Miners Car Interpretive Site

South Cascades > Mount St. Helens

46.2964, -122.0755 Map & Directions

Length: 0.3 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 15 feet
Highest Point: 3,600 feet
Calculated Difficulty About Calculated Difficulty: Easy

The site is closed for the season.

Fall foliage
Good for kids
Lakes
Mountain views
Wildflowers/Meadows

Parking Pass/Entry Fee

Northwest Forest Pass

Saved to My Backpack

Hike a short paved trail to the remains of a vehicle that was subject to the 1980 blast when Mount. St. Helens erupted. Continue reading

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Hiking Miners Car Interpretive Site

This short trail leads to a flattened, rusty carcass of a vehicle, testament to the power of the blast from Mount St. Helens' eruption. The car's backstory is a sobering one; situated on this side of the mountain, the owners of this car thought they'd be safe from the anticipated blast. They parked the Pontiac Grand Prix here and walked about a mile away to a cabin, but did not survive the blast.

If you have time (and it's not flooded) the Meta Lake trail, which leaves from the same parking area offers a nice jaunt to a frog pond.

Toilet Information

No toilet at trailhead

More information about toilets

Wheelchair Accessibility

While technically wheelchair-accessible, the path to the Pontiac may be brushy or have upheaval from roots.

Miners Car Interpretive Site

Map & Directions

Trailhead

Co-ordinates: 46.2964, -122.0755 Open in Google Maps

Before You Go

The site is closed for the season.

FR 25 is closed as a through-route due to a landslide. FR 99 to Windy Ridge is only accessible from the north via FR 25 through at least Jan 2026.

A bridge closure on FR 25 through November means accessing this trail requires a detour. Travel south on FR 23 and then take FR 28 to FR 76. Then travel west on FR 76. Note that FR 76 is rough and single-laned with turnouts. It may also have logging traffic.

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