Mount Saint Helens

While devastating, Mount Saint Helens, which is still an active volcano, offers a magnificent and exciting view. It is located in southwestern Washington State, approximately 80 Km north of the city of Portland State in Oregan.

Most people who travel from Seattle or Portland must be weaned to visit this area which has the status of national monument of the United States.

This park is best known for its formations in the past of the avalanche of rocks, which was declared the biggest in history. On March 20th, 1980, Mount Saint Helens awoke after more than 100 years of dormancy when the earthquake of magnitude 4 occurred. The rock displacement caused a series of events, as a result the mountain began to roll, the biggest avalanche to the ground.

Seconds to form a cloud of ash that reached 19 km altitude and strong winds carry about 540 tons from the volcanic ash at a distance of approximately 57, 000 sq km in the western United States. As a result of rock collapse of the volcano height reduced by about 400 meters as of 2950 is 2550 m.

Prior to erupt Mount Saint Helens was the highest in the mountain and the fifth highest in the entire state of Washington.

Today, more than a quarter century later, in a unique way the nature has begun to revive this devastated place. In wooded gorge of the area before the eruption was thick Canadian fir. Today the trees have grown again in these places, which revived the tourist flow.

The best time to visit the volcanic crater destruction, the dome of cooled lava and eruption area, is between July and September. Since the volcano Saint Helens is still active in some areas that are closer to it, tourists are not allowed. Usually in late October snow covers roads and other tourist routes may be closed because of potential danger.