a day / 46 miles / an hour 31 minutes
This byway takes travelers through land devastated by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens into the very heart of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
Day 1
9:00 - 42.4 miles / an hour 24 minutes - 10:24
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
After the nine-hour eruption on May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens was a changed and historic place. In 1982 Congress created a 110,000-acre national volcanic monument. The creation of the monument was intended for education, research, and recreation. After such a devastating disaster, the area within the monument has been left to recover naturally.
A variety of opportunities for exploration exist within the monument. Numerous trails and viewpoints have been created to view the recovering beauty of the landscape. During summer months, take the chance to climb to the crater rim and view the volcano from its highest point. Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a wonder in the winter as well, when the scenery is blanketed in snow. Snowmobile and cross-country ski trails have been made and allow visitors to travel through the pristine whiteness.14:24 - 3.2 miles / 6 minutes - 14:31