Most recently an active volcano Mount Saint Helens, the current elevation of the peak is 8,634 feet. On May 18, 1980, the mountain violently erupted, devastating the surrounding landscape, killing 61 people, and causing millions of dollars worth of damage. The visitor center interprets the history of the area and this dramatic event.

The Native American name was Low-We-Not-Thiat or Low-We-Lat-Klah, meaning Throwing Up Smoke or The Smoking Mountain.

The mountain was named by Capt. George Vancouver in October of 1792 and was in honor of the British ambassador to Spain at that time, and a personal friend, Alleyne Fitzherbert, Baron St. Helens. The Baron’s northwest connection was that he successfully negotiated a truce with Spain in 1780 during the Nootka Sound controversy.