Mt St. Helens

Mt. St. Helens

7 hour standard tour option

To see it up close is pretty amazing. Imagine all the power it took to blow the mountain apart."

Johnston Ridge Observatory and the Mt. St. Helens Forest Visitor Center -
Elk viewing, gift stores and mountain viewing areas are ALL OPEN for the Season !
Mt. St. Helens National Park is located in Washington State off I-5 approximately
1.5 hours north of Portland through Castle Rock. We'll enter the National Park from Highway 504 on the west side which holds the two main visitor centers: the Mt. St. Helens Forest Learning Center/ Visitor Center and adjacent wetland (Free) at milepost 5 (our 1st stop for great exhibits and cool shopping - and a great Mt. St. Helens adventure for the whole family).
And for the trips highlight is the Johnston Ridge Observatory ($8/adult) right in the middle of the 'Blast Zone' just 5 miles from the caldera, for views and photo-ops and watch the short movie there, at milepost 52. There's plenty to see and do inside the observatory. The standard hike to the Viewpoint is 5 minutes and a 30% grade. Additional hikes are available from this location.
Volcano-watching and photographing America's volcano is the top past-time at the National
Park followed by touring the exhibits and movies at these two Main Mount St. Helens National
Park Visitor Centers.
You may add these popular Mount St. Helens National Park Activities for additional info about the mountain: (Additions require 1-2 hours more) To add a restaurant stop, add 1 hour, making your tour 8 hours long.

Elk Viewing ( Forest Learning/Visitor Center view point )
Exploring Ape Caves on the South Side of the National Park (add 4 hours)
Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor's Center, Restaurant and Viewpoint offers a closer look at the volcano and Tuttle Valley below.
Castle Lake and Lewitt Viewpoint give you an excellent opportunity to pull off and get a closer look.
Helicopter tour of the National Park
Cool shopping at the Popular Discovery Gift Store - Forest Learning Center
Dining on Blackberry Cobbler at 19 Mile House (Fire Mtn Grill)
Horse Rides on the mudflow from Eco Park