Hike-in Required
No
ADA accessible
No
Guided tours
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

If you are visiting Mount St. Helens National Monument and want to see the immense devastation caused by the 1980 eruption without climbing to the top of the crater, the Windy Ridge Viewpoint and interpretive site is one of your best options. From the ridge adjacent to Mount St. Helens and Spirit Lake you are able to see the blown-out northeast side of the volcano, the mud-filled rivers running through the valley, and the hundreds of thousands of blown-over trees that still litter the landscape and fill much of Spirit Lake.

The Windy Ridge Viewpoint makes for a good family destination as there are trails, lakes and wildlife in addition to interpretive signage that tells the story of the eruption. From the main parking lot for the viewpoint there is a maintained, 368-step sand ladder to climb that provides for exceptional views of the volcanic crater and Spirit Lake together.

The access roads to this destination are closed in the winter. Check with the Forest Service on the road conditions before driving to this area outside of summer months. 

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

NW Forest Pass

Pros

Unique view of the St. Helens crater.

Cons

Significant driving distance to reach the Northeast side of St. Helens.

Pets allowed

Allowed

Features

Wildflowers
Big vistas
Geologically significant

Location

Nearby Adventures

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens, Washington
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Southwest Washington/Mount St. Helens, Washington
Washington, Mt. Adams/Indian Heaven Wilderness/Goat Rocks

Comments

08/10/2016
We visited the Windy Ridge Viewpoint recently and loved it! While it doesn't have a visitors center like Johnston Ridge, it offers the closest and most open view of the crater accessible by car. The views from the top of the stairs is spectacular. Don't miss stopping on the way in at the small turnout for Iron Creek Falls near the campground of the same name.
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