Planning trips from the North Clark County area to Mount St. Helens this year has been challenging.
A landslide on the Spirit Lake Highway closed access to Johnston Ridge just after The Reflector’s “Road to Johnston Ridge now open” story was sent to the printing press. Then, another landslide closed part of Forest Road 25, the route to Windy Ridge Viewpoint from Cougar, before Windy Ridge opened.
But hope remains. Views of Spirit Lake, the crater from the 1980 eruption and the ever-recovering moonscape on the north side of Mount St. Helens, as of last weekend, are now accessible — if a longer-than-usual drive for locals.
After Battle Ground residents, for example, make the 3-hour drive, they’ll be greeted by those iconic vistas of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and Mount Hood on a clear day.
Work began on the fix for Spirit Lake Highway in the last two weeks. Agencies think it will be open for the 2024 summer season.
For the rest of 2023, public access at the National Volcanic Monument from the west ends just a few miles before Johnston Ridge, which still allows access to most of the area’s hikes and scenery including Coldwater Lake and the Hummocks Trail.
The Mount St. Helens Institute, at the Coldwater Science and Learning Center, is also hosting interpretive programs from the Forest Service along with its usual educational opportunities.
Besides the closure at Forest Road 25, the southern half of the mountain is still open as planned, including The Ape Caves and nearby hikes.
Plan a trip to the national monument at fs.usda.gov/visit/destination/mount-st-helens-na tional-volcanic-monument-0.
