Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument · WA
Mt St Helens via Monitor Ridge
Extreme · Day hike · Best in Summer, Fall
Length
10 mi
Gain
4,500 ft
Scenery
★★★★★
About this trail
A non-technical scramble up volcanic ash and house-sized boulders to the southern crater rim, where you stand 1,300 ft above the lava dome inside the 1980 blast amphitheater.
Highlights
- Stand on the crater rim
- View into the steaming dome
- Mt Adams + Mt Hood + Mt Rainier from the summit
Get there
Start: Climbers' Bivouac · 46.1551, -122.1818
Open driving directions in Google Maps →Parking: Climbers' Bivouac at the end of FS Road 830 (last 3 mi gravel). Climbing permit required Apr–Oct (mtsthelenspermit.com); 100/day, lottery in spring. NW Forest Pass for parking.
Plan your visit on the interactive map
See Mt St Helens via Monitor Ridge on the live Trailspark map alongside weather averages, gear lists, an elevation profile, and nearby points of interest.
Open Mt St Helens via Monitor Ridge on the map →