Mount St Helens Loowit Trail Backpack

Activity Notes

Want to learn more about Mount St Helens and explore the blast zone? Interested in seeing it first hand from all angles and learning the history of want happened on May 18th, 1980?

Join us for this advanced 3 day, 2 night backpack adventure circumnavigating the beautiful Lawetlat'la (Mount St Helens) on the Loowit Trail with two certified Volcano Naturalists (aka Volcano Nerds). 

This is a very challenging 29 mile 6500 feet gain backpack that meanders through boulder fields, remote ravines and crossest the Mount St. Helens volcanic blast zone. This remote trail meanders up and down and out of multiple ravines and crosses several rivers. There are sections that will require you to use a fixed rope to climb out of a ravine. There are also several areas with exposure and a few drop offs. 

This is not a beginner backpack. You should have basic camping, basic backcountry experience, leave no trace knowledge, and be in strong physical shape.

We will be moving at a moderate pace covering about about 11 miles each day. If you wish to apply, you need to list distance hikes, backpacks or multiday trips that you have done. We are posting this backpack at a 1.5 pace due to the ruggedness of the area and also to take breaks to talk about geology, plants, and the eruption of Mount St. Helens. This will be 3 long days of backpacking.

General plan:

Day 1 - 3200' elevation gain. 11.97 miles

Day 2  -  2608' elevation gain  11.07 miles

Day 3  -   584' elevation gain  6.61 miles

Please review PROSPECTUS DETAILS HERE.