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Mount. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Trail Descriptions
Barrier Free Trails:
Winds of Change Trail #232 -- Access at
C6ldwater Ridge Visitor Center.
Trailhead facilities: Restrooms, drinking
water, telephones, food, and picnic area available at Coldwater Ridge
Visitor Center.
Length: 0.4 mi., 0.6 km Difficulty: Hikers:
Easy; Barrier Free: Most difficult Elevation Change: 40 fU 12 m
Description: Paved trail with interpretive
signs. The trail offers a close-up look at returning life, as well as
evidence from the 1980 blast and views of Mount St. Helens, Coldwater Lake,
and Maratta Pond.
Birth of a Lake Trail #246
-- Access at Coldwater Lake Recreation Area.
Trailhead facilities: Restrooms, drinking
water, telephones and picnic area.
Length: 0.6 mi., 1.0 km. Difficulty: Hikers:
Easy; Barrier Free: Most difficult Elevation Change: 20 ftJ 6 m
Description: Boardwalk with interpretive signs along the shore of Coldwater
Lake, a lake created by the 1980 eruption. The trail offers a closeup look
at returning life in the area, with glimpses of Mount St. Helens and views
of Minnie Peaks.
Eruption Trail #201 (not shown on map), Access at Johnston Ridge Observatory
Trailheadfacilities: Restrooms, drinking water, telephones and picnic area
Length: 0.5 mi., 0.8 km. Difficulty: Hikers: Easy; Barrier Free: Most
difficult Elevation change: 114 fU 35 m
Description: Paved trail with interpretive signs. The trail offers panoramic
views of Mount St. Helens' crater, the pumice plain and blast zone, as well
as partial views of Sprit Lake.
Easy-Moderate Trails:
Boundary Trail #1, Hummocks Trailhead/Johnston
Ridge Observatory
Trailheadfacilities: Restrooms, drinking water and telephones are available
at Johnston Ridge Observatory.
Length: See map for details Difficulty: Moderate to difficult Elevation
change: up to 3000 fU 914 m
Description: Boundary Trail #1.5 proceeds up the valley from Humn,lOcks
Trail #229 with excellent views of the landslide and Mount St. Helens'
crater. From Johnston Ridge Observatory, Boundary Trail #1 gives wide views
of the blast zone, with excellent views of the pumice plain and crater to
the south, and partial views of Spirit Lake to the east. Near the junction
with Coldwater Trail #230-2, Boundary Trail #1 goes through a natural arch
with views of Saint Helens Lake and the Mount Margaret Backcountry.
~~~
Lakes Trail #211, Coldwater Lake Recreation Area
Trailheadfacilities: Restrooms, drinking water, telephones and picnic area.
Length: 4.2 mi., 7.0 km. Difficulty: Easy Elevation Change: 150 fU 46 m
Description: This trail follows the shore of Coldwater Lake. It offers a
close-up look at returning life in the area.
Hummocks Trail #229, Hummocks Trailhead
Trailhead facilities: None. Nearest restrooms, drinking water and phones at
Coldwater Lake Recreation Area.
Length: 2.6 mi., 4.3 km. Difficulty: Moderate. Elevation change: 300 ftJ 91
m
Description: The trail takes you through hummocks (giant chunks of Mount St.
Helens deposited by the May 18, 1980 landslide). It offers a close-up look
at numerous wetlands and ponds, as well as excellent views of Mount St.
Helens and the Toutle River.
.
Difficult Trails:
Elk Bench Trail #211D, Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center
Trailheadfacilities: Restrooms, drinking water, telephones, food, and pipnic
area available at Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center
Length: 1.0 mi., 1.6 km. Difficulty: Difficult- Elevation change: 600 ftJ
183 m
Description: From Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center, the Elk Bench Trail
descends via switchbacks to join Lakes Trail #211 on the shore of Coldwater
Lake. The Elk Bench Trail offers views of Mount St. Helens, Coldwater Lake
and Minnie Peaks.
~_..~~
Truman Trail #207 '. . . ...,;;.~ =~.. .~ ,.:. ~--=. ~~~ -::. . "-'=---=
Trailheadfacilities: N,.e~~~sfu1FR1'llg~r5sirVatory~ l{estrooms are
available at Windy Ridge Viewpoint on the
~l2h~iffi.fon-~ ge Observatory on the west end.
Length: 5.8 mi., 9.7 km. Difficulty: Moderate to difficult Elevation Change:
1200 ftJ 366 m
Description: This trail takes you through the pumice plain, with views of
Mount St. Helens' crater, Spirit Lake and Loowit Falls.
Harry's Ridge Trail #208, spur of Boundary Trail #1
Trailheadfacilities: None, this trail is accessed by Boundary Trail #1.
Nearest facilities at Johnston Ridge Observatory, 3.1 mi from trailhead.
Length: 1.0 mi., 1.6 km. Difficulty: Moderate to difficult Elevation change:
200 ftJ 61 m
Description: This spur trail climbs Harry's Ridge to offer excellent views
of Spirit Lake. Hummocks (giant chunks of Mount St. Helens deposited by the
May 18, 1980 landslide) are visible in the northern comers of the lake, and
thousands of trees that were swept into the lake during the eruption can
still be seen floating on the lake.
South Coldwater Trail #230A, Coldwater Trail #230, Coldwater Trail #230-2,
South Coldwater Trailhead
Trailheadfacilities: None. Nearest Facilities at Coldwater Lake Recreation
Area
Length: See map for details Difficulty: Moderate to difficult Elevation
Change: 1300 ftJ 396 m
Description: South Coldwater Trail #230A offers views of Coldwater Lake.
Blasted logging equipment from 1980 is visible 1.75 mi. up the trail.
Coldwater Trails #230 and #230-2 offer views of Mount St. Helens, Coldwater
Lake and Coldwater Peak.
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Go Northwest!
Bookstore
Best selection of books on the
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A Complete Guide to Mount St.
Helens National Volcanic Monument
by Klindt Vielbig
April 1997, Mountaineers Book, Paperback, 256
pages, (non-fiction)
A well-organized guide providing all the historical,
geological, biological, and recreational information you'll need to take advantage of a
truly unique natural area.
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