Castle Lake Viewpoint Observation Site sits at 3,372 feet along the byway between Castle Rock and Johnston Ridge, facing 150 degrees with the land dropping 504 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. The site offers views of Mount St. Helens, Castle Lake, and the landslide debris deposit left by the 1980 eruption. Peaks visible from the overlook include Spud Mountain to the south-southwest at 3.3 miles, Castle Peak to the south at 3.6 miles, Johnston Ridge to the east-southeast at 4.3 miles, Studebaker Ridge to the southeast at 5.6 miles, and Harry's Ridge to the east-southeast at 6.2 miles. Facilities at the site include benches, interpretive signs, ample parking, and a short trail. Longview lies 32.3 miles to the west-southwest, Battle Ground is 37.4 miles to the south-southwest, and Centralia is 42.9 miles to the northwest. Sunrise and sunset times vary through the year, ranging from a 05:18 sunrise at the June solstice to a 07:50 sunrise at the December solstice, with sunsets spanning from 16:26 in December to 21:06 in June. This lookout follows Castle Lake Viewpoint and precedes North Fork Toutle River Viewpoint along the route.
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:13 | 19:22 | 18:42 |
| June solstice | 05:18 | 21:06 | 20:19 |
| September equinox | 06:57 | 19:09 | 18:29 |
| December solstice | 07:50 | 16:26 | 15:35 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles). Computed for this exact position.
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Views of Mount St. Helens, Castle Lake, and the landslide debris deposit from the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. There are benches, interpretive signs, ample parking, and a short trail available.
Castle Lake Viewpoint Observation Site sits at about 3,372 feet (1,028 m).
From Castle Lake Viewpoint Observation Site: Spud Mountain (SSW, 3.3 mi); Castle Peak (S, 3.6 mi); Johnston Ridge (ESE, 4.3 mi); Studebaker Ridge (SE, 5.6 mi).
Longview, 32 miles WSW of Castle Lake Viewpoint Observation Site.
North Fork Toutle River Viewpoint is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Castle Lake Viewpoint Observation Site.
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Castle Lake Viewpoint Observation Site — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
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