The Long Way
Cowlitz County
A wide-angle photo of a landscape with a large sky full of textured clouds and a building in the corner.
Plate I. Johnston Ridge Observatory, Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. From fs.usda.gov
A park ranger stands by a cart on an observation deck overlooking a large mountain.
Plate II. Ranger presentation, Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. From fs.usda.gov
A snow-covered landscape and building beneath a vibrant red and orange sunset sky.
Plate III. Johnston Ridge Observatory, Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. From fs.usda.gov
A paved walkway leads past a large concrete structure with distant mountains and a blue sky in the background.
Plate IV. Paved trail at Johnston Ridge Observatory, Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. From fs.usda.gov
Panoramic view of a mountainous landscape during sunset.
Plate V. Spirit Lake Memorial Highway near Johnston Ridge. From fs.usda.gov
A large volcano with snow-capped peaks under a sunset sky.
Plate VI. Mount St. Helens view, Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. From fs.usda.gov
A snow-covered volcano mountain with a large crater and a valley below.
Plate VII. Mount St. Helens view, Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. From fs.usda.gov
A 360 panoramic aerial view of a parking lot, winding roads, and mountainous landscape under a bright sky.
Plate VIII. Aerial view of Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. From fs.usda.gov

Spirit Lake Memorial Highway

Castle Rock, Cowlitz County, Washington. Scenic byway.

Details

Map. Castle Rock, Cowlitz County, Washington. Larger map
Where
Castle Rock, Cowlitz County, WA. No street address stated. Directions
Season
Open, subject to seasonal closures and winter hours on the lower reach.
Getting there
From Castle Rock, WA take State Route 504 east for 52 miles to Johnston Ridge Observatory at the end of State Route 504.
Access
Road Closures: Upper State Route 504/Spirit Lake Memorial Highway is closed between mileposts (MP) 45.2 and 51 until further notice.
Phone
(360) 449-7800
Website
scenicwa.com
Managed by
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument & District office.

The only scenic byway in Washington State, not to mention the United States, that enters a volcanic blast zone. Also known as the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, SR-504 is a 52-mile journey into the scene of epic destruction that Mount St. Helens caused when it erupted on May 18, 1980.

Notable Events

  1. 1980The eruption wiped out much of SR 504 and temporarily closed more than 1,000 miles of state highways. historylink.org
  2. 1980A magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook Mount St. Helens as its northern-flank bulge slid away, producing the largest debris avalanche in recorded history. usgs.gov
  3. 1982The federal government officially designated the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. wsdot.wa.gov
  4. 1987A visitor center was established at Silver Lake to serve growing tourism. wsdot.wa.gov
  5. 1988An ambitious reconstruction project began to improve access and the visitor experience. wsdot.wa.gov
  6. 1993The Science and Learning Center opened at Coldwater Creek, milepost 43. wsdot.wa.gov
  7. 1997The final section of Spirit Lake Memorial Highway and Johnston Ridge Observatory opened. historylink.org
  8. 2023More than 300,000 cubic yards of debris slid about 2,000 feet onto SR 504 and destroyed the 85-foot Spirit Lake Outlet Bridge. wsdot.wa.gov

Sources

  1. scenicwa.com/spirit-lake-memorial-highway-mount-st-helens
  2. fs.usda.gov/r06/giffordpinchot/recreation/south-coldwater-slide-information
  3. wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/sr-504-south-coldwater-slide-spirit-lake-outlet-bridge-washout
  4. historylink.org/File/7273
  5. usgs.gov/geology-and-ecology-of-national-parks/geology-mount-st-helens-national-volcanic-monument