Mount Saint Helens National Monument
We are so lucky to have so many mountain playgrounds in our backyard in the Pacific Northwest. Mount Saint Helens holds a special place in my heart as the first mountain I ever climbed, but there are many beautiful trails around the base of the mountain, too. If you’re feeling super ambitious, you can hike the entire Loowit Trail with circumnavigates the mountain in its entirety.
North Side
The Johnston Ridge Observatory is home to the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center and boasts an incredible view into the crater of the mountain. The Boundary Trail is my favorite hike from this spot. It starts out from the parking lot of the visitor center (head in the opposite direction of the building, although you can hop on it from near the visitor center too if you're already up there). The views of the mountain are spectacular the whole way down this trail. You can take it for several miles where it connects with a few other trails, eventually leading you toward Spirit Lake. A section of trail goes along a ridge here with quite a steep drop off. Last I saw, a landslide had closed that section, but if you're heading around toward the Mount Margaret back country you'll be good to go. Because you're high above the blast area on these trails, you'll have an amazing view of a popular elk grazing area as well. You can usually see tracks (and smell them - they leave behind quite the musk) on the trail.
East Side
Windy Ridge is a great place to check out the east side of the mountain. Every time I’ve been, there have been rangers available for questions, once even with a telescope set up to check out a herd of elk. The road to this section of the mountain is not open in winter and it's a bit of a longer drive from any direction, but well worth it! There's a very steep set of stairs set into the side of the hill near the parking lot which will get you enough elevation to take in both the mountain in the distance and Spirit Lake below you. My favorite trail from here, though, is the Loowit Falls Trail. Starting from Trail 216D, you head around the ridge for views of Mount Adams across the hills further east. It's easy to get distracted by this view until you come around a bend and Mount St. Helens is looming huge in front of you. The Loowit Trail circumnavigates the mountain, so make sure you're paying attention to directions (everything is well signed) to make sure you don't end up farther away than you meant to!
Switching to trail 216E and following the signs for the falls, you'll head up and down some mellow hills through the blast zone along the base of the mountain. The falls are the closest point you can get to the crater without a guide, so enjoy the view! The falls themselves are spectacular and from the viewpoint you can look back toward Spirit Lake and the Johnston Ridge Observatory. You can head back the way you came or make a big loop down toward Spirit Lake, eventually ending up back on Trail 216D.
South Side
The south side is where all the fun is! The Ape Caves are tucked away on this side of the mountain as well as June Lake, the Lava Canyon suspension bridge, and the climber's bivouac for both winter and summer summit climbs. I love the Lava Canyon hike - short but sweet, it leads you down toward a wild river and an amazing suspension bridge. From there, you have the option of climbing down into the canyon for a longer hike along the Smith Creek Trail, or you can make a small loop and head back along the river. It's also a short enough hike that you can squeeze in one or two more since there are so many on this side of the mountain! Plus, the view of the mountain from the Lahar viewpoint is amazing!
Climbing Mt. St. Helens
If you can hike, you can climb Mount St. Helens! That's not to say you shouldn't be prepared - it is a very arduous climb and you should do your research, and definitely do some training if you’ve never climbed a mountain before. You'll need to know how to use an ice axe and crampons (it does often stay snowy throughout the summer), but you don't even have to buy them - you can rent them from the Mountain Shop!
In the summer, Monitor Ridge will be your climb, starting from the Climber's Bivouac. Permits go on sale in spring and they go fast (you can find more info here). It is 10 miles round trip in summer and the trail will take you through a couple miles of forest, a giant boulder field (my favorite part), through the last 1,000 feet of sticky ash (or snow, depending on the year), and finally to the crater rim. You'll get views of Mount Adams, Mount Hood, Mount Rainier, and on a clear day you can see even further.
In the winter, the Worm Flows route is the way to go, starting from the Marble Mountain Sno Park parking lot. This route adds not only snow to your climb, but also a few extra miles for a grand total of 12ish round trip. Avalanche safety is a must for any winter climb of the mountain, and you will for sure need those crampons! In the winter, it's a self permit system, so you can pick your day based on weather rather than gambling and hoping for the best! Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about climbing.
Camping is allowed in the wilderness along the Loowit Trail and the Mount Margaret back country with a permit (but not within the blast zone), and in designated camp sites (such as at the Climber's Bivouac). The Mount Saint Helens Institute website has lots of helpful information, as well as more info on their Into the Crater hike (on my bucket list!).