mt st helens helicopter tours

I drove by the site and saw the helicopter there and my family and I was pretty excited to take a tour into the crater. But when we walked down it seemed the person in charge was also running a literal day care. Kid toys were strewn over the ground, one child was running around while the other was in the operation shack crying and being ignored. The pilot, who was trying to explain the tours, kept diverting his attention from the children to me and at one point said excuse me as he dashed off to keep his kid out of the road.We walked away and did not buy a ticket. This might be my loss but if I'm about to shell out the kind of money they were asking for the three of us to take a tour I expect at least a modicum of professionalism and I did not find it here.

A great private tourThanks to Mike, our pilot,for this amazing ride, doors off, upon the volcanoe.We were very close of the lava dome, crater waterfalls and we flew around the crater rim and near the spirit lake and coldwater lake.I shot 150 pictures in 45 minutes: a great fun for a photographer !Laurence and Jacqueline

This was an awesome experience for me and my husband. Well worth the cost. We're really glad we did it. And the restaurant next door is great too.

I took the 2 -12 year old boys on this helicopter tour AFTER visiting Johnston Ridge observatory. We had seen smoke/steam coming from the dome from the Ridge. We had watched "The Fire Below Us" DVD the evening before, so the boys somewhat understood the magnitude of the event. Flying over the mud flow was amazing. Our pilot graciously answered all the boys questions and took us over the crater, so we could see those plumes of smoke up close. I was surprised at how many trees are still floating at the edges of both Spirit Lake and the new Coldwater Lake. We will never forget it. For the record, I was scared, and my 12 year old in the co-pilot's seat was terrified - until we got in the air. Then it was so incredible, we forgot to be afraid.

We sat eating lunch at watched the helicopter take off and land. We decided, you only live once so let's go for it. I was so nervous, but my hubby and kids were not. The pilot and other staff were very friendly and answered our questions. Our pilot Mike was patient and understood my 'I may vomit at any moment' anxiety. Turns out it was not bad at all and in fact awesome. We took so many photos and the memories are treasured. My son rode in the front and our normally shy daughter asked a ton of questions from the back. To fly inside a crater is well, phenomenal. The ride is not cheap but I would never regret the money spent for that experience. If you are on the fence, just do it!

My husband and I took the helicopter ride from Echo Visitors Center to the crater of Mt. St. Helen's. We originally wanted to fly from the visitor center that is about 3 miles up the road but they were booked all afternoon. That was good luck for us!!! Darrell was our pilot and he was the BEST, he gave us a very informative ride and close up of the sheep and elk not to mention the crater!!!!!! Our ride lasted about 35 minutes and was worth every penny!!!!! This is a definite MUST DO for an unforgettable vacation.

We booked a tour with this company. Their helicopter was down for maintenance so they sent us to their competitor Hillsboro Aviation who operates out of the Toutle Visitor Center. Prices were comparable. From what I understand, the trips are the same. And that trip was amazing. We were able to see the some smoke coming out of a spot in the crater at the peak. We had a great view of the entire area to understand the damage caused. I suggest looking at the pictures in the visitor center first, it will help you understand how things changed on the day of the blast. This was not cheap, it was one of those things you choose the splurge on if you are able to because you may never get a chance like this again.