Is Mount St. Helens worth visiting?
Although it's a bit of a drive, Mount St. Helens is well worth a visit with kids of any age. There are so many educational opportunities and places to stop and move around. Pair your trip with either the book Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St.
Which is better Mount St. Helens or Mount Rainier?
Many of the good hikes are at low altitudes and are currently snow-free. So if hiking is your intent, St. Helens might be a better choice for a quick trip. Rainier is unique due to the diversity of flora and fauna on and around the Mountain, and the incredible geologic/topographic diversity within the park boundaries.
Is Mt St Helens visible from Seattle?
Part of the Ring of Fire volcanoes that tower on the Pacific Rim, Washington's Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens are two of the most awe-inspiring mountains in the United States. Mount Rainier stands about 65 miles southeast of Seattle, and on clear day the 14,411-foot-tall peak is visible from the city. Mount St.
Is Mt St Helens bigger than Mt Rainier?
Helens. However, owing to the volcano's great height and widespread cover of snow and glacier ice, eruption triggered debris flows (lahars) at Mount Rainier are likely to be much larger--and will travel a greater distance--than those at Mount St. Helens in 1980.
When did Mt Rainier last erupt?
1894Mount Rainier / Last eruption
How far is Mt Rainier from Seattle as the crow flies?
Rainier is a quintessential Pacific Northwest experience. It's less than 60 miles from downtown Seattle to the summit of Mt. Rainier as the crow flies but it takes about two hours to drive to the popular southwest Nisqually Entrance of the park from the city.
Can you drive up Mt. St. Helens?
Open Season: The route is usually snow-free by the end of May and remains open through October. The road closes each year due to winter snowfall from November to May. Driving Directions: From Randle travel south on State Route (SR) 131 until the road forks (1 mile).
What city is Mt. St. Helens in?
Helens, Washington: Mount St. Helens (8,364 feet, 9,677 feet before May 18, 1980) is located in southwestern Washington about 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon, and is one of several lofty volcanic peaks that dominate the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest. Geologists call Mount St.
Where is the best view of Mt. St. Helens?
Seattle, Washington The Johnston Ridge Observatory provides the closest and most direct views into the crater of Mt St Helens. It is high on a ridge directly in the path of the blast zone that blew out the top and north side of the mountain in the 1980 eruption.
Is Mt Rainier worth seeing?
Mount Rainier is famous as one of the best places in the world to see wildflowers, and Paradise is the most popular place to see them. It is the area most abundant in wildflowers, from bright pink and white mountain heathers and purple penstemons to bright yellow arnicas.
How many bodies are on Mt Rainier?
The National Park Service has compiled a long list of death incidents on the mountain since 1897, starting three years after a major eruption. At least 400 (documented) people have died on Mount Rainier since then. The Oregonian picked out some of the 'most notable' incidents in a recent article.
Is Mount Rainier due to erupt?
Mount Rainier is behaving about as it has over the last half-million years, so all evidence suggests that the volcano will continue to erupt, grow, and collapse. Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
When did Mount Rainier erupt?
An eruption in 1900 BCE was the largest known eruption from St. Helens during the Holocene epoch, depositing the Yn tephra. This eruptive period lasted until about 1600 BCE and left 18 inches (46 cm) deep deposits of material 50 miles (80 km) distant in what is now Mount Rainier National Park.
Who was the first person to report a volcanic eruption?
The first authenticated non-Indigenous eyewitness report of a volcanic eruption was made in March 1835 by Meredith Gairdner, while working for the Hudson's Bay Company stationed at Fort Vancouver. He sent an account to the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, which published his letter in January 1836. James Dwight Dana of Yale University, while sailing with the United States Exploring Expedition, saw the quiescent peak from off the mouth of the Columbia River in 1841. Another member of the expedition later described "cellular basaltic lavas" at the mountain's base.
How to Get to Mt. Rainier from Seattle
The distance from Seattle to Mt. Rainier’s summit is 60 miles as the crow flies. But assuming you’re driving and not helming a private helicopter, you’ll traverse a little over 80 miles.
Mt. Rainier Day Trip from Seattle Itinerary
An Mt. Rainier day trip has something for everyone, from mountaineers to photographers and families to solo adventurers. Depending on the season, you can hike, swim, snowshoe and sled. If you’re really adventurous (and fit), you can even summit the mountain, ascending more than 9,000 feet over eight-plus miles.
Have More Time?
If you have more time and want to do some more exploring on your Mt. Rainier day trip from Seattle, consider stopping by some of the lesser-visited areas of the Park, including the Carbon River-Mowich Lake, Ohanapecosh, Comet Falls, Tipsoo Lake, and the Sourdough Nature Trail.
Where to Stay near Mt. Rainier & Seattle
Mountain Meadows Inn – Located in the town of Ashford very close to the Park entrance, this inn is the perfect place to stay if you’re looking for a bit more than a day trip to this beautiful natural area. They have a range of rooms to choose from and a stunning location, as well. Click here to see their availability