The Mt St Helens Adventure Tour from Portland

Amboy, US
75% of travellers recommend this
Excellent (41 reviews)

Included

  • inclusion
    Hotel pickup/drop-off in Portland area
  • inclusion
    In-vehicle air conditioning
  • inclusion
    PA system to hear guide while driving
  • inclusion
    Professional naturalist guide
  • inclusion
    Bottled water
  • inclusion
    Snacks
  • inclusion
    Lunch
  • inclusion
    Gratuities
  • inclusion
    If weather does not allow mountain visibility, a modified itinerary will take you to bonus stops.
  • inclusion
    Headlamps

Excluded

  • exclusion
    Hotel pickup/drop-off in hillsboro
  • exclusion
    Hotel pickup/drop-off in seattle area

Pickup

Check if pick-up is available from your location, you will select during checkout (providers may allow other pickup locations)

Pickup Location
Aaron Motel
Ac Hotel Portland Downtown, Or
Aloft Portland Airport at Cascade Station
Banfield Value Inn
Best Value Inns - Portland
Best Western Inn Of Vancouver
Best Western Plus Portland Airport Hotel & Suites
Best Western Plus Vancouver Mall Dr Hotel & Suites
Best Western Pony Soldier Inn - Airport
Budget Inn Portland Airport
Cameo Motel
Candlewood Suites Portland-Airport, an IHG hotel
Canopy By Hilton Portland Pearl District
Chestnut Tree Inn Portland Mall 205
Coliseum Budget Inn
Comfort Inn & Suites Portland International Airport
Comfort Inn & Suites Vancouver
Comfort Inn Portland near I-84 and I-205
Comfort Suites Near Vancouver Mall
Comfort Suites Portland Airport
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Portland Delta Park, OR
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Portland International Airport, OR
Courtesy Inn Motel Portland
Courtyard by Marriott Luton Airport
Courtyard Portland Airport
Courtyard Portland City Center
Courtyard Portland Downtown / Convention Center
Courtyard Portland North
Crowne Plaza Portland-Downtown Conv Ctr, an IHG hotel
Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Vancouver
Days Inn by Wyndham Portland Central
Deluxe Inn
Dossier Hotel
Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Portland
Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Vancouver, Washington
Downtown Value Inn
Eastside Lodge
Econo Lodge City Center
Econo Lodge Convention Center
Econo Lodge Hollywood District
Econo Lodge Portland Airport
Econo Lodge Vancouver
Economy Inn
Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Airport
Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Downtown
Evergreen Inn & Suites Portland Airport
Extended Stay America - Portland - Vancouver
Fairfield Inn & Suites Portland Airport
Fairfield Inn & Suites Portland North
Hampton Inn & Suites Portland-pearl District
Hampton Inn & Suites Portland/vancouver
Hampton Inn Portland-airport
Harlow Hotel Cafe & Bar
Heathman Hotel
Hi-Lo Hotel, An Autograph Collection Hotel
Hilton Garden Inn Portland Airport
Hilton Portland Downtown
Hilton Vancouver Washington
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Portland Airport
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Portland-Jantzen Beach, an IHG hotel
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Portland-NW Downtown, an IHG hotel
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Vancouver Mall/portland Area, An Ihg Hotel
Holiday Inn Express Vancouver North - Salmon Creek, an IHG hotel
Holiday Inn Portland - Columbia Riverfront, an IHG hotel
Holiday Inn Portland-Airport (I-205), an IHG hotel
Home2 Suites by Hilton Portland Airport OR
Homewood Suites by Hilton Portland Airport
Homewood Suites By Hilton Vancouver-portland
Hotel Deluxe
Hotel Eastlund, Bw Premier Collection
Hotel Grand Stark
Hotel Lucia
Hotel Vance, Portland, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel
Howard Johnson Hotel & Suites by Wyndham Vancouver
Hyatt Centric Downtown Portland
Hyatt House Portland/Downtown
Hyatt Place Portland Airport / Cascade Station
Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center
Inn at Northrup Station
Inn at the Convention Center
Inn At The Meadows
Jupiter Hotel
Jupiter Next
Kimpton Hotel Monaco Portland
Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland
Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel
Kinley Manor Coach House
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Portland NW
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Vancouver
La Quinta Inn and Suites By Wyndham Portland Airport
Lolo Pass
Madison Suites Motel
Mark Spencer Hotel
McMenamins Crystal Hotel
McMenamins Kennedy School
McMenamins White Eagle Saloon and Rock & Roll Hotel
Monticello Motel
Motel 6 Portland Mall
Motel 6 Portland North
Motel 6 Portland, Or - Central
Motel 6 Portland, Or - Downtown
Motel 6 Portland, Or – Southeast
Motel 6 Vancouver
Moxy Portland Downtown
My Place Hotel-Vancouver, WA
Nordic Inn and Suites
Oakwood At The Louisa
Oregon Motel
Oxford Suites Portland - Jantzen Beach
Palms Motel
Paramount Hotel
Park Lane Suites & Inn
Parkrose Inn and Suites
Portland Inn
Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront
Portland Super Value Inn
Portland Value Inn
Portlander Inn
Quality Inn & Suites
Quality Inn & Suites Vancouver North
Quality Inn Downtown Convention Center
Quality Inn Portland Airport PDX
Radisson Hotel Portland Airport
Ramada by Wyndham Portland
Ramada by Wyndham Portland Airport
Ramada Inn Rose Quarter
Red Lion Hotel Portland Airport
Red Lion Inn & Suites Vancouver
Residence Inn by Marriott Portland Downtown/Pearl District
Residence Inn Portland Airport at Cascade Station
Residence Inn Portland Downtown Riverplace
Residence Inn Portland Downtown/Convention Center
Residence Inn Portland North
Residence Inn Portland Vancouver
River's Edge Hotel Portland, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Rodeway Inn & Suites Portland - Jantzen Beach
Sentinel
Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel
Shilo Inns Rose Garden
Silver Cloud Hotel - Portland
Sonesta ES Suites Portland Vancouver 41st Street
Springhill Suites Portland Airport
Springhill Suites Portland Vancouver
States Motel Portland
Staypineapple, Hotel Rose, Downtown
Studio 6 Portland OR
Super 8 by Wyndham Portland Airport
Super 8 by Wyndham Vancouver East
SureStay By Best Western Portland City Center
The Benson Portland, Curio Collection By Hilton
The Bidwell Marriott Portland
The Clyde by Kasa
The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel
The Heathman Lodge
The Hotel Zags Portland
The Hoxton, Portland
The Inn at Salmon Creek
The Nines, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Portland
The Porter Portland, Curio Collection By Hilton
The Royal Sonesta Portland Downtown
Towneplace Suites Portland Airport
Tru by Hilton Portland Airport
Unicorn Inn
University Place Hotel and Conference Center
US Suites - Portland
Viking Motel
Woodlark Hotel Portland
Worldmark Portland - Waterfront Park
*We do not guarantee pickup at your hotel, as we consolidate pickups to 3 locations. We also do not do pickups in Hillsboro.* We will contact you the evening prior to confirm pickup location and time.

