Climbing passes are now on sale for Mount St. Helens – the volcano responcible for the most deadly eruption in the US in 1980.

If you are planning to climb between April 1st and October 31st, the permit is 22 dollars. If you are climbing between November 1st – March 31st, there is no permit fee. However, for both date ranges, there is a mandatory check-in at either Climbers Bivouac or Marble Mountain Sno-Park’s climber registers. One thing to note: your parking permits are not included with your climbing fee. National Forest Day Passes must be purchased at self serve stations or online.

You can also opt for a guided climb with a geologist - one of the local rock-stars of the area. The cost for this tour is $225.

Mount St. Helens hiking - TL;DR version:

• Location: Skamania County, Washington. 96 miles from Seattle, 50 miles from Portland.
• Mount St. Helens trail length: ~10-12 miles round trip. ~5-6 miles one way.
• Mount St. Helens elevation: 8365′
• hiking elevation gain: 4500′ – 5500′
• Can you camp? Yes.
• Is it a day trip? For most, yes.
• Do you need a guide? No, but hiking with a geologist is super bad ass.
• Is Mount St. Helens still an active volcano? Yes.

Trails up Mount St. Helens

There are two main trails to hike Mount St. Helens, they are outlined here:

• Climbers Bivouac “Monitor Ridge/Summer climbing route) access: Generally available late June through October depending on snow conditions. Accessed off Forest Road 81. Trail is called “Ptarmigan Trail #216A” and merges into “Monitor Ridge Trail #216H.” Climb is 10 miles round-trip and has 4500’ elevation gain. You need a parking pass or a Northwest Forest Pass. There is a vault toilet at approx 2.25 miles at the tree line and just be prepared, there is no potable water at the trailhead.
• Marble Mountain Snow-Park (Worm Flows/Winter climbing route) access: Generally November through late June when snow forces the closure of the road to Climbers Bivouac. Marble Mountain Sno-Park, off the 83 Road, is available year-round (unless snowfall is unusually high). The access trail is #244. The climb is 12 miles round-trip and has 5500’ of elevation gain. You need a Washington State Sno-Park permit

Camping?

• Limited primitive camping sites are available at both Climbers Bivouac and Marble Mountain Sno-Park. You must display a National Forest Recreation Day Pass ($5/day), Annual Northwest Forest Pass, or an Inter-agency Annual Pass on each car parked at Climbers Bivouac. Toilets are available at each site; there is no water or other amenities available. Campers are expected to obey all USFS policies and restrictions regarding open fires and stoves. If you wish to not camp, we recommend staying near or around Cougar, WA or Woodland, WA.

And folks, keep in mind:

Mount St. Helens is not merely a mountain—it is an active volcano.

- Mount St. Helens institute