May 18, 1980, it's the day Mount St. Helens roared to life. Hi there, I'm John Williams with
another Accessible Adventure In The Pacific Northwest.
This time, we explore the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
It only takes a couple of hours to drive up here from Portland or Vancouver, but give
yourself the entire day so you can see it all.
As you drive up hwy 504, be sure to stop at the State of Washington's Mt. St. Helens Visitor
Center and explore the adjacent wetland on the accessible trail.
The Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center, Restaurant and View Point is managed by Cowlitz County.
It offers an even closer look at the volcano and Toutle Valley below.
Castle Lake and Loowit View Points offer an excellent opportunity to pull off, and get
a closer look.
As we drive through the blast zone, you can almost feel that fateful morning. The mountain
was blown away, leaving a mile wide crater. A plume of ash shot 80,000 feet into the air.
More than 200 square miles of forest was leveled by the massive landslide and lateral blast.
Countless forest animals and 57 people lost their lives that day.
Over the years, the mountain has been reborn, vegetation, trees, wildlife have all returned
to the shattered landscape.
Here at Coldwater Lake there is a paved and boardwalk nature trail. The lake also features
a lakeside picnic area and nearby hiking and fishing. And it's very accessible.
While you're here at Coldwater, consider visiting the nearby Science and Learning Center, open
to the public on most summer weekends. Check the Mt St Helens Science and Learning Center's
website for days and hours of operation.
At the end of State Route 504, you'll find The Johnston Ridge Observatory. The observatory,
is named after David Johnston, the young volcanologist, who lost his life that day, studying the mountain.
The entrance way to the observatory is steep, but once you arrive, you'll find plenty of
accessible vantage points.
The Forest Service is continually working to make your visit here a unique and rewarding
experience. In 2012, this amphitheater was cut into Johnston Ridge. Giving you a direct
look into the crater and the Toutle Valley below. Together with the Cowlitz County Economic
Development Council, the Forest Service has recently added a summer Music on the Mountain
concert series.
There is plenty to do and see inside the observatory. Wheelchairs are available if you need one.
Available audio handsets provide assistive descriptions of exhibits in English and simultaneous
translation in six languages.
Heart wrenching and heartwarming stories of the people who endured this cataclysmic event.
From this vantage point, you're looking directly into the volcano's crater, just five miles
away.
There are literally miles of hiking trails, and some are paved
and accessible, but beware, there are steep inclines.
In the summer, join a ranger talk or guided hike.
So come on up and spend the entire day here on the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
And see what Mother Nature is up to!
Thanks for watching. I'm John Williams, and I'll see you soon for another Accessible Adventure
In The Pacific Northwest.