Mt. Rainier and Mount St. Helens in Washington
The state of Washington has many interesting geographic elements and also has a diverse ecological makeup. It is divided by the Cascade Mountains and the climate on each side of these is completely different from the other. Most people associate the city of Seattle and its weather patterns and annual rainfall rates with the rest of the state. However, on the other side of the Cascades, it is much dryer and also warmer and many people would be surprised to find some of these regions are also representative of Washington’s geography and climate.
Two major geographic elements of the state that few tourists who are staying in a luxury hotel Washington will be surprised to discover are Mt. Rainier and Mount St Helens. These two colossal volcanic mountains are definitely associated with the state itself and are also one of the primary reasons many tourists visit it. There are numerous picnic areas and great outdoor recreational opportunities near the mountains and they are both popular weekend destinations for Washington residents.
Mt Rainier is part of the Cascade Range and towers above most of the peaks. It is an active composite volcano and is the most dominate feature along the southeastern horizon of the Seattle-Tacoma Metropolitan Area. Most of the local residents refer to it simply as the Mountain. Mount St Helens is also an active composite volcano and it is further south than Mt. Rainier. It is approximately 96 miles south of Seattle and is 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon. It is more infamous than its larger neighbor due to its catastrophic eruption, which occurred in May of 1980. This was the most fatal volcanic eruption in US history and also the most economically destructive. Two years after the eruption a steam plume could still be observed above the volcano top. Both of these mountains are major points of interest in the state.
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