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Coldwater Lake with Mount St. Helens behind it. Kim Island (lower left) is a massive hummock that was a part of the mountain. Launched by the explosive forces of the eruption, the rock sailed six miles, coming to rest in the lake which also didn’t exist prior to the transformative forces of the 1980 blast.
The Science & Learning Center at Coldwater sits high above Coldwater Lake, with Mount St. Helens behind. The gap in the mountain’s cone is the north face, blown out by the 1980 eruption.
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killed 57 people and shortened the mountain by 1,300 feet remains the most destructive volcanic event in modern-day North America. Two years later, 110,000 acres were protected allowing MSHNVM to respond and recover naturally.
Exiting I-5 at Castle Rock and driving Route 504, visitors can first tour the MSH Visitor Center (a Washington State Park site) to learn about the historical eruption, its legacy and how the area has since recovered. Resorts and small lodging choices dot the route for those with enough time to spend a night or two in the area. Book in advance though, as most choices sell out early and close in the offseason.
It was the author’s intention to drive Route 504 all the way to its end point at the Johnston Ridge Observatory for the best view of MSH (looking at its north face, the side opened during the eruption). However, amazingly, 43 years later (in early 2023), the eruption was still
FEBRUARY 2024