We visited Mount St. Helens on the second day of our trip, and had a wonderful morning checking out the visitors centers and driving up to Johnston's Ridge Observatory for a great view of the mountain itself. To get the most out of your visit, definitely take advantage of the talks led by the park rangers and visitor center staff.... more

A must do experience. We were only able to see the mountain from the eastern side as the day we visited the western side it was in fog.But what an awesome sight it is from the east. We were able to witness the devastation and force of such an erruption. Spirit Lake is also on the way. A long drive... more

Mount St. Helens was the highlight of our family vacation. Approach. The park area is immense, but the travel guides (and the rangers on site) tell you that the best portions are on the west approach, which is the side that the Visitors Center is on. Plan on the round trip being an all day affair. It's too ambitious to... more

Like most visitors to Washington, I've been to Mt Rainier. On suggestion of a friend, I decided to hit Mt St Helens which is actually only 2.5-3 hours from Seattle. I headed directly up to the Johnston Ridge visitors center--there is not reason to stop along the way as the views on the road there, pale in comparison to those... more

A great day trip from Seattle, Mt St Helens was quite awe inspiring. The Johnston Ridge visitor center was informative and interesting, as was the documentary presentation, and certainly good value for money. We visited within a week of its seasonal opening (mid May) which meant there was still enough snow on the volcano to give definition to the shape... more

I was at Mt. St. Helens over 20 years ago as a teen right after the eruption. At that time, there was nothing there but downed trees and ash and roofs of houses. I was frightened driving in there. Driving there two weeks ago was a different experience. I did not recognize it. There were trees and forest and a... more

About 1.5 hrs north of Portland and up into the countryside of Washington you will find a 2 lane road leading to one of the most famous of all sites. Mount St Helens. If you have never been in to this site, it will truly take your breath away. From the regrowth of trees that 30 years ago were blasted... more

What a pretty drive ... halfway up you can stop and take a picture with a gigantic Bigfoot replica. Go to the welcome center, and they will tell you about the different views you can see as you travel towards the Volcano. You are basically driving around it, and at the end, you can see into it. But, halfway up... more

I planned this day trip not knowing exactly what to expect, but it was fantastic. If you have the time, I suggest driving the full length of the road and getting as close as you can. When there is no cloud cover it is a simply amazing site. The information provided in all of the visitors centers was really impressive... more