It will be years before people will be able to reach the views, trails and a visitor center at Mount St. Helens. Johnston Ridge, the site of a seasonal observatory and museum, as well as a trailhead that leads above and down into the pumice plains of the volcano’s 1980 blast zone, will remain inaccessible until 2027, as crews work to repair landslide damage on the Spirit Lake Highway that leads up the mountain. The Washington State Department of Transportation announced the timeline, which it previously released, as a “refresher” to the public, The Columbian first reported on Wednesday. Construction of a bridge replacement is expected to begin in April 2026, with the highway set to reopen in April 2027, according to the department’s timeline. Follow the link in our bio to read more from travel reporter halejamesb #outdoors #pnw #upperleftusa