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Are you planning a trip to Mount St. Helens? Here's some important information to help you prepare and make the most of your visit! Gas Stations: Attention! Starting from Toutle, which is about 10 miles from I-5 on Hwy 504, there are no gas/petrol stations available. Even the Shell station in Kid Valley, located 8 miles east of Toutle, is closed as of August 2017. A sign in Toutle itself warns that there are no further gas stations on the route. So, make sure to fill up your tank at Castle Rock as you exit the I-5 freeway, where you can find cheaper gas. Getting There: The most popular tourist route to Mount St. Helens is via Washington state route 504. You can easily access this route by taking Exit #49 (Hwy 504) at Castle Rock off Interstate 5 in Washington. It is conveniently located just one hour and 15 minutes north of Portland and two hours south of Seattle. Return Route: If you are heading back north to Seattle or Tacoma, you can use State Route 505 as a shortcut to return to I-5. However, keep in mind that this is not recommended for the initial trip up the mountain, as it bypasses the main visitor center near Castle Rock. Alternative Routes: From the east, there are three main routes to reach Mount St. Helens. Make sure to avoid unpaved, one-lane forest service roads unless that's what you're looking for. If you're coming from Spokane, all three routes take roughly the same amount of time. 1. I-5 (Between Olympia & Vancouver, WA): Access Mount St. Helens from Exit #49 (Hwy 504 @ Castle Rock) or Exit #21 (Hwy 503 @ Woodland). Take Hwy 503 east from Woodland to Cougar. From Cougar, continue on FR (Forest Rd) 90, which skirts along the south side of Mount St. Helens. Proceed north on FR-25 towards Randle. 2. US Hwy 12 West from Yakima: Take US Hwy 12 west to I-5 south of Chehalis for 138 miles. In Randle, turn onto WA-131, which becomes FR 25. To reach Windy Ridge and Spirit Lake, take the turn-off at FR-99, which is 20 miles up from Randle. Note that FR-25 is closed during winter and may remain closed until July, depending on the snow conditions. 3. I-90 West to WA Hwy 18: Take I-90 west to WA Hwy 18 (exit #25) via Maple Valley and Auburn. Then, take I-5 south for 93 miles. Use caution on the older sections of WA Hwy 18 and watch for large trucks. Another option is to take I-405 south (exit #10) from Bellevue. You can also go south on I-82 to Yakima from Ellensburg and then west on US Hwy 12. 4. I-84/WA-14 West towards Portland: Drive along the scenic Columbia River on I-84/WA-14. Then, take I-205 north (exit #9) to I-5 north for 42 miles. Alternatively, you can go north from Hwy 14 in Carson on Wind River Rd, which becomes FR-30, and then head west on FR-90 to the FR-25 junction. Continue north on FR-25 towards Randle and take the FR-99 turn-off to Windy Ridge. Public Transportation: Unfortunately, there are no public bus services available to Mount St. Helens. The closest option is the Lewis Highway Mountain Transit, which operates along US-12 between Centralia/Chehalis and Packwood. Their contact number is 360-496-5405. Now that you have all the necessary information, get ready for an amazing adventure to Mount St. Helens!

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