What to expect

1
Mount St. Helens

Travel to Mt. St. Helens and environs with a naturalist guide who will discuss the geology, ecology, climate, history, and legends of the area, as well as the history of US public lands. Your guide will lead you on hikes near waterfalls, through lava tubes, and within oldgrowth forests. Stops both inside and outside of Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

Duration 420 minutes
Admission Admission Included
2
Ape Cave Lava Tubes

Traverse North America's longest continuous lava tube! No matter how hot it is outside, the temperature in the cave is a constant 42F (5.5C), so bring layers. Also, be sure to bring shoes that are suitable for scrambling, and wipe those shoes before entering the bats' home so that they don't get white-nose syndrome!

Duration 60 minutes
Admission Admission Included
3
Trail of Two Forests Trail

A lava mold forest. Walk through a wonderland of wells and tunnels, that's hard to pull kids away from.

Duration 20 minutes
Admission Admission Included
4
WIndy Ridge Viewpoint

Weather permitting, we'll take you to the closest viewpoint with a view into the crater that is accessible by vehicle. There you'll have a picnic lunch, and have the opportunity to burn off your lunch by ascending the 357 stairs to a 365-degree view overlooking Spirit Lake, with the mountain looming. If conditions are clear enough, you'll see four stratovolcanoes: St. Helens, Rainier, Adams, and Hood.

Duration 60 minutes
Admission Admission Included
5
Johnston Ridge Observatory

The place where Dave Johnston got on the radio and yelled "Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!", the fateful morning of May 18, 1980.

