Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument — Local services in Kelso

Amazing to be so close to the volcano, the Johnson Observation has fantastic displays, interactive activities and documentary videos. You can always find a ranger to answer questions, get more info or a free area trail map. I didn't have the correct pass but the $8 entrance fee easily covered the cost for trail access and all the amenities. Large clean bathrooms and a filtered water bottle refill station plus a few picnic tables and a joint to buy food, snacks and drinks. Very popular and accessible to everyone, ADA, young, elderly or families. Please don't bring your pet unless you're not staying long or have a vehicle with AC they can be in, the pet area is small and they aren't allowed in many places around the observation area or trails. Wear appropriate clothes and shoes, sunscreen is necessary and carry at least 1 litre of water to hike the shorter trails, be aware of your limitations and reaction to altitude. It's an active volcano and even on an overcast day when I was there it was 93 degrees at 10 AM with extremely...

We enjoyed our morning in this area. First, we stopped at the Visitor's center, then we made the scenic drive to the viewing deck. Check to see if the viewing station is open and what the weather conditions are since fog will completely obscure the view. You can take a short walk from the parking lot to a lower viewing area, or you can walk up a paved, winding path to a higher area.

Castle Rock is a cute little town where you can shop and eat. Nice area and worth checking out if you're...

Word of caution for this park is timing. We did a road tour here and sadly we had fog which covered the mountain for the entire visit. Still the drive up there was fun, and the visitor center had a lot of information on the volcano. The visitor center also does a great job on building up the volcano in the video presentation which would have been grander if not for the fog. Still worth a trip and if in a road tour there is plenty of parking...