Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument : Ask Biography

Home | Protected Area | Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a U.S. National Monument that includes the area around Mount St. Helens in Washington. It was established on August 27, 1982 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan following the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. The 110,000 acre (445 km2) National Volcanic Monument was set-aside for research, recreation, and education. Inside the Monument, the environment is left to respond naturally to the disturbance.

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was the United States' first such monument managed by the United States Forest Service. At dedication ceremonies on May 18, 1983, Max Peterson, head of the USFS, said,"we can take pride in having preserved the unique episode of natural history for future generations." Since then, many trails, viewpoints, information stations, campgrounds, and picnic areas have been established to accommodate the increasing number of visitors each year.Beginning in the summer of 1983, visitors have been able to drive to Windy Ridge, only 4 mi (6.4 km) northeast of the crater.

Mountain climbing to the summit of the volcano has been allowed since 1986.