Coldwater Lake

About Coldwater Lake

The violence of Mount St. Helens created a lake in the 1980s, and today Coldwater Lake is a peaceful and scenic lake of 750 hectares. On May 18, 1980, an eruption that would change the face of the mountain forever triggered the largest volcanic eruption in U.S. history and the second largest in Washington State history.

Within 15 minutes, an ash cloud shot 80,000 feet into the air, and it would take four days for the ash to rain down on the ground covering 11 states.

As the dust literally settled, the summit of Mount St. Helens fell 1,300 feet, and as the debris dammed the Coldwater Creek Valley, two new lakes formed. The north fork of the Toutle River was buried by tons of ash, mud and debris that reached as deep as 600 feet in some places. As all this debris builds up the Kaltwasserbach Valley, a new lake is created at a depth of 2,000 feet, and the two newest lakes are both under one foot and cover an area of 23 square miles. Landslides raced into Mount St. Helens, reaching speeds of 70 to 150 miles per hour.

Lemons became lemonade, and two years later Congress erected the Mount St. Helens National Monument, one of the most famous monuments in the United States.

The monument covers 110,000 hectares and includes several lakes and recreational areas. The Coldwater Ridge visitor centre is open seasonally and features a gift shop, restaurant and exhibits illustrating the region's strengths. The Johnston Ridge Observatory is located in the heart of an explosive zone and offers inspiring views of collapsing craters. It features exhibits that illustrate the history of the volcanoes, as well as a wetland trail that explains the origins of the early eruption of Silver Lake.

Mount St. Helens is a popular climbing destination, and there is evidence that it is still an active volcano. Permission is required to climb the 8,363 foot peak, and if you want to climb the volcano, additional precautions are required as it is still active and a permit is required to climb it.

Coldwater Lake stretches across parts of Cowlitz and Skamania counties and is surrounded by its recreation area, which has an educational trail called Birth Lake. Park boats provide access to the lake, and it is one of the largest lakes in Washington state, with a population of about 1,500.

Since its foundation, the lake has been stocked with naturalized rainbow trout, which now reproduce independently. A healthy stock of neck trout is also at risk, and there is a restriction on Creel stocks to preserve and strengthen the fishery. Only electric motors are allowed in Coldwater Lake, with a maximum speed of 60 km / h and a minimum depth of 3 m.

The US Army Corps of Engineers has created an aquifer to prevent Coldwater Lake from spilling over, and nature has done a great job in healing the lake and its surroundings. The campsite is located in nearby Seaquest State Park and campers can swim, fish and swim from the campsite beach, but its recreation area is for the day only - for use only.

There are also hiking and biking trails, and Gifford Pinchot National Forest is located on the west side of Coldwater Lake, just north of the lake. Created in 1897 as part of the Mt Rainier Forest Reserve, the 1,312,000-hectare forest was renamed in 1949 after conservationist Gifford Pinchesot.

Apartments are not available directly on Coldwater Lake, but a number of hotels in the area, such as the Lakeview Hotel and Westlake Hotel, offer a variety of accommodations, from one-bedroom to two-bedroom apartments to three and four-bedroom apartments.

The property is for sale to those who want to make it their home for a short or long term holiday. History has taught us that nothing lasts as long as a good old fire and brimstone - well preserved.

Sometimes beautiful and quiet places like Coldwater Lake are destroyed and earth and water can change in a few hours.