mt st. helens information center

After reading some of these reviews there needs to be a clarification. The address to this information center is AMBOY which is the southern entrance of Mt St Helens. Many of the people reviewing here are talking about the visitor center at Silver Lake which is located at the west entrance.Silver Lake visitor center is very good with an exhibit and film (which you pay to see this). I did not stay to see this film.Johnston Ridge Observatory is at the end of this trek and it is $8 to see all the films you want which included 3 and are shown pretty much back to back. They are about 12 - 15 minutes each. I watched all 3 films and ALL ARE A MUST. I also viewed the free exhibit. They are not only educational but one recreates the blast and then there is also actual footage. Very good.I am sure the headquarters which is located in Amboy has a wonderful center as well. There is no center of any kind on the east entrance.

Briefly stopped here before heading up the highway to the Johnston Ridge Observation Point.Nice facility, nothing special. Had a small exhibit, but the fee to view it and the movie didn't make much sense. We did pick up a free map as well as an informative paper about Mt. St. Helens.A good stop, but certainly not a destination.

This stop is off the beaten path but well worth the side trip to get there. A good road and scenic all the way. Once at the foot of the volcano, it's pretty incredible. And inside, lots of interactive elements make it fun. It gives you insight into the power of nature.

The Information/Visitor's Center is operated by the Washington State Park system. The center is open, spacious and exhibits are very well done. There is a 13 minute video of actual footage of the eruption. Exhibits describe plate tectonics, show volcanoes around the world and timelines of the eruption of May 1980. Down a short set of stairs, see layers of debris and sediment laid down by past eruptions of Mt. Saint Helens. More exhibits feature Native Americans culture as well as birds and animals of the region. Just outside the center is a distant view of the mountain. A 1 mile loop trail of the wetlands of Spirit Lake is adjacent to the center. We saw blue heron, mallard ducks and another distant view of Mt. Saint Helens. The Visitor's Center is easily accessible from Interstate 5. It's worth a short detour!

It was a cloudy day with on and off rain showers. Long but scenic drive with fantastic stops along the way to the top. Ears popping, windy roads radio going in and out, and big beautiful trees for miles all part of God's perfect landscaping! Only if your luck will you get a glimpse of the top of Mt St Helen. The clouds and mist are so thick but all adding to its beauty. There are two short films being shown about the mountain and history. A must go see if your that close.

This center was very informative without being exhaustive. Loved the 13 min movie. Loved the exhibits. The place was beautiful and well done for the area - very woodsy and nicely done. It was clean. We learned a lot about Mt. St Helens. Would recommend it for everyone!

We stopped at the visitors center trying to decide if we wanted to drive in to see he mountain...they have an awesome movie, and sooo much info on the eruptions and history... The staff was great at answering questions.... There was a cost of $5 which surprised me, but worth it.. We did drive back to see the crater... Very interesting..!!!!

Had a good time here and well there is a volcano to see so that was neat. If you are in the area I would stop. Just on history alone this was great!

it is 100% fogged in if you go anytime other than on a beautiful day in july or august. it takes about 4.5 hrs from seattle to get there

This is a great first stop when exploring Mt St Helens National Monument. This visitor center is a few miles from the I-5 freeway near the beginning of the spectacular highway into the national monument. Here you can watch a film on the 1980 eruption, view displays on volcanos and learn more detail about the eruption. The ranger talks are highly informative and entertaining. They have a Junior Geologist program for the kids and they can earn a badge by completing their workbooks. There is a nice trail through the forest out to Silver Lake and there is a good, but distant view of Mt St Helens from the visitor center. There is an entrance fee of $5 per person, or $15 for a family. This facility is run by the State of Washington, so it's fees are separate from the fees at the visitor centers inside Mt St Helens National Monument (which is federal). Each visitor center offers different information about the area and are worth stopping at for a visit. We ate a picnic lunch outside this visitor center and enjoyed viewing an osprey flying around. There are limited services as you go further up this highway, so plan ahead for meal and fuel stops. The Johnston Ridge Observatory is another 50 miles up the highway from this visitor center.

Really worth your time. The view of the volcano is spectacular, the displays inside the center are informative, park rangers explain all of the details, and the nature walks are beautiful and interesting.We were there during lunch and there wasn't alot available to eat....only a small trailer/concession stand. Meal choices are limited in this area, you need to plan ahead

We stopped here in our way up to the mountain. There was an interesting movie, displays, and we really enjoyed the ranger's presentation outside with the mountain 25 miles behind her (were so grateful to visit on a clear day). The times of the ranger' stalks are posted--time your visit so as to not miss it.

Mt. St. Helens at Johnston Ridge is excellent - go there for a full view of the volcano on the exploded side with an excellent museum, film, and park rangers. The drive is great too. I highly recommend this visit - it's fascinating and beautiful. The Mt. St. Helens web site is not very clear what is the difference between Amboy and Johnston Ridge. We almost went to Amboy but we didn't, as we called ahead of time and asked what the difference was.

I was amazed as I learned about the eruption of Mt. St. Helen's. The museum was very informative and presented the history in the rotation by dates leading up to the eruption.Being from the Midwest I did not realize all the destruction and that it was so serious. It was a real history lesson for me.

We were there on a beautiful day. It was sunny and warm with hardly a cloud in the sky. Drive up to the top was beautiful. Stopped off at Coldwater Lake to take a swim. It lives up to its name. About a quarter up the drive there is a bigfoot statue which made for some cool pictures. There is also an A-framed house which is untouched from the day of the eruption, which was really cool to see.Took us about 6 hours to see it all. There is a small fee to enter the last visitor center. The lookout is free. Watched a short movie about the eruption which was neat. There is also another route to take which will take you to some caves. I was told that it was awesome, but you NEED to bring TWO flashlights for each person going in. Will write about it when we go next time.