Climbing Mount St. Helens Just One Activity At National Park

If climbing Mount St. Helens sounds like a good idea, you’ll have to wait. Permits are sold out for the summer. Still, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument offers a variety of recreational activities including many trails, cycling, fishing, camping and more.

“Every $22 permit to climb Mount St. Helens is sold out through mid-September. Reservations for peak summer hiking days began hitting the 100-people-per-day limit in early spring,” reports The Daily News in Longview, Washington.

Everyone must have a climbing permit to be on their own above the 4,800-foot elevation on Mount St. Helens. Those may be sold out but Guided Climbs ($150) are still available in August through the Mount St. Helens Institute.

Mountain bikers will like the Ape Canyon ride, which begins on the south side of Mount St. Helens. One of the Northwest’s premier mountain biking treks, the Ape Canyon ride boasts varied landscapes on the shoulder of an active volcano.Hikers like the varied and diverse trail offerings in the area. The 10-mile round-trip Badger Peak Trail has an elevation gain of 1,600 feet that earns a dramatic view of the volcano and blast zone. Hamilton Butte Trail is a short 1.5 mile round-trip hike with a 900 feet elevation gain and a high point of 5,772 feet.

One of America’s greatest treasures, visitors come from around the world to visit the volcano that last erupted in 1980.



Flickr photo by SoulSoap