Seattle vacation...Mt St Helens worth the drive with younger kids?

[caedmyn]

We're planning a vacation to Seattle soon.  DH wants to go to Mt St Helens but none of the kids are excited about the idea.  Is it something that kids under 10 are likely to find interesting?  Mine are 12, 9, 7, 5, and 1.

[Loowit]

Some of it will depend on weather.  If it is cloudy you won't be able to really see a lot, but if it is good weather I think it is worth the trip.  The visitor centers have some fun stuff to look at.  There are also some great trails in the area for hiking.

There isn't a ton of stuff that is geared toward young children that I can think of, but we have taken our kids as well as elementary age groups (cub scouts) there and they all enjoyed it.

[Rockhopper]

I hope other people's experiences will vary, but based on mine, I'd skip it. Unfortunately it was towards the very bottom of the barrel in terms of our Ranger and Visitor Center experiences (and we've been to lots of Nat'l Parks/Monuments). Enough to just sort of ruin the whole experience. In addition, when we were there in July, it was cold and wet and foggy in an un-fun kind of way (and at the time we were living near Seattle, so it's not like our expectations were out of whack or we were unfamiliar with or even negative toward PNW weather).

On top of that, it's a LOOONG way from Seattle. With kids and depending on traffic it's probably 4 hours. So an extremely long day trip. The kids would have a lot more fun taking a ferry (anywhere!), tidepooling, or even visiting Mt Rainier. 

 

ETA: it *was* ten years ago so take maybe things have changed...

 

[gardenmom5]

I admit, it's been a few  years since I've been there.    I've been several times - the first in 1984.   we actually came in from the east (we were at Mt. Rainier) - not I5. (need a bug eyed emoji.)  first we start came across unhealthy forest.   then dead trees.   then dead trees without branches.   then  trees on the ground.  then nothing.   absolutely nothing.  of any kind. like  a dusty lunarscape.  for MILES.  if it hadn't been for the road - we wouldn't have known where we were.

there is a very good visitors center. they have a big "experience" imax movie etc. at johnston ridge. http://www.mountsthelens.com/visitorcenters.html  make the trip out to it.

it is interesting to see how vegetation has come back, and what grows in what areas.

big windows looking out onto spirit lake.   the bottom of spirit lake is 100 feet HIGHER than the previous surface.   there was a huge log jam at one end.

I'm going to be blunt.   this is something it doesn't matter how great a time little kids have - your dh wants to go, and it is WORTH  going.  your older kids will get something from it.  there are some burned out vehicles that are kinda amazing.   only metal left.   so, they were quite rusty.

[prairiewindmomma]

FYI, Mt. St. Helens is most of the way to Portland....If you're going to do it, you might as well hit Portland.

[Targhee]

We love Mt St Helens!!! That being said, it’s actually a longer drive than you might think from Seattle because of where the roads go/speeds. We took my kids at ages 1 month, 4.5, 6.5, and 9. The 1 mo and 4.5 year olds do not remember it, but they were fine with being there.  The older two remembered and enjoyed it.  There’s not a lot to do there, but the Johnstone ridge visitor center is lovely, and seeing the death, regrowth, and collapsed dome was very interesting.

If I were you I would go to Rainier instead (or for longer).

[Jean in Newcastle]

I like the visitor’s center. 

[caedmyn]

I was thinking Mt Rainier initially, but it sounds like much of it will still be closed when we go (mid-May) so idk if it'd be a good time.  I'd be more willing to take a chance on the kids liking Mt St Helens if it wasn't a drive, but I don't want to go to the hassle of a bunch of extra driving with a toddler who doesn't like being in a car seat and then have the other kids be bored with it.

[Targhee]

Much of Rainier AND St Helens will be closed mid-may.  Other ideas for outdoorsy stuff would be the Olympic peninsula, or on of many beaches with tide pools on the sound, Snoqualmie Falls (quick and easy), or even Titlow Village cruise by Argosy.

have fun!

As an aside, we love this song. 

 

[HSMWB]

I think it is really pretty far from Seattle.  That being said, there are some amazing trails and hikes/walks that are absolutely different from other areas.  We really like the lava tubes (not weather dependent) and the tale of two forests and have seen many a toddler to adult having fun climbing through the old lava tubes.

We also enjoy the trails in Lava Canyon, although have not gone very far on the ‘difficult’ trails as I found them WAY past my comfort zone, I would take toddlers on the easy trails and either not go over the bridge, or carry them across.

