Mount St. Helens Lewis River Valley

Contents Page
Toutle Valley
Lewis Valley
Castle Rock
Kelso
Longview
Kalama
Woodland
Cowlitz County
Outside Attract
History
Planning
Events

Accommodations

Cowlitz County Tourism Dept. Website

SR-503 Activities

Water Sports
Boating, Fishing, Sailing, Water Skiing, Personal Watercraft, Windsurfing

Spelunking
Explore the Ape Caves

Mountain Biking
Mount St. Helens area
Lewis River Valley road and trail biking Pedal The Pinchot
(an annual cycling event.)

Horse Back Riding

Winter Activities
Cross Country Skiing
Snowmobiling
Sledding

Sightseeing
Mount St. Helens, lakes, wildlife, Lewis River Falls,
Historic Grist Mill.

Climb Mount St. Helens

Lewis River.com Link
Click here for more
information on the
Lewis River Valley

Lewis River Valley
SR-503 (Lewis River Highway) and SR-503 Spur lead from Interstate 5 and Clark County areas toward the southern flanks of Mount St. Helens.

When the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens stunned the world, most didn’t understand that the blast zone and ensuing destruction occurred on the northwest and northeast areas of the volcano. With the exception of the collapsed top of the peak and minor mudflows, the south side of Mount St. Helens remained intact. The top of the majestic peak had lost more than 1,300 feet of elevation but the southern flanks remained stable, with little visible change.

This left the beautiful lakes, forests and streams intact, as well as the infrastructure of roads and trails. The labyrinth of lava tubes known as Ape Caves were also preserved. The stark difference between the Toutle River and Lewis River Valleys can be measured in the level of destruction and regeneration of Nature’s eco-
systems. The three communities of Ariel, Yale and Cougar are aligned with SR-503. Ariel is the home of “Cooper’s Capers” where the search is still on for the $200,000 D. B. Cooper parachuted in with, from a hijacked 727 jet. The annual Thanks-giving weekend brings people from all over the world for this event.

The Lelooska Gallery features traditional and contemporary Indian and Western art, artifacts and jewelry. The Lelooska Foundation also presents, “Masks, Myths and Magic” from the Northwest Coast Indian Culture during the spring and fall.

Yale has several Mount St. Helens viewpoints and offers access to the beautiful nearby reservoirs. Camping, fishing and a variety of water sports attract visitors. Yale and Cougar are also known as the places where the search for Big Foot continues.

Cougar is the starting point for exploring Ape Caves. Camping, trailer sites and motels are available. Cougar is the community closest to Mount St. Helens and is home to the Cougar Store, the Bronze Cougar and Cedar Flats Research Natural Area (a short loop trail through old-growth Douglas fir and western red cedar.)

Climb Mount St. Helens All people must have a climbing permit to be above 4,800 ft. elevation on Mount St. Helens. Permits are required year-round. Each climber must display their own climbing permit. Permits are valid for 24 hours starting at midnight for the date of the climb and are nontransferable. Check out www.fs.fed.us/gpnf for detailed information.


Monfort's Bed & Breakfast 360-238-5229 Relax in a country community	Jack's Restaurant & Store 360-231-4276 Permits to Climb Mount St. Helens
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