Day Trip -Portland to Mount St Helens
A Two-Day Mount St. Helens Experience
Day Trip from Portland to Mount St. Helens
Distance: 220 miles round trip
Driving Directions with Recommended Stops
Drive north on Interstate 5 from Portland. Take Exit 49 at Castle Rock and proceed west to the historic downtown, which features a variety of shops, antique stores, and restaurants. Stop at the bakery for a pastry and espresso. The Castle Rock Exhibit Hall & Visitor Information Center displays carvings, photographs and exhibits relating to Mount St. Helens and local history.
Drive east on SR 504 from Castle Rock to Drew’s Grocery at Milepost 11. Drew’s offers a full-service grocery and gas station, as well as a market and deli featuring Cooper’s Chicken and lunchboxes to go. Groups are advised to call 360.274.8920 in advance to place orders.
Another option for lunch is Eco Park Resort & Backwoods Café at Milepost 24. Enjoy a great meal at the Backwoods Café and allow time to enjoy horseback riding, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Call 360.274.7007 for more information.
Johnston Ridge Observatoryat Milepost 52 is an essential part of the Mount St. Helens experience. Located only five miles from the crater, this world-class visitor center offers a dramatic movie, geologic exhibits, eye-witness accounts of the eruption, hiking trails, and special programs. Admission is free for children 15 and under and $8 for those 16 and over. Johnston Ridge Observatory is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May 1 to October 31, weather permitting. Visitors should allow one to two hours at this facility.
The Mount St. Helens Forest Learning Center at Milepost 33.5 offers information about the eruption, its effect on the environment, and Weyerhaeuser Company’s efforts to speed the recovery. Enjoy the hands-on learning and multi-media presentations, playground, picnic area, and elk viewpoint. The Forest Learning Center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May 15 to October 15, weather permitting. Admission is free. Visitors should allow one hour at this facility.
The Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitors Center at Milepost 27 offers helicopter tours, a gift shop, restaurant, viewing deck, and a memorial grove dedicated to the 57 victims of the eruption. Hoffstadt is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in June and September and from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in July and August. Admission is free. Visitors should allow approximately one hour at this facility.
Finish your day at the 19-Mile House Restaurant at Milepost 19, where world-famous homemade cobbler is served hot with a scoop of ice cream from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Continue driving west on SR 504 to the junction with Interstate 5.