Mount St. Helens Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
volcano in Washington state
About Mount St. Helens
On 20 March 1980, Mount St. Helens awakened from over 100 years of dormancy with a magnitude 4.1 earthquake which began a series of events leading to eruption. Steam and ash eruption started on 27 March and over the next two months the north side of the mountain started bulging at the rate of about 5 to 6 feet a day. Then on May 18, 1980, at 8:32AM, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake caused the bulging north face to collapse in one of the largest landslides in recorded history. The highly pressurized magma burst forth in an explosive eruption, sending super-heated volcanic gas and ash across a large portion of the United States, destroying hundreds of square miles of forest, and killing 57 people. This was aVEI-5event, one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century and the most destructive in U
Top Attractions in Mount St. Helens
Explore the best things to see and do in Mount St. Helens:
- ★Climb the Summit
- ★Johnston Ridge Observatory
- ★Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake
Mount St. Helens Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 12 sections including: