WIndy Ridge Viewpoint, Washington, United States
5.0 (33 reviews) Spent Ranking #3 in Amboy Observation Decks & Towers
Must experience this!
Windy Ridge is actually the very last stop of Mt St Helens east entrance. From the beginning of the east entrance to the end is roughly 20 miles and it is heaven along the way. The west entrance was nice but this ….. oh wow! Aside from lava flow fields on the west side, this area has the dead tress strewn on the hillsides. At this stop, there are lots of wooden stairs going straight up and the top with a 360 view. If you don’t already have a park pass, this where a park ranger is and he collects $5 for the entrance…backward – right? LOL. BTW, CASH ONLY. He gives you a ticket to put in your window. Oh, and I never had to pay anyone for the west entrance but they got my money via goods. If you look on the www.fs.usda.gov website, it shows the east and south as requiring a permit but not the west. At this last stop you also get a closer view of the crater! Ok, pay the fee and walk way up those steps to Windy Ridge. Trust me it’s worth it – just take your time. At the top, you can see Johnston Ridge Observatory across the way, Spirit Lake where logs still float from the blast and the trail I was talking about starting at the observatory which leads to the lake, Mt Rainier, Mt Hood, Mt Adams and Loowit Falls under the crater’s mouth. It is divine. I could go on with adjectives but you get the picture? See for yourself with my postings of pictures. I spent at least 1.5 hours at this last stop. A couple of stops (Donnybrook and Harmony) on the right hand side before Windy Ridge have wonderful views of Spirit Lake. The Smith Creek stop on the left side right before Windy has a huge circular drive area and many people can sit on top of a stone built wall to take in the beauty of Oregon across the way. I started from Ashford, WA around 8 am and did not get back until 3:00 pm so plan accordingly. I thought this would take a couple of hours but I was wrong. This entrance MUST be a part of your Mt St Helens experience.
Address
Forest Service Rd. 99, Amboy, Washington, United States.
Website
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mountsthelens/recarea/?recid=66099
Current local date and time now
Sunday, May 12, 2024, 11:59
User Ratings
5.0 based on (33 reviews)
Reviews
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5Jody_11 5:00 PM Jun 10, 2015
Drive/walk on the wild side.
This trip--driving down from Randle, WA, to the Windy Ridge viewpoint--is for the more adventurous and, in general, the better informed because there is some but not as much information as there is on the west side, primary entrance. The drive from Randle is about 50 miles and takes about 2 hours--roads are ok but twisty and with lots of road damage from land slippage; if you are not comfortable driving on narrow roads with steep drop-offs, this trip is not recommended. However, if you want to travel through the blast zone, get spectacular views of all the effects of the 1980 eruption and aftermath, this is a great trip. There is a trail that will take you down onto the devastated surface, it is a long and exposed (to elements) hike, we did not do it this time, but I have in the past, when we had a whole day. There is no water on this ridge, or anything else much of development, so bring your own. We went on this trip after visiting the east side of Mt. Rainier, then we returned via the west side of Mt. Rainier. It makes a nice three-day circle route. It's more challenging to get from Rainier to the west entrance to Mt. St. Helens, so this is a good alternative, if you have less time. We were blessed with great weather. There are well maintained latrines; at the Windy Ridge stop (end of road),there is a 400-step stairs to a great view. On a clear day, there are views not only of Mt. St. Helens, but also of Mt. Adams (looming), Mt. Hood (to the south), and Mt. Rainier from a few spots. It IS windy, so there can be a lot of ashy dust from the recent and older eruptive materials on the ridge. Snow retreated early this year, so in other years, check before you go. There is a $5 daily usage fee, though if you have a pass, it is waived.
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5HazelEyesFromTN 5:00 PM Jan 2, 2015
Must experience this!
Windy Ridge is actually the very last stop of Mt St Helens east entrance. From the beginning of the east entrance to the end is roughly 20 miles and it is heaven along the way. The west entrance was nice but this ….. oh wow! Aside from lava flow fields on the west side, this area has the dead tress strewn on the hillsides. At this stop, there are lots of wooden stairs going straight up and the top with a 360 view. If you don’t already have a park pass, this where a park ranger is and he collects $5 for the entrance…backward – right? LOL. BTW, CASH ONLY. He gives you a ticket to put in your window. Oh, and I never had to pay anyone for the west entrance but they got my money via goods. If you look on the www.fs.usda.gov website, it shows the east and south as requiring a permit but not the west. At this last stop you also get a closer view of the crater! Ok, pay the fee and walk way up those steps to Windy Ridge. Trust me it’s worth it – just take your time. At the top, you can see Johnston Ridge Observatory across the way, Spirit Lake where logs still float from the blast and the trail I was talking about starting at the observatory which leads to the lake, Mt Rainier, Mt Hood, Mt Adams and Loowit Falls under the crater’s mouth. It is divine. I could go on with adjectives but you get the picture? See for yourself with my postings of pictures. I spent at least 1.5 hours at this last stop. A couple of stops (Donnybrook and Harmony) on the right hand side before Windy Ridge have wonderful views of Spirit Lake. The Smith Creek stop on the left side right before Windy has a huge circular drive area and many people can sit on top of a stone built wall to take in the beauty of Oregon across the way. I started from Ashford, WA around 8 am and did not get back until 3:00 pm so plan accordingly. I thought this would take a couple of hours but I was wrong. This entrance MUST be a part of your Mt St Helens experience.
