Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
in Vancouver, Washington ($77 per person; two-person minimum).
Mount St.
Helens Tours
(
&
360/274-6542;
www.ecoparkresort.com) offers van tours
($60 per person; three-person minimum) that are narrated by survivors of the
big blast.
WHERE TO STAY
Blue Heron Inn Bed & Breakfast
This modern inn on the road to the
Coldwater and Johnston Ridge visitor centers is an excellent choice if you're
searching for comfortable, modern accommodations in this area. Set on 5 acres
of land across the highway from Silver Lake and Sequest State Park, the inn has
an excellent view of Mount St. Helens. Lots of decks provide plenty of places for
relaxing and soaking up the view, and during cooler weather, you can sit by the
fire in the parlor. This inn is by far the best bet for accommodations in the area
and is close to the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center.
2846 Spirit Lake Hwy., Castle Rock, WA 98611.
&
800/959-4049
or 360/274-9595. www.blueheroninn.com.
7 units. $159-$205 double. Rates include full breakfast. MC, V. Children over age 5 welcome. In room:A/C,
TV, hair dryer.
Mount St. Helens Adventures Tours Eco-Park and Tent & Breakfast
This company's tented camp located inside the blast zone (though outside the mon-
ument) is by far the most unusual accommodation in the vicinity of Mount St.
Helens. The large safari-style tents are set up on the shore of a small lake amid the
devastation left by the blast. The camp is down a former logging road on private
property and guests are transported there by van. The Eco-Park, on the other hand,
is right on Wash. 504 and can be reached by personal vehicle. This lodging consists
of modern cabins and yurts (circular tent cabins). Logger dinner shows—complete
with flying wood chips—are also staged here at the Eco-Park during the summer
and cost $18; horseback rides are also available.
14000 Spirit Lake Hwy. (P.O. Box 149), Toutle, WA 98649.
&
360/274-6542
or 360/274-7007. www.ecopark
resort.com. 5 tents at Tent & Breakfast, 6 cabins and 2 yurts at Eco-Park. Tent & Breakfast $285 double (rates
include dinner, breakfast, and transportation); Eco-Park cabins $70-$95 double. MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant
(American); activities desk. In room:No phone.
CAMPGROUNDS
West of the monument,
Sequest State Park
(88 campsites), set amid impressive
old-growth trees on Wash. 504 about 5 miles off I-5, is the closest public camp-
ground to Coldwater Ridge. This campground is set on Silver Lake adjacent to
the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center. For reservations, contact
Washington
State Parks Reservations
(
&
888/226-7688;
www.parks.wa.gov).
East of the monument,
Iron Creek
(98 campsites), a Forest Service camp-
ground, is the closest to Windy Ridge. This campground is set amid old-growth
trees on the bank of the Cispus River.
South of the monument, there are a couple of conveniently located camp-
grounds on Yale Lake—
Cougar
(45 campsites) and
Beaver Bay
(63 campsites)—
and, at the east end of Swift Reservoir,
Swift
(93 campsites). For more tranquillity,
try little
Merrill Lake
(7 campsites), which is operated by the Washington Depart-
ment of Natural Resources. Although a bit out of the way for exploring the mon-
ument, the
Lower Falls Recreation Area
(42 campsites) on the Lewis River
is a beautiful spot set beside the waterfalls for which it is named. For information
on national forest campgrounds in the area, contact the
Cowlitz Valley Ranger
District,
10024 U.S. 12 (P.O. Box 670), Randle, WA 98377 (
&
360/497-1100;
www.fs.fed.us/r6/gpnf ). For national forest campground reservations, contact the
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