hummocks trail

We took this trail because our trip research indicated it was the most family friendly. It was a short (2.5 mile) hike, a little up and down with a few great panoramic viewpoints of the Toutle river. What I found most interesting was walking among the hummocks themselves, after learning how they were created when at the Johnston Ridge observatory. These hummocks were the first land slide material that fell down the mountain at 150 mph just seconds before the second layer massive explosion that felled trees for miles and sent a secondary slide of darker and more dense material down the same way even faster than the first. The small water ponds these hummocks created are interesting by themselves, pocking the entire landscape as you walk around them.

The heart of the mountain piled up! Hummocks=heart Since the 1980 blast, this area has the best bird watching as it has attracted birds from Eastern Washington. Old beaver dam, hike to the Toutle River (though no access), new and dying Alder trees - overall a great hike!

Kids and adults love walking through the woods and finding all the hummocks along the way. Perfect way to extend your trip and get your kids to expel some energy. The whole trail takes you through a variety of different rocks, forest, marsh and river, but if you're short on time you can do a quick out and back.

If your looking for a hike in the area, this 2.7 miles loop will take you down to the river with some good picture taking opportunities of the mountain and the river valley. There is some elevation gains and losses but nothing steep.

We really enjoyed this hike around the hummocks created by Mount St Helens. We walked through wetlands, around hummocks, by the river, and over desert-like terrain. We hiked at the wrong time of day (mid-afternoon heat) and were glad to reach the end of the hike which is a loop but it was a lovely hike. Seeing the mountain from the base is great. Bring water and wear good hiking shoes. Bug repellent is a good idea as well. Watch out for mini frogs on the path in the wetland areas!

Man läuft einwenig an den Wasserlöcern lang, was wenig schöne Ausblicke bietet. Wen die Vegetation interessiert, mags mögen, aber wenn man in einem Vulkangebiet ist, möchte man einfach etwas anderes sehen, wie die Teichvegetation daheim. Haben auch nach 10-15 Min wieder gedreht.