As mentioned, Mt St Helens is actually closer to Portland, if you were going there I would stop between the two cities.  

[Targhee]

2 minutes ago, HSMWB said:

I think it is really pretty far from Seattle.  That being said, there are some amazing trails and hikes/walks that are absolutely different from other areas.  We really like the lava tubes (not weather dependent) and the tale of two forests and have seen many a toddler to adult having fun climbing through the old lava tubes.

We also enjoy the trails in Lava Canyon, although have not gone very far on the ‘difficult’ trails as I found them WAY past my comfort zone, I would take toddlers on the easy trails and either not go over the bridge, or carry them across.

As mentioned, Mt St Helens is actually closer to Portland, if you were going there I would stop between the two cities.  

Ape Cave lava tube and Trail of Two Forests are really fun! Excellent for kids climbing through all those tunnels! We took our kids the first time at age as 1 and 3.  They are about 2+ hours from the visitor center on the ridge (further south), and even in May can be cold (we were snowed on once at the same no of April).  There really is a lot to do around Seattle, but there's not always a straight road to get there.  If you are headed south I highly recommend the Hands On Children's Museum in Olympia! 

[gardenmom5]

2 hours ago, Targhee said:

We love Mt St Helens!!! That being said, it’s actually a longer drive than you might think from Seattle because of where the roads go/speeds. We took my kids at ages 1 month, 4.5, 6.5, and 9. The 1 mo and 4.5 year olds do not remember it, but they were fine with being there.  The older two remembered and enjoyed it.  There’s not a lot to do there, but the Johnstone ridge visitor center is lovely, and seeing the death, regrowth, and collapsed dome was very interesting.

If I were you I would go to Rainier instead (or for longer).

for rainier. . . . in the summer, the parking lot at paradise fills early. (especially on weekends)  If you want to park there (and not have to walk.  a lot.) - plan on being there by 9am.   it's two hours from seattle.   myrtle falls is a relatively easy and short hike just east of the lodge.  well, it's paved, but kinda steep - but it's short.   gives you a waterfall, great view of the mt. and meadows. narada falls is on the road between longmire and paradise and is right below the parking lot.  silver falls, and  grove of the patriarchs are easy and fairly flat and shady hikes towards the SE corner of the park by the box canyon entrance.   grove of the patriarchs has trees which are upwards of 1000 years old.   the river is shallow, and there is a small area for splashing. (not swimming.)

[gardenmom5]

6 hours ago, Bluegoat said:

 

I was thinking more in terms of they want to be called by their first name, usually because a title makes them feel old.  Some people feel the same way about ma'am.

I think they should generally suck it up - the fact that our culture worships youth doesn't mean we don't get old, and we might as well get used to it.

I see Ms as the default around here, though I don't know that I'd say it's really something that needs to be dealt with.  I use Mrs but it's not a big deal to check the right box, or tell people.  Although I don't have many occasions when I bother.

and I don't like clerks in stores calling me by my first name (which they get off my credit card) because it feels presumptuous.

2 hours ago, Targhee said:

Much of Rainier AND St Helens will be closed mid-may.  Other ideas for outdoorsy stuff would be the Olympic peninsula, or on of many beaches with tide pools on the sound, Snoqualmie Falls (quick and easy), or even Titlow Village cruise by Argosy.

have fun!

 

did you mean tilicum village? - they have a salmon dinner/lunch and the indians do a show on a variety of the particular tribes myths.

museum of history and industry has some great exhibits on the history of seattle.

there are a lot of whale watching cruises - and this is a good time of year.  

if you're going in may  here's the webcam for rainier. http://skimountaineer.com/MtnWebCams/Rainier-MtnWebCams.html?size=med  they plow the parking lot - but there is a lot of snow at paradise.  (it's open, you can play in the snow.).   you'd have to check if the road from paradise to steven's canyon is open,

the SE corner of the park is a different climate zone and is generally warmer.  https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/ohanapecosh.htm

olympic penninsula is good.   the olympic game farm is fun for kids.

 

[Targhee]

Yes Tilicum! The dinner was good and the performance was wonderful, and we got a bonus viewing of the K pod of Orcas in the way back. Titlow is a beach.

[EKS]

There is a good visitor's center at the top (and one halfway up too--though I'm pretty sure it's owned by a logging company).  Also, at least when we were there, there was steam/smoke coming from the crater.  So that's exciting.

