Outdoor Science and Learning

There are many Oppurtunites for learning on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Viewing Wildlife

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is 1.3 million acres of spectacular and scenic wildlife habitat. From deer, elk mountain lions and black bear, to salmon, waterfowl, coyotes and raptors there is a menagerie of wildlife for your viewing pleasure.

Be safe and help keep wildlife wild by picking up all of your trash and food scraps and throwing them away. If no trash can is available, take your garbage home to dispose of there.

Learn more about visiting and recreating in bear country and cougar country from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Viewing Plants

Use the Search section below to look for Viewing Plants Areas.

Viewing Scenery

Use the Search section below to look for Viewing Scenery Areas.

Visitor Centers

Mount St. Helens Visitor Centers

Johnston Ridge Observatory (Closed in 2023 due to landslide on State Route 504)
*Interpretive displays tell the biological, geological, and human story of Mount St. Helens.
24000 Spirit Lake Highway
P.O. Box 326
Toutle, WA 98649
(360) 274-2140

Science and Learning Center at Coldwater
*Bookstore, Maps, Passes, Interpretive displays
42 miles east of Castle Rock on State Route 504
Visitor Information: (360) 274-2131
Summer program info: Mount St. Helens Institute (360) 449-7883

Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake (WA State Parks. Open year-round; hours vary by season.)
*Interpretive displays include info. on local history, geology, and re-growth/recovery of the land post eruption.
3029 Spirit Lake Highway
Castle Rock, WA 98611
(360) 274-0962

Forest Learning Center (Weyerhaeuser. Open May 18-Oct 1, 2023)\
*Amenities and exhibits that tell the story of Mount St. Helens.
17000 Spirit Lake Hwy, Toutle, WA 98649

Pine Creek Information Center
15311 Forest Road 90
Cougar, WA 98616

Visitor Programs

S.T.E.M. Resources for Teachers & Students

Looking for real-world curriculum? Check out Mount St Helens Institute's new, free, online curriculum designed for 4th grade students: "Sediment on the Move." Students role-play as city council members to explore hazards of volcanic sediment and help solve management issues.

This unit is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core ELA Standards, Common Core Math Standards, and Social Studies Learning Standards. This unit supports the Next Generation Science Standard Performance Expectation 4-ESS3-2. Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans. View the storyline map for more details on how each activity supports these standards.

Translations for student materials are available in Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian. Please contact learn@mshinstitute.org if you need student materials translated into a different language or access to curriculum resources.

Check out this video: Let's Go Outside!

Mount St Helens: Teacher's Corner

Field trips to Mount St. Helens start here.

More information about Mount St Helens Eruption and Research: