Mount St. Helens — Johnston Ridge

This USGS live camera looks directly into the blast crater of Mount St. Helens from Johnston Ridge Observatory, named for volcanologist David Johnston who lost his life observing the catastrophic May 18, 1980 eruption from this exact ridge. The view captures the horseshoe-shaped crater, the growing lava dome inside it, and the vast pumice plain that was scoured clean by the lateral blast and pyroclastic flows that morning. The 1980 eruption removed 1,300 feet from the summit, leaving the mountain at 8,365 feet today with a mile-wide crater open to the north. Inside the crater, two successive lava domes have grown since the eruption — the first from 1980 to 1986 and the second from 2004 to 2008. The current dome is hundreds of feet tall and continues to be monitored for changes that could signal renewed activity. Steam plumes are regularly visible. Watching this camera over time tells the story of ecological recovery. The blast zone that was sterilized in 1980 has slowly returned to life — first with prairie lupine and fireweed, then willows and alders, and now young conifer forests. Mountain goats, elk, and Roosevelt elk have returned in growing numbers. The contrast between the recovering forest in the foreground and the still-stark crater walls above is one of the most powerful natural-history scenes on Earth. The Johnston Ridge Observatory is open from mid-May through October with exhibits, films, and ranger talks. Other nearby attractions include the Coldwater Lake area, Hummocks Trail through debris from the eruption, and the Forest Learning Center along the approach road. Seasonal closures are common in winter due to heavy snow.