Field Adventures
Guided excursions to Mount St. Helens are an exciting way to reach out and touch the book of Genesis!
$18 per person or $75 per family (Due on the day of the excursion).
Other fees include $6 per car for a National Forest Day Pass (unless you already own a different type of valid pass), and a $2 per car fee for the South Side Field Adventure to enter Ape Cave.
The Field Adventures are appropriate for all ages. We convoy in our own vehicles. Each tour consists of several stops along the way, a picnic, and a short optional hike. Here are things to keep in mind when coming on a Field Adventure:
You will need to be at the designated meeting place at 9:00am.
You will need to have a release form filled out for each family or individual.
You will need a full tank of gas since we will all be convoying in our own vehicles.
Make sure to have proper footwear, water, sunblock, anything for a 2-hour hike.
The US Forest Service does not allow pets!
The Field Adventure ends at our final destination between 4:00pm - 5:00pm.
All three Field Adventures now require a National Forest Day Pass. It is $5.00 per car. You don’t need to worry about purchasing them ahead of time. We will stop along our journey so you can get one. You will not need a day pass if you have one of these: Interagency Annual, Senior Annual, Senior Lifetime, Access, Military, Free Access to Veterans and Gold Star Family Members, Every Kid Outdoors, Northwest Forest Pass, Interagency Volunteer pass. For the South Side Field Adventure, you will also need to purchase a ticket for Ape Cave - $2.00 per car. You will receive information about how to do this, when you receive your confirmation from us (after completing the form below).
You will need to come prepared with a picnic lunch for your whole group.
West Side - The Cascade Market in Castle Rock has wonderful sandwiches and other deli items. You can call the day ahead to place your order so it is available to pick-up the morning of the tour. Make sure to tell them the Mount St. Helens Creation Center sent you! Their number is (360) 274-4143.
East & South Side - Right next to our meeting place at the rest stop in Cougar is the Lakeside Country Store. This is the place where you will buy a National Forest Day Pass, if you don’t already have a valid pass. As long as you’ll already be there, they have a deli with some pretty delicious food. You can call the day before to place your order. Please tell them we sent you. Their number is (360) 238-5202.
This exciting tour will take you to Spirit Lake to learn about petrified forests and rapid coal formation. Further, you’ll end at a beautiful lookout point for a close-up of the Mountain. Here are the specifics of this adventure:
Meet at a specified location in Randle, WA at 10 am.
Clearwater Overlook to view the effects of a phenomenal 50-60 mile long glacier and learn about a Biblical Ice Age caused by the Flood.
Bear Meadow for a picnic and hear the amazing story of the eruption.
Meta Lake & Miner’s Car to see the destruction up-close, from both the human and the biological perspectives.
Harmony Trail for a 2.5 hour hike down to Spirit Lake to examine the floating logs and how they shook up the geological community.
Windy Ridge for an amazing view of the crater. The tour will end here at 5:00pm.
East Side
Yes! Johnston Ridge is closed for the 2024 season. And yes, this remains our most popular tour despite the closure. If you’ve not been out with us before, it is our first recommendation. During this excursion we’ll travel up the Toutle River Valley as we “recreate” the events of the eruptions from the 1980 and subsequent eruptions. Here are the specifics of this adventure. :
Meet at the Mount St. Helens Creation Center at 9:00am for an orientation lecture in the Center’s Theater.
Harry Gardner Park to see material left by the lahars (mudflows).
The Forest Learning Center to view debris left by the largest landslide in recorded history. Museum and gift shop, schedule-permitting.
Castle Lake Vista Point will provide an amazing view of the landscape that tells the bigger story of the eruption.
Cold Water Lake for a peaceful picnic lunch. Then a very short hike to hear more stories about the eruption and the amazing recovery.
Hummocks Trail for a two-mile hike to investigate hummocks, ponds, plants, and a canyon carved by the eruptions.
Elk Rock Viewpoint to enjoy the view and recap the day including the crater, the erosion, and the profound lessons from the 1980 eruption. The tour ends here between 4-5 pm. A vigorous hike that tops Elk Rock is available, but only by special request.
West Side
This tour offers a unique opportunity to learn “the rest of the story”. Here are the specifics of this adventure:
Meet at the Cougar, WA Rest Stop at 9:00am.
Cedar Flats Research Natural Area to view an old growth forest.
A quick stop at the Pine Creek Boulder to witness the power of lahars (mud-flows).
A quick stop at the Muddy River crossing to observe the power of the lahars (mud-flows) from the eruptions. .
Learn more about mud-flows at the Lahar Viewpoint.
Lava Canyon for a picnic and hike along rock layers that gives clues about Biblical history.
A short hike will take us around the Trail of Two Forests.
Ape Caves will be the grand finale, as we explore these lava tubes. The tour will end here at 5:00pm.
South Side
How to Sign-Up for a Field Adventure
Request a date (not Sunday!) using the form below and expect a confirmation by email. Or else join an existing trip appearing on our schedule.
Download a release waiver for each participant, sign it, and bring it when you come! (doing this in advance is a time-saving measure, but we will have copies on hand the morning of our departure).