[milovany]

Honestly, I'd skip it.  If you're flying in from anywhere sort of south, and coming up along the Cascade range, get window seats on the right side of the airplane and take a gander from the air.  :D

[PeterPan]

Did anyone mention flying it? I surprised my dh with a flight around Mt. St. Helens, and it was AMAZING! Having seen it that way, I would never ever ever bother to drive it with younger kids. It's way far away, a drive, not terribly safe (if you hike, people have fallen in), not one of those things where you went wow I wish I had walked it, especially with kids. Flying was totally the way to do it. You could do just him and the 12 yo. Maybe the 9 yo too if they're really into it. Definitely the 12 yo would understand. 

I don't know if I could find again who we flew with. He was a christian and conversant on all the creationist/catastrophe interpretations and could tell all the stories. It really made it good. I'll go look.http://www.ccavn.com/ I think this was it! Totally amazing. And the airport we flew from is close to stuff in Portland. You and the littles could go do something else for an hour and come back. I don't think you'd all fit in the plane and it's noisy. We hike the waterfalls that day too. It was really nice. 

This was flying from Portland. I don't know about flying from Seattle. I guess google to see what you find. Flying was a great way to do it. 

[Ellie]

BUNNY TRAIL WARNING

I had the worst fear-of-heights experience there.

Mr. Ellie and the dc and I went to visit my mother, who lived in Graham (south of Tacoma). I knew I had had acrophobia, but none of us expected that to be a problem. We arrived at the visitor's center, and climbed up the hill to where you can see the crater. We stopped about halfway up, where there's  a bench where you can catch your breath, and I turned around and looked over the valley...and it almost knocked me down. I had to sit and put my head between my knees. The others continued to the top; Mr. Ellie stayed with me and walked me down the hill, with me clinging to his arm and looking only at my feet, one.step.at.a.time. Honestly, for a few minutes I thought they were going to have to get the ranger to bring a stretcher to take me down.

The others thought the crater looked kewl. :-o

[mellifera33]

11 hours ago, Ellie said:

BUNNY TRAIL WARNING

I had the worst fear-of-heights experience there.

Mr. Ellie and the dc and I went to visit my mother, who lived in Graham (south of Tacoma). I knew I had had acrophobia, but none of us expected that to be a problem. We arrived at the visitor's center, and climbed up the hill to where you can see the crater. We stopped about halfway up, where there's  a bench where you can catch your breath, and I turned around and looked over the valley...and it almost knocked me down. I had to sit and put my head between my knees. The others continued to the top; Mr. Ellie stayed with me and walked me down the hill, with me clinging to his arm and looking only at my feet, one.step.at.a.time. Honestly, for a few minutes I thought they were going to have to get the ranger to bring a stretcher to take me down.

The others thought the crater looked kewl. :-o

 

I'm not particularly acrophobic, but driving over the Hoffstadt bridge made me pretty nervous. Ack. 

We really enjoy Mt. St. Helens (as you can probably see from my avatar) but it is an awfully long ride from Seattle, especially for kids who don't do well in the car. There are visitor centers at various points along the Hwy, and all are well worth a visit, if you go. Seaquest state park is a nice place to camp, if you wanted to make a weekend of it. I can't imagine driving down, visiting all of the sights, and driving back all on the same day. 

[LucyStoner]

Mt. Saint Helens is not really part of a Seattle based vacation.  I'd definitely include it on an NW road trip between Western WA and Western Oregon but if I was staying in Seattle, I wouldn't make it a side trip.  It's 8+ hours round trip depending on traffic.  We live in Seattle and I wouldn't do it as less than an overnight trip driving with the kids.  

[vonfirmath]

19 hours ago, caedmyn said:

We're planning a vacation to Seattle soon.  DH wants to go to Mt St Helens but none of the kids are excited about the idea.  Is it something that kids under 10 are likely to find interesting?  Mine are 12, 9, 7, 5, and 1.

 

WE are going to Seattle in July and taking our 6 and 10 year old kids to see Mt St Helens.  Both are very excited because last year on the Anniversary of the eruption (May 18) we showed them Youtube footage about the volcano and the people hiking, etc.

 

[Shellydon]

I think Mt. Rainier is more fun!

[JanetC]

Second recommendation for Ape Cave if you are in the Mt St Helens area, but yes: both Mt St Helens and Ape Care are a long drive from Seattle with impatient kids, and there is plenty to do closer by from a base in Seattle.