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Visitor Centers and Viewpoints Open on SR 504
Release Date:
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Media Contact: Charles Lassiter
charles.lassiter@usda.gov
Multiple Visitor Centers Remain Open along State Route 504
Vancouver, WA, May 22, 2024— Many recreational sites remain open to explore at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument following the May 2023 debris flow, known as the South Coldwater Slide. The debris flow damaged the upper portion of State Route 504 near milepost (MP) 49 leading up to the Johnston Ridge Observatory north of Mount St. Helens. Johnston Ridge Observatory is the only visitor center impacted by the slide along with some associated trailheads and recreation sites along the last eight miles of SR 504.
The highway remains open to MP 43 near the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater. The Forest Service is operating a visitor center at Coldwater and the Science and Learning Center is also open. Coldwater Visitor Center will be open this season 10a.m. to 4p.m. seven days a week beginning this Friday, May 24, 2024. Multiple scenic viewpoints, including Elk Rock (MP 37) and Castle Lake (MP 40) are still accessible. Several visitor center options including the Mount St. Helens Forest Learning Center at MP 33 and Washington State Park Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake off SR 504, near Castle Rock remain open with opportunities to view Mount St. Helens and learn about the history, eruption and recovery of the volcano.
The upper portion of SR 504, to the terminus at Johnston Ridge Observatory, remains closed and inaccessible by vehicle. Visitors should not venture beyond the highway closure at MP43 due to the instability of the hillside.
The U.S. Forest Service continues to coordinate with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to restore access and utilities to Johnston Ridge Observatory. A permanent solution to restore access along SR 504 is being worked on and WSDOT currently does not estimate work to be completed before late summer of 2026.
As snow melts and U.S. Forest Service roads reopen for the season, additional recreational sites on the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument’s south and east sides and in the surrounding areas will open for visitors to explore.
For U.S. Forest Service information visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gp/coldwaterslide.
For WSDOT information, visit https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/sr-504-landslide-bridge-washout.
South Coldwater Slide Closure and Vicinity Map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1109688.pdf
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