The best Mount St. Helens crater view isn’t closed, it’s just on the other side of the mountain
Everyone planning a Mount St. Helens trip heads for the same postcard spot: Johnston Ridge Observatory. There’s just one problem — it’s been closed since May 2023, and it’s still not open.
A landslide wiped out State Route 504, the only road to Johnston Ridge, and repair work is only now underway. Crews started work on a permanent replacement for the Spirit Lake Outlet Bridge in April 2026, with a reopening hoped for sometime in 2027.
So does that mean Mount St. Helens’ best crater view is off the table this year? Not even close.
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Windy Ridge is open, and it’s arguably the better view anyway
Windy Ridge sits on the mountain’s east side, reached by a completely different road system than the one that’s washed out. You get there via Forest Roads 25 and 99 out of Randle, not State Route 504, so the Johnston Ridge closure doesn’t touch it.
The viewpoint tops out at 4,200 feet, just a mile east of Spirit Lake, and it looks straight into the crater. Below you, the lake still carries its floating mat of trees the eruption swept in back in 1980 — a detail photos never quite prepare you for.
Forest Road 99 itself is worth the trip on its own merits. It’s a 16-mile stretch of smooth pavement and sweeping curves through the blast zone, with interpretive stops like Bear Meadow and Meta Lake along the way — plan on stopping more than once.
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What to know before you go
This is seasonal, high-elevation driving — the road typically isn’t snow-free until late spring and closes again by November. Call the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District before you make the drive if you’re going early or late in the season.
You’ll need a NW Forest Pass or the Monument’s own day pass to park here — either works. Restrooms at the viewpoint are closed for replacement through summer 2026, so plan on using the ones at Smith Creek Picnic Area a few miles back instead.
Skip the observatory that isn’t there. Windy Ridge puts you closer to the crater than most people realize is possible without a climbing permit — go see it before everyone else catches on.
Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.
Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.
