Two years ago we spent a fascinating weekend with a rumbling, gassy giant.  No, it wasn’t with my Uncle Earl.  We paid a visit to the most famous volcano in North America.  Mount St. Helens, in Western Washington.

Everyone remembers when Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, killing 57 people and devastating the landscape for miles around.  Not long after the blast, the area was set aside for research, recreation, and education in the form of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

Hiking a ridge trail near Mt. St. Helens

When we first arrived at the Johnston Ridge Observatory, less than six miles from the volcano’s crater, my kids were initially disappointed not to find rivers of lava everywhere, but they soon realized that the barren landscape held more than a few surprises.

First, though, we explored the Observatory, which is home to a stunning wide-screen multimedia presentation, after which the huge screen disappears to reveal a floor-to-ceiling panorama of the crater through the observatory’s windows.  It feels like the volcano is right on top of you and, for a moment, you hope it’s not ready to erupt again.  There are also fascinating geological exhibits throughout the building that explain everything you’d ever want to know about volcanoes, earthquakes, and geology.  There are also sobering displays that tell of the lives lost in the blast.

All around the ridge, there are trails leading through a land that is still trying to recover some 28 years later.  Massive trees were splintered like toothpicks and still lay where they fell.  All the while we were walking these narrow ridge trails, Mount St. Helens loomed over us.  My son said, “It looks evil.”

New pond, along the Hummocks Trail, Mount St. Helens

A few miles back down the main road, near Coldwater Lake, is a moderate 2.5-mile loop trail called The Hummocks Trail.  This turned out to be our favorite hike.  The Hummocks Trail winds through the debris field in the North Fork Toutle River Valley. The resulting erosion has created an eerie place of conical mounds and wetlands. The up and down trail was tough for the kids toward the end, but it was well worth the effort. In no other place around the volcano will you see all the different ecosystems that are returning to the area.  You can imagine you’re walking on the moon and then, just around a corner, find yourself in a lush forest beside a pond that is teeming with new life.

There’s a movement to transform the Volcanic Monument into a full-fledged National Park, which would bring in more funding and services, as well as more tourists.  One of our favorite stops along the highway, not far from the Hummocks Trail, was at the Coldwater RIdge Visitor’s Center.  My daughter celebrated her 5th birthday with a chocolate ice cream cone on the balcony overlooking Coldwater Lake.  Sadly, this facility was shut down by the Forest Service last year due to a lack of funding.  Turning Mount St. Helens into a National Park would mean this popular center could be back in business.

Whatever it becomes, the current Monument is huge.  It’s way too big to see everything in one weekend, but a family can certainly hit the highlights in a day or two.  I recommend going in the summer when you can be assured of some good hiking weather.  We were there in August and enjoyed cool temperatures and sunny skies.  There are plenty of hotels along I-5, from Centralia to Longview, where you’re just a quick drive from the entrance to the Monument.  If you’re coming from Seattle or Portland, it’s just a couple of hours away.

Hiking near Johnston Observatory, in the shadow of Mount St. Helens