Mt. St. Helens National Park
Category: National Park, Nature
About
Like Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano (conical in shape and made up of thousands of layers of hardened volcanic material) located in Washington, about 96 miles south of Seattle. It ascends 8,365 feet high and is well known for its ash explosions and volcanic flows.
On May 18, 1980, it caused the United States’ most catastrophic eruption. The eruption left its summit with a gaping horseshoe-shaped crater and a monument preserves the volcanic area and allows for scientific study still today.