Toutle River Valley-Washington State-USA
Beginning in March of 1980, Mt. St. Helens in Washington State started to show signs of an active volcano. Earthquakes, and steam blast explosions leaded up to the catastrophic eruption on May 18th. The flow of lava destroyed forests, disrupted rivers from mud flows, killing the habitants, and scattering ash for a 200 square mile area. Elk was among one of the first animals to repopulate in the area after the eruption.
“Nestled amongst the volcanic jumble, these elk flourish.They eat grasses, bark from trees, and leaves from bushes. Instead of living in the forests they have the ability to adjust their habits and survive in this vast volcanic landscape.”
The Elk viewing area is located at the Forest Learning Center at 17000 Spirit Lake Hwy, Toutle Washington.
