Though it has played nice for more than 30 years, Mount Saint Helens is still a fascinating destination for anyone interested in Pacific Northwest history and destinations.  Mount Saint Helens is about 100 miles south of Seattle and last erupted in May of 1980.  Ash covered the area and crippled local economies while the ground struggled to recover from the huge load of ash.

The eruption in 1980 was probably one of the most devastating natural disasters to affect the Pacific Northwest.  In addition to taking 57 lives, the Mount Saint Helens eruption destroyed homes, railways and highways across the area. 

Mount Saint Helens is still active and was closed in 2004 because of renewed activity.  Minor eruptions and other activity occurred in March 2005, October 2006,  December 2006 and January 2008.  Earthquake activity followed or was involved with all of these events, and the volcano was considered to be in constant eruption from 2004 until 2008.   It was again opened to climbers in 2006 and remains a popular destination for climbers and sightseers today.

The ash from the 1980 eruption was so plentiful that you can still find pottery items made with Mount Saint Helens ash at local craft shows around the area.  For just a few dollars, you can own a historic piece of the volcano shaped into anything from cups to ceramic dragons. 

Located in Skamania County, Washington, Mount Saint Helens is a fantastic place to visit on a tour of Washington.  You can create a teaching opportunity by taking your children there to learn about the fascinating history of volcanoes in America.