Windy Ridge (Mount St. Helens)

[2][3][4][5] At the end of the road at 4,200 feet (1,300 m) elevation,[6] at 46°15′00″N 122°08′14″W / 46.25000°N 122.13722°W / 46.25000; -122.13722 above Spirit Lake, there is a viewpoint into the St. Helens crater.

[7] NF-99 meets Forest Road 25 near Wakepish Sno-park running to Windy Ridge and other Spirit Lake overlooks past places such as Bear Meadow Viewpoint, Miner's Car, Meta Lake and Cascade Peaks.

[8] In early June 2023, access to Windy Ridge from the south was prohibited for an indeterminate time due to a landslide on Forest Service Road 25.

The natural hazard coincides with the 2023 South Coldwater Slide in the prior month that prevented access to the Johnston Ridge Observatory.

During the overall tunnel project, several trails leading from Windy Ridge into the pumice plain or near the lake will no longer be accessible during weekdays.

Mount St. Helens seen from the Windy Ridge Viewpoint in 1985
Windy Ridge is at the center of this map of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument