The Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mt. St. Helens reopens for the summer on Sunday May 17. This is about as close as most of us will get to the crater. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest says the visitor center will be open from 10am to 6pm, daily. Admission to Johnston Ridge and Coldwater Lake is $8 per person. But on Monday, May 18, admission will be free to mark the 29th anniversary of the 1980 eruption that shook the Northwest.
Courtesy U.S Forest Service
If you just can’t wait that long, the Mt. St. Helens Institute is holding an event with Bill Nye, The Science Guy on Saturday the 16th. Tickets are $10 per person if you just want to show up, or $35 if you want to attend the show with Nye. You can purchase tickets online.
Meanwhile, the road to the Windy Ridge viewpoint on the east side of the crater remains closed due to snow. It’s not expected to open until next month.
