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Visitor Centers at Mount St. Helens

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Mount St. Helens Visitor Centers Along State Highway 504 (locations are approximate)

Mount St. Helens Visitor Centers Along State Highway 504 (locations are approximate)

There are five Mount St. Helens visitor centers located on State Highway 504, the main route into the National Volcanic Monument. Each offers different educational exhibits and viewing opportunities, along with shops, refreshments, and restrooms. Most offer access to trails.

The best way to experience the mountain is to spend a full day, or more, driving east on highway 504, stopping at visitor centers, trails, and view points along the way. The extent of the devastation - obvious even two decades after the 1980 eruption - unfolds with each mile. Yet you will also see signs of nature's recovery, plants and animals clinging to life among a seemingly-barren landscape.

If you only have a short time to spend on your visit, the visitor center at Silver Lake is located just off Interstate 5 and offers excellent exhibits and a moving film. If you have time to drive all the way in, but can only stop at a single visitor center, choose either the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center or the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Both offer stunning views into the volcano's crater.

Note: Volcano viewing is highly dependent on the weather. However, if visibility does not allow a view of Mount St. Helens itself, the experience of spending time in the blast zone, visiting the centers, and hiking along interpretive trails is still an experience of a lifetime.

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