Mount Saint Helens is an active stratovolcano in Skamania County, Washington, and is one of 160 active volcanoes that comprise the Pacific Ring of Fire.
The May 18, 1980 eruption was the most deadly and economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States. Fifty-seven people were killed. 250 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles of railways and 185 miles of highway were destroyed. A massive debris avalanche during the eruption reduced the elevation of the mountain’s summit from 9677 feet (2950 m) to 8364 feet (2550 m), leaving a mile-wide horseshoe-shaped crater. The debris avalanche, of up to 0.7 cubic miles (2.3 km³) in volume, was the largest in recorded history.
As the crow flies, Mount St. Helens is 96 miles (154 km) south of the city of Seattle and 53 miles (85 km) northeast of Portland. The mountain, part of the Cascade Range, takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, who was a friend of George Vancouver, an explorer who made a survey of the area in the late 18th century.
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Recommended Washington guidebooks
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- Lonely Planet Seattle 8 (Travel Guide), Paperback – Illustrated, 2020
- Seattle Stairway Walks: An Up-and-Down Guide to City Neighborhoods, Paperback – 2012
- Day Hiking Central Cascades: Stevens Pass * Glacier Peak Wilderness * Lakes Wenatchee & Chelan (The Mountaineer Books), Paperback – 2023
- Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Mount Baker/Snoqualmie & Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests. Trails Illustrated Map #825 (National Geographic Maps)
- Day Hiking South Cascades (Done in a Day), Paperback – 2007
- Day Hike! Mount Rainier, 4th Edition: More than 50 Washington State Trails You Can Hike in a Day, Paperback – Illustrated, 2019
- Moon San Juan Islands: Best Hikes, Local Spots, and Weekend Getaways (Travel Guide), Paperback – Illustrated, 2020
- Day Hiking North Cascades: Mount Baker * North Cascades Highway * Methow Valley * Mountain Loop Highway, Paperback – Illustrated, 2020
- Moon Olympic Peninsula: Coastal Getaways, Rainforests & Waterfalls, Hiking & Camping (Travel Guide), Paperback – 2021
- Hiking the Columbia River Gorge: A Guide to the Area’s Greatest Hiking Adventures (Falcon Regional Hiking Series), Paperback – 2014
- Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge: National Scenic Area, Silver Star Scenic Area, Portland-Vancouver to the Dalles, Paperback – Mountaineers Books 2011
- Washington’s Best Wildflower Hikes, Paperback – 2004
