Seaquest State Park & Mt. St. Helens
Our August 2017, Seaquest State Park was memorable for two things; the Mt. St. Helens bugs and our first experience with a full hookup site! Magical!
I have to admit, I’m a wee bit concerned all the seismic ring of fire exhibits might frighten my girls away from visiting a volcano ever again. Fingers crossed Mt. Rainer happens someday.
Pros:
- Full hookup pull-through sites available.
- Smaller, more private primitive sites available for smaller RVs.
- Yurts available for group camping.
- Clean and well-kept.
- Lovely day-use picnic area with covered shelter.
- Good access from I-5, with easy maneuverability for large RVs
- Close to Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center (connected by an under highway pedestrian tunnel).
- Dump station.
Cons:
- From Seaquest, Johnston Ridge is an hour drive during the summer on SR 504. SR 504 is closed during the winter so you’ll need to plan accordingly. Johnston Ridge is only accessible from SR 504.
- Seaquest is not on a lake or river.
- The flying ant-like bugs! This is strictly a Mt. St. Helens issue, not Seaquest, but it has to be mentioned. So far none of these flying bastards have enough natural predators to help limit the population. Birds, go to Mt. St. Helens, it’ll be a smorgasbord.
Must do:
- Mt. St. Helens. There are not a lot of other things to do here. Fishing?!
Good to know:
- The RV sites are not my favorite but the full hookup in a wooded area is nice. Our site was T16, was narrow but probably the most private site of all. We faced the woods, not another camper. This park feels more like a stop-through – a motor inn of campgrounds, of sorts.
- There are really two Mt. St. Helens Visitor Centers, the one across the street from Seaquest, and Johnston Ridge Observatory next to the mountain with spectacular unobstructed views. The Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center is obviously not as close to the mountain as Johnston Ridge, but it does have a photo opp of the mountain from the entrance and has a lot of fantastic interactive exhibits if you’re unable to get all the way out to Johnston Ridge.
- You need a Discover Pass, which can be purchased at Seaquest.
- Reservations: Washington State Parks
