Another landslide blocks access to Mount St. Helens

A second landslide is blocking access to the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument from the southeast.

The U.S. Forest Service said the south side of Forest Road 25, north of the Swift Reservoir, will likely remain closed throughout the summer due to the slide. The road is blocked after Forest Road 25 and 93 meet, near where 25 crosses Muddy River, near Cougar.

People use Forest Road 25 to reach Forest Service 99 in the north, to then reach popular destinations like Windy Ridge to the west.

The Forest Service reports people can still access Windy Ridge by taking Forest Road 99 from Randle once the snow melts in July.

Another debris slide that occurred May 14 is blocking access to popular sites like Coldwater Lake and Johnston Ridge Observatory off Spirit Lake Memorial Highway.

The Forest Service has opened Coldwater Science and Learning Center as an alternative to Johnston Ridge Observatory’s theater and exhibits. Coldwater Science and Learning Center is located before the road closure of the May 14 landslide, which is 10 miles west of the observatory, and includes a shop and bookstore.

The center will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week through October. The center’s gates will be locked at 4 p.m. due to previously scheduled overnight trips, the Forest Service reports.

This story was originally published June 10, 2023 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Another landslide blocks access to Mount St. Helens."