Pick up a copy of Patrick Pringle's Roadside Geology of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and Vicinity at the library before you go. The book identifies geological features by adjacent mile markers along Highway 504 and other routes to the mountain. May. The alpine-style lodge has a restaurant and gift shop. The food is a bit pricey, but the gift shop makes the stop worthwhile. Brown-baggers can use the lodge's picnic area, which has great views of the Toutle Valley.
Visitors also can purchase helicopter tours at the visitor center.
Before you leave, take time to view the collages of photos and short stories by the The Longview Daily News, which won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the eruption. The collages tell stories about people affected by the eruption, some who lost their lives. Fifteen more miles up the highway is the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center. At seven miles from the crater, it is the closest view of the mountain accessible by car. The center opened three years ago and now receives 1 million visitors a year.