Seasonal programs start this month at the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, 3029 Spirit Lake Highway, about 5 miles northeast of Castle Rock.
The first “eruption talk” will be offered one day before the 39th anniversary of the volcano’s cataclysmic eruption on May 18, 1980, which killed 57 people, destroyed more than 200 homes and devastated 230 square miles of forest.
The talks, 20 to 25 minutes long, will introduce visitors to the mountain’s history, the 1980 eruption and its biological recovery.
From May 17 to June 2, talks will begin at 10:25 a.m., 11:25 a.m., 12:25 p.m., 1:25 p.m. and 2:25 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, May 26, the first talk will begin at 11:25 a.m.
From June 7 to Sept. 2, talks will begin at:
• 10:25 a.m., 12:55 p.m. and 2:25 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
• 10:25 a.m., 11:25 a.m., 12:25 p.m., 1:25 p.m. and 2:25 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
• 11:25 a.m., 12:25 p.m., 1:25 p.m. and 2:25 p.m. Sunday.
The talks are open to all ages. Participants should meet at the lower viewing area beside the visitor center.
All programs are subject to cancellation due to inclement weather, staff availability and attendance levels. Updates will be posted on Washington State Parks’ online calendar of events, parks.state.wa.us/calendar.aspx.
The visitor center is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Wednesday, May 15, and then from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sunday, Sept. 15.
Admission is $5 for adults 18 and older, $2.50 for children 7 to 17 and no charge for children 6 and younger. The center offers a $15 family rate for two adults plus accompanying children.
