Mount St Helens from Portland: the Wetlands the Eruption Created

A day out of Portland to the Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument, with a naturalist guide and everything included: the driving, a picnic lunch, snacks and drinks through the day. The eruption of 1980 is the story, and the walking is how it gets told. What makes this route worth the drive is that it covers both halves: the destruction, and what came afterwards. Silver Lake is the clearest case. The mix of lake, marsh and forest there exists because of the eruption, and dozens of migratory bird species now use it every season. The boardwalks are quiet. The Hummocks Trail runs among pieces of the mountain that the eruption carried miles down the valley, beside the Toutle River. Other stops: Seaquest State Park, with locally roasted coffee under the Douglas firs; the visitor centre above Silver Lake; the boardwalk at Coldwater Lake; and the slopes of the mountain itself. The return to Portland crosses the Columbia River. Pick-up is at your Downtown Portland hotel, or at the Hotel Monaco if you are staying outside the pick-up zone. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.