How high is Mt St Helena?

Mount St. Helens: A Mountain Shorn, but Not Forgotten

Mount St. Helens. Just the name conjures images of ash, destruction, and the raw power of nature. This isn’t just another mountain in Washington State’s Cascade Range; it’s a living testament to the earth’s volatile beauty. But how tall is it, really? The answer, as you might guess, is a bit of a story in itself.

Before that fateful day in May of 1980, St. Helens stood tall and proud at 9,677 feet. Imagine a perfectly symmetrical, snow-dusted cone, so picturesque it earned the nickname “Fujiyama of America.” It was the fifth-highest peak in Washington, a real showstopper rising over 5,000 feet above the surrounding landscape. You could see it for miles!

Then came May 18th. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake was the trigger, setting off a chain reaction that reshaped the mountain forever. A massive landslide – we’re talking about a chunk of earth the size of a small city – roared down the north face. This unleashed a lateral blast, a sideways explosion of unimaginable force. Think of it as the mountain throwing a tantrum, spewing rocks, ash, and superheated gas for miles. I remember seeing the news reports as a kid; it was apocalyptic.

That blast didn’t just flatten forests; it sheared off a huge chunk of the mountain itself. Poof! Gone. An estimated 1,300 feet of the summit vanished in an instant.

So, what’s the damage? Well, after the dust settled, Mount St. Helens was measured at a mere 8,363 feet. That’s the number you’ll often see quoted. However, more recent surveys, using fancy laser technology (lidar, if you want to get technical), put the peak a little lower, around 8,330 feet. A few feet might not seem like much, but it’s a reminder that the mountain is still changing, still settling. Erosion and small collapses keep nibbling away at the crater’s edge. Speaking of the crater, it’s a horseshoe-shaped scar, a mile wide, facing north – a constant reminder of what happened.

And here’s the thing: Mount St. Helens isn’t just a static monument. It’s still an active volcano. A lava dome has been growing inside the crater since the eruption, like the mountain is slowly trying to rebuild itself. There have been periods of quiet, sure, but also rumbles and tremors that remind us of the power still lurking beneath the surface. Who knows? Maybe one day, St. Helens will reclaim some of its lost height. It’s a story that’s far from over.