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Mount St. Helens
Getting There

Road
The best access routes to the mountain are from Interstate 5 (I-5), which runs north and south and is west of Mount St. Helens.  These access routes include the Lewis River Highway, State Highway 503 at Exit 21, and the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, State Highway 504 at Exit 49.

State Highway 503 will take to you to the town of Cougar, which is about 11 miles south-southwest of the peak and is the community nearest to the volcano in the Lewis River valley.  This route also follows along mature forests little effected by the 1980 eruption.

State Highway 504 will take you past an array of visitor centers and into the heart of the blast zone.

Air
Nearby international airports are Portland International Airport (PDX) to the south in Oregon, and Seattle-Tacoma (Seatac) International Airport (SEA) to the north in Washington.

Rail
The Amtrak passenger service the Coast Starlight runs between San Diego, California and Seattle, Washington.   Nearby depot is to the west in Kelso.

The Amtrak passenger service the Cascades runs between Vancouver, British Columbia and Eugene-Springfield, Oregon.  Nearby depot is to the west in Kelso.

Click above image to locate cities, towns and State Parks on map of Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and nearby cities, towns and state parks.

Go Northwest! Bookstore 
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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. Order now...

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Revised: January 16, 2008.