Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is a volcano famous for a giant eruption in 1980 that blew off the top of the mountain. Today you can visit and see how the land is slowly coming back to life.
The blast was one of the biggest in United States history and left a huge horseshoe-shaped crater. Visitor centers with real photos, and trails through the recovering forest, make it a living science lesson.
The Big Eruption
On May 18, 1980, the whole north side of the mountain slid away and it erupted with a huge cloud of ash. It shrank the mountain by more than 1,300 feet in minutes.
Life Returns
At first the land looked gray and empty, but now flowers, trees, and animals are moving back in. Scientists come from all over to study how nature heals itself.
Learning Centers
Visitor centers let you touch real rocks, watch films of the blast, and peer at the crater through telescopes. It feels like stepping inside a giant science exhibit.