TOUTLE — A popular scenic stretch of highway leading into Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, is now open, granting visitors better access for enjoying the mountain's scenery.
On Thursday, the Washington State Department of Transportation opened state Highway 504, better known as Spirit Lake Highway, past gates near Coldwater Lake at milepost 45.0, providing access to the Johnston Ridge Observatory.
The upper reaches of the highway are closed every winter due to hazardous driving conditions. State officials coordinate with the U.S. Forest Service to ensure state Highway 504 is open to Johnston Ridge Observatory in time for the annual May 18 event honoring the mountain's eruption in 1980.
