnston Ridge Observatory is closed after a 2023 landslide cut the highway.

#volcano
#national monument
#hiking
#lava tube
#scenic drive

What's around here?

The closest stops to Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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