Last summer, my flight home from Catania, Sicily was interrupted when news that Mount Etna—the most active volcano in Europe—was spewing huge plumes of smoke.
Videos by TravelAwaits
The skies outside the airport looked like something out of a Michael Bay movie. Dark, foreboding, biblical.
But, having visited Etna before, I knew enough about the volcano not to fear a few wayward Strombolian explosions. In fact, 2024 was a big year for Etna, so the activity wasn’t a surprise or a problem.
We hopped onto a bus and headed further inland to grab a flight from another regional airport.
In terms of places pagans have been tossed, I imagine Etna has consumed quite a few over the last millennia. The name volcano comes from Vulcan, the Roman iteration of Hephaestus—metal worker and god of the forge.
But what about farther west?
When it comes to active volcanoes, Italy dominates the continent. But on a global level, the US comes out ahead in terms of the number of active volcanoes, followed closely by Japan.
While Hawaii is formed by volcanoes, including the highly active Mt. Kilauea, I want to explore an easier-to-reach region: the Cascade Mountain Range. More specifically, I’m taking us to the US’s most active volcano, Mount St. Helens.
Meet the US’s most active volcano
If we’re talking about major eruptions, there’s no mightier volcano than Mount St. Helens. It’s a stratovolcano, meaning its sides are steep with a snow-covered cap.
You might even recognize it from this video from 1980, which captured a deadly explosion as it happened live.
Over forty years later, Mount St. Helens is closely monitored for potential explosions. Like all other Cascade Range volcanos, it is active but is considered to be in a healthy ‘background state of activity’. That means you can explore the visitor center and massive area around the volcano without worrying about lava flows and ash clouds.
Whether you want to learn more about the history of the volcanos at the visitor center or forge into the mud flats, you’ve got options.
How to visit Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is located in southwestern Washington near the border with Oregon. In fact, you might be able to catch a peek at Oregon’s Mount Hood—another famous volcano from the Cascade Range.
The best way to experience the wonders of Mount St. Helens is to rent a car—because the area is so vast, you’ll spend a few hours getting from one side of the volcano to the other.
Head first to the visitor’s center to get a map of the area, learn about which spots are open to the public, and how to find the best views.
The best places to stay for full access to Mount St. Helens are Cougar, Hood River, Castle Rock, Longview, and Kelso. You can find great lodging options that let you stay close to the action, so to speak.
If wandering through the country roads sounds a little too intimidating, you can also take a tour from a professional guide.
I’d recommend taking an official tour—and from a major city, too. You can get to Mount St. Helens from Portland, Oregon (50 miles), Seattle, Washington (100 miles), and even Vancouver, British Columbia (45 miles).
You can shop around for day trips and guided tours that leave from these cities, letting you bundle a visit to the US’s most active volcano when you head to the Pacific Northwest.
