Spirit Lake Memorial Highway
Johnston Ridge Observatory, WA

The final point on the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway is a breathtaking view of the crater from the very heart of the blast zone. The base of the volcano is just 3 miles away, showcasing the sharp summit with its crowning emptiness. The observatory is perched on a 1,000-foot cliff overlooking the deeply eroded pumice plain. Streams have cut through the pumice creating canyons of yellow to purple rocks. The landscape is barren and devoid of cover after the eruption in 1980.

The center's state-of-the-art interpretive displays outline the sequence of geologic events that altered the landscape and created a new period for Mount St. Helens. Visitors are taught about the art and science of monitoring a volcano and predicting future eruptions. Read remarkable eye-witness accounts from survivors of the volcano's fury.

The building itself was built a few hundred yards from the location where David Johnston's campsite lay. Geologist David Johnston camped out on this very ridge, observing the volcano the day that Mount St. Helens blew. He perished in the blast, and this observatory, as well as the ridge, has been named in his honor. A plaque at the Johnston Ridge Observatory commemorates the 57 people who died in the eruption.