World Class Visitor Centers
Following the May 18th eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, national and regional leaders passed legislation preserving the area around the mountain, and constructed a series of centers allowing visitors to interact. The Forest Service developed three visitor centers along SR-504. Fees are charged to enter their centers. The Forest Learning Center and Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Centers offer free admission.
Johnston Ridge Observatory is closest to the mountain. Built like a bunker into the surrounding landscape, it focuses visitor’s attention on the smoldering crater some six miles away. Services include a wide-screen theater presentation, interpretive exhibits, a staffed information desk and a Northwest Interpretive Association books sales area. No food service available at this site. Coldwater Visitor Center offers views from further west and along the scarred Toutle River Valley. Services include a video-wall theater program, interpretive exhibits, a staffed information desk, a gift shop, a Northwest Interpretive Association book sales area, and a restaurant with a selection of sandwiches, soups, salads, and drinks.
Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake is approximately 5 miles from Interstate 5 off Exit 49. The center looks across Silver Lake toward the western flank of Mount St. Helens. Services include a 16 minute theater presentation, interpretive exhibits, a staffed information desk, and Northwest Interpretive Association book sales area. The Forest Learning Center was formed in an alliance with Weyerhaeuser Company, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Washington State Department of Transportation. It offers free information on the eruption, the effect on the environment and Weyerhaeuser’s efforts to speed the recovery process.
Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center is owned by Cowlitz County. The lodge-style building offers excellent views of the mountain as well as full-service dining, lounge and gift shop. Helicopter tours of Mount St. Helens depart hourly from Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center during the summer months. Memorial Grove
The memorial grove at Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center (Milepost 27) honors the 57 people whose lives were taken by the May 18, 1980 eruption.
The grove offers great views of the Toutle River Valley mudflows and is a peaceful area to relax and reflect on the events of the May 18th, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
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