Loowit Falls, Mount Saint Helens

Visit here the day before your hike and pay your fee ($8 per adult 16 and over). Grab a trail map and take a look around at the great exhibits. The next morning, you want to be on the trail before the Observatory opens. If you are here when it opens (10 am) get moving quickly as this is an all day hike). Open mid May through October. Check the Forest Service website (http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/) for conditions. Hike a mile down the ridge trail until you get to trail 207 which takes you down and across the Pumice Plains.

Stop here and read the names of the 57 people who died in the May 18, 1980 eruption. It's a good time to stop and remember that you are hiking in the blast zone of an active volcano. Be careful and be aware of what is happening on the mountain.

A great place to see a 36o degree panoramic view of Mt. Saint Helens and the surrounding mountains. There is wheelchair access up to this point and the grade is easy. This is the place to bring your large groups who do not want to hike the trails.

On the way back, take this junction to the right to shortcut to the parking lot without going up to the Observatory. You'll thank me later when your feet are sore. Also, if you don't want to go to the Observatory, the lookout, or the Memorial you can start your hike on this path right off the parking lot.

The trail down the ridge is mellow and a great stroll. If you only have an hour or so, just hike down this trail and turn around when you have to. This segment of the hike is about a mile with about 300 feet decrease in elevation.

One of the Gems of the hike is this mountainside covered in wildflowers.

The wildflowers along this part of the trail are wonderful to walk through.

You want to head down and to your right at this junction. Elevation 4,100 ft.

A great view of Spirit Lake.

A beautiful moss lined creek with flowers all around.

You just have about three quarters of a mile until the start of the Loowit Trail. This is the way you are going, but don't be confused, the Loowit Trail is a trail circumnavigating the mountain. You will be on it for a very short time before going up to the falls. This stretch of trail is Trail 207A on you trail map.

You will often find teams of researchers studying the regrowth. They carry long sticks so they can poke around under brush and into the dirt.

The "Pumice Plains" are not pumice anymore. Green moss covers the ground and baby trees and beautiful wildflowers spread out for miles.

The trail just ends here and Loowit Falls is over a ravine full of raging water. Be very careful around here as the footing is loose gravel and dirt.