6

Mount St. Helens Visitor Center

The visitor center with the most detailed history and geology of Mt. St. Helens.

7

Lava Canyon

A fairytale landscape of sapphire waterfalls and blue-grey andesite that were scoured and smoothed by the 1980 lahar resulting from the rapid melting of the Shoestring Glacier by pyroclastic flows.

8

Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center

The visitor center that provides a special retro experience, with a movie about Mt. St. Helens circa 1985, and a 1990s-era Disneyland Haunted Mansion-style park ranger statue, who will give you a lecture.

The experience can be subject to change due to bad weather or unforseen circumstances. We always endeavour to give you the best possible experience.

Additional Information

  • Additional information
    Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Additional information
    Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Additional information
    Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
  • Additional information
    This tour operates in all weather conditions, and the cave is 42F (5.5C). Please dress in layers.
  • Additional information
    Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Additional information
    We recommend shoes that are suitable for minor rock climbing (i.e. scrambling/bouldering).
  • Additional information
    Wear long pants, as there will be opportunities for crawling.
Provided by Terran Travels

What our experts say

  • icon
    Dress in layers for varying temperatures.
  • icon
    Wear shoes suitable for minor rock climbing.
  • icon
    Plan a dinner stop in Portland post-tour.
  • icon
    Don't miss the picnic at Windy Ridge!
  • icon
    Bring a camera for stunning views!

More About this Experience

Introduction:

The Mt St Helens Adventure Tour from Portland is the ultimate experience for nature enthusiasts and history buffs alike. This all-inclusive tour takes you on a journey to Mount Saint Helens and its surrounding areas, offering a unique opportunity to explore the geology, ecology, climate, history, and legends of this iconic landmark. Led by a knowledgeable guide, you'll embark on exhilarating hikes near waterfalls, through lava tubes, and within old-growth forests, immersing yourself in the breathtaking beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

What to expect?

On this tour, you can expect to witness some of the most remarkable geological features in North America. From North America's longest continuous lava tube to a captivating lava tree mold forest, you'll be astounded by the wonders of nature. Weather permitting, you'll even have the chance to venture to the closest viewpoint into the crater of the volcano, where you can enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the mesmerizing Spirit Lake. Throughout the journey, you'll relish the natural air conditioning as you hike by dramatic waterfalls and through primeval forests, providing a refreshing escape from the summer heat.

Who is this for?

The Mt St Helens Adventure Tour is perfect for anyone seeking an immersive and educational experience in the great outdoors. Whether you're a geology enthusiast, an avid hiker, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of nature, this tour offers something for everyone. Families, couples, and solo travelers will all find enjoyment in exploring the diverse landscapes and fascinating history of this renowned region. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, with options for leisurely walks or more challenging hikes, ensuring inclusivity for all participants.

Why book this?

Embarking on the Mt St Helens Adventure Tour guarantees an unforgettable and enriching experience. With a professional naturalist guide leading the way, you'll gain a deep understanding of the geological processes that shaped Mount Saint Helens and the surrounding area. The opportunity to hike through lava tubes, witness unique volcanic features, and learn about the ecological impact of the eruption makes this tour truly exceptional. The all-inclusive nature of the tour, including hotel pickup and drop-off, snacks, lunch, and an air-conditioned vehicle, ensures a stress-free and comfortable adventure.

Good to know:

It's important to note that this is a 12-hour tour, so be prepared for a full day of exploration and adventure. In case of inclement weather that affects mountain visibility, the itinerary may be modified to include bonus stops, ensuring that your experience remains exceptional. Hotel pickup and drop-off are available in the Portland area, making it convenient for visitors staying in the city. Remember to bring comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, and a camera to capture the stunning landscapes you'll encounter along the way.

Reviews:

Travelers who have embarked on the Mt St Helens Adventure Tour rave about the knowledgeable and friendly guides who make the experience truly unforgettable. Visitors appreciate the opportunity to learn about the geology and history of the area while exploring the stunning natural landscapes. The well-planned itinerary, including stops at unique geological features, waterfalls, and old-growth forests, receives high praise from reviewers. Many highlight the breathtaking views from the closest viewpoint into the volcano's crater and the delicious picnic lunch overlooking Spirit Lake. Overall, the tour is highly recommended for its educational value, stunning scenery, and professional guides who ensure a memorable adventure.

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