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Free Traveling Guides » States » Washington » Mountains
Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument
The Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument encompasses the entire area around Mount St. Helens in Washington and is designated as a U.S. National Monument. It was established by the U.S. President Ronald Regan on August 27, 1982, following the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. This National Volcanic Monument occupies an area of about 110,000-acre (450 square-km) and is set-aside for recreation, research, and education. The environment is left to respond naturally to the disturbance inside the Monument.
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is one of its kinds in the United States and is managed by the United States Forest Service. The Monument has a number of scenic trails, viewpoints, campgrounds, information stations, and picnic areas to accommodate the increasing number of visitors every year. A major attraction here is the Windy Ridge, a vantage point overlooking the magnificent Spirit Lake. It is located just 4 miles (6 km) northeast of the Crater. Spectacular views from this viewpoint provide evidence of a volcano's destruction, gradual recovery of the land, re-vegetation, and the return of the wildlife.
Two major landmarks here are the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center and the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The Visitor Center was initially established at Silver Lake in December, 1986. It is located 30 miles (48 km) west of Mount St. Helens and merely five miles (8 km) east of the Interstate Highway 5. However, it was in 1993 that an interpretation complex was set up in the Coldwater Lake Area. Another interpretation complex was established in the Johnston Area in 1997. This Johnston Ridge Observatory gives the visitors an opportunity to view the inside of the crater. Mountain climbing to the top of the volcano has been permitted since 1986.
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