Windy Ridge
Easy (to Windy Ridge Viewpoint)
0.2 mile round trip
200 feet elevation gain
Open late June through October
Moderate (to Loowit Falls)
9.2 miles round trip
900 feet elevation gain
Difficult (to Plains of Abraham)
11.4-mile loop
1400 feet elevation gain
For a close look into the mouth of Mt. St. Helens’ steaming crater, start at the Windy Ridge parking area. A staircase climbs 200 feet to a popular viewpoint, but longer trails lead right up to the crater’s outlet—a badlands chasm below 200-foot Loowit Falls. A trail planned for 2015 will climb to an even closer viewpoint above Loowit Falls. Hikers are not allowed to explore off trail.
To find the trailhead, drive Interstate . . .
This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes: Northwest Oregon