Mount Saint Helen's is a volcano that forever lives in the minds of Americans and the world. During the events that surrounded the 1980 eruption, lives changed in an instant, and the mountaintop's geography was forever altered. Today, you can experience this unique volcano and all the flora and fauna that makes this impressive reforestation project so dramatic. You will arrive with your guide to the blast-zone, just 5 miles from the crater at the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Here, you can snap some photos of the mountain while your naturalist tells the story of that fated day. You'll also learn interesting and unique facts about this and other volcanoes and their ever-changing faces. After being outside, you'll head into the center's state-of-the-art interpretive displays and theater, where you can discover the volcano in a whole new way. You will walk on the Eruption Trail and learn how the eruption shaped the surrounding landscape.