Perhaps the best view of Mount Saint Helens is from the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The facility, which is located on Highway 504 east of Castle Rock in Washington state, is named after David A. Johnston.
He was the U.S. Geological Service volcanologist who first warned of an eruption on May 18, 1980 — and died from it shortly thereafter (Wikipedia, 2025b).
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Johnston’s monitoring of the volcano was instrumental in convincing authorities to close the area despite intense local pressure to keep it open. Closing the area reportedly saved thousands of lives (Wikipedia (2025).
He was also the first to report the blast. He transmitted, “Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!” before being swept away. “Johnston’s body was never found, but state highway workers discovered remnants of his USGS trailer in 1993,” according to Wikipedia (2025b).
The above photo of Johnston was taken by coworker Harry Glicken, who was called away from his post the night before the blast (Wikipedia, 2025a). Ironically, he would become the only other American volcanologist known to have died in a volcanic eruption.
Johnston Ridge Observatory is an ominous place to visit
The observatory is located within Mount Saint Helens’ blast zone, so it looks a bit like a military installation in order to protect it in the event of another eruption. That gives the place an eery quality, particularly at sunset.
When visiting the observatory a few years ago, I was struck by the ruggedness of the terrain that Highway 504 went through. Thus, I was not surprised when the roadway washed out in 2024 — and isn’t expected to be reopened until 2027 (USDA, 2024).
When the observatory was open it had a variety of activities, such as trails, an amphitheater and an indoor interpretative center. However, the star of the show was an unobstructed view of Mount Saint Helens. Even after 40 years the sheer power of the eruption is still apparent.
Next time you hear someone talk down federal workers, think about Johnston, who effectively gave his life to save many others. This is public service in action.
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RE:SOURCES
- USDA; 2024. “Johnston Ridge Observatory.” United States Department of Agriculture. Posted July 16.
- Wikipedia; 2025a. “Harry Glicken.” Page last edited Feb. 24, 2025.
- ——; 2025b. “David A. Johnston.” Page last edited Feb. 24, 2025.
PHOTOGRAPHY:
- Harry Glicken: Photograph by U.S. Geological Survey via Wikipedia (public domain).
- David A. Johnston: Photograph by Harry Glicken via Wikipedia (public domain).
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