Those of us of a certain age remember where we were in May 1980 when Mount Saint Helens erupted. At the time, I was a youngster living in Minnesota, but even there our sunsets were affected for days afterward as the volcanic debris sifted its way eastward.

The mountain itself is part of a National Monument, and thus not in scope for this State Parks project, but the state does operate this Visitor Center near I-5, roughly 30 miles west of the mountain itself.

Step inside and you’ll find many photographs and news articles preserved from the days and weeks leading up to the eruption.

Step outside of the Visitor Center building itself and there’s a short hiking trail (roughly a mile long) that offers some views of the mountain and Silver Lake.

For more information:

• State Parks web site