What is a good day trip to Mt. Saint Helens in March?

Submitted by WartimeHotTot t3_11qxp4w in Washington

I’m going to have three days in Portland next week and I wanted to rent a 4WD vehicle and go to Mt. St. Helens for a day. My understanding is that the Johnston Ridge Observatory is closed until May, which is unfortunate because it seems like the best view of the mountain. Does that mean the whole road is closed, or just the building itself?

Is there snow around the base of the mountain, or does it start only at a certain altitude? Are there walkable trails this time of year? I’m having a hard time finding any information about non-peak-season visits. Any advice would be much appreciated!

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Hieroglyphics-- t1_jc5npo9 wrote

I would personally just hold back until the observatory is open. You'll get a better experience then, you're way more likely to get nice weather, and you shouldn't have any access issues.

Otherwise, wish I could tell you more about what you asked, but I have only ever gone in the summer.

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WartimeHotTot OP t1_jc5ny4i wrote

Thanks for the response. I’m afraid this will be my only opportunity for quite some time.

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Hieroglyphics-- t1_jc5ok3i wrote

Well, damn. I hope someone can get you everything you need to know and I hope you can do it! It is an incredible thing to see. Very humbling knowing how destructive and deadly that volcano actually is.

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ardesofmiche t1_jc5q4f3 wrote

I was in the area this weekend and there is still a considerable amount of snow on the ground

I don’t know if a trip to St. Helens in March is gonna happen

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WartimeHotTot OP t1_jc5r5p2 wrote

That would be a real bummer. Don’t know when I’ll get another chance. I’ll call the ranger station tomorrow. Thanks for the response.

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Nixx_Mazda t1_jc7msyq wrote

I went in January 2021 and had a great time. No hiking for me, but still plenty of photo opportunities. Views of the mountain are still there, you just can't get all the way up to the closest viewpoint at the visitor center. Coldwater Lake is nice too. Here's some pictures.

https://imgur.com/gallery/i8NVhQc

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WartimeHotTot OP t1_jc91lv5 wrote

Beautiful shots. I only hope I have some moments of clarity without fog and precipitation!

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SeattleEpochal t1_jc5p3sh wrote

Depending upon snow conditions, the Worm Flows climbing route is pretty flat and you should be able to get a decent way up the base of the mountain without any special equipment. Research this and check trip reports. If you’re in decent shape, it’s a great way to experience the mountain.

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EbaumsSucks t1_jc7s6u9 wrote

Sunscreen. I cannot recommend this highly enough. I climbed it back in 1992, and the sun just BEATS on the snow, and I had the mother of all sunburns.

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EtherPhreak t1_jc7turd wrote

You can only make it to Coldwater lake per WA DOT.

The winter visitor center info (Only open Saturday/Sunday):

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/giffordpinchot/recarea/?recid=40401

Thursday, Nov. 10, until further notice: Both directions of SR 504 at milepost 49.0 near Coldwater Creek, are closed for the winter. This closure includes the portion of road that leads to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, which is also closed for the winter. The lower portion of SR 504 at Coldwater Lake will remain open as weather conditions allow. Please check road conditions before you travel.

Note: Crews will reopen SR 504 in spring 2023, once the threat of significant snowfall has passed.

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c-g-joy t1_jc8q9tm wrote

Unfortunately Johnston ridge is the only real option this time of year for views. The road to Marblemount Sno-park is closed right now too. Yeah, the road past Coldwater Lake is closed this time of year but, you can still hike up the road, or the Hummocks trail, to the observatory. Right now it will be snowshoeing, and easier to follow the road. However, it’s roughly 7 miles to the observatory, or 6.5 to the Loowit viewpoint each way. The Hummucks trail is 9.5 round trip, but you’d want to check NWAC for avalanche prediction, and have route finding skills. The lower part of the trail would be fine for tromping around, and there are some sneak peaks before you start to climb higher. If that interests you, there are plenty of places that rent out snowshoes between PDX and Mt St Helen. The most recent trip report I found, here, was from the 7th. Says there was about 2 feet of snow on the ground at Coldwater. It’s supposed to be warm this week, but the snow level isn’t predicted to go higher than 3700’ and the observatory is at roughly 4300’. So, there will definitely be fresh snow up top.

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WartimeHotTot OP t1_jc936dg wrote

Thanks so much for this. I called the ranger today and she confirmed exactly this. I’m relieved that there’s hope for my trip!

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Rocketgirl8097 t1_jc96g3c wrote

They used to have a service for helicopter rides about half way up SR 504. Dont know if that's still there or an option in winter, but something I would love to do.

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