Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Skamania County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
The Pumice Plain
Tenacious Pioneers Regrow a Forest
| — | Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument | — |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2015
1. The Pumice Plain Marker
Tenacious plant and animal pioneers are transforming this initially barren landscape. Thanks to these changes, trees are now beginning to grow. Ferns, mosses and other understory plants will sprout in the eventual shade. A new forest has begun.
Erected by Gifford Pinchot National Forest, US Department of Agriculture.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Disasters • Environment • Horticulture & Forestry. A significant historical date for this entry is May 18, 1980.
Location. 46° 15.014′ N, 122° 8.239′ W. Marker is in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington, in Skamania County. It is on Forest Road NF-99 16 miles Forest Road NF-25. Marker is located at the Windy Ridge Viewpoint in Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Cougar WA 98616, United States of
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Columbia River Gorge and in Southwest Washington State. It is also on the American Pacific Coast, in the Pacific Northwest, and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, in the Cascade Range, on the Ring of Fire, on the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mount St. Helens (approx. 0.9 miles away); Hearts of Volcanoes Beat Beneath Peaceful Facades (approx. 0.9 miles away); Survivors Create Spectacular Change (approx. 2.3 miles away); The Earth’s Monumental Power (approx. 5.4 miles away); Working with Nature to Rebuild an Ecosystem (approx. 5.4 miles away); More Than He Bargained For (approx. 6½ miles away).
Also see . . .
1. The Pumice Plain. Cascade Forest Conservancy website entry (Submitted on June 28, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Thirty-three active research studies are taking place on land buried in ash. The Pumice Plain on Mount
Photographed by Charlie Crisafulli, USDA Forest Service
2. Marker detail: Elk
Days after the eruption, elk tramped across the Pumice Plain. Their droppings fertilized and seeded the ground. At least 15 species of plants growing on the plain today were transported in their intestinal tracks. Elk's hooves break up the ash and pumice crust; forming sprouting sites for new plants. They also eat and trample plants, slowing the recovery.
3. Truman Trail - Pumice Plains. After nearly four decades, the pumice plains are now teeming with life. It’s not unlikely that you’ll catch sight of mountain goats, elk and songbirds as you meander up and down the gentle moss-covered hills. (Submitted on October 31, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Courtesy Gary Braasch Photography
3. Marker detail: Lupines
A year after the eruption, a tiny lupine plant sprouted on the Pumice Plain. It reproduced at an astounding rate, blanketing volcanic rock. Bacteria on lupine roots manufacture nitrogen, providing this fertilizer to the plant. Leaves caught and held wind-blown seeds, and added nutrients to the pumice when they died.
Photographed by Charlie Crisafulli, USDA Forest Service
4. Marker detail: Pocket Gophers
These mammals excavate tunnels across the plain as they forage for plant roots. Their damp tunnels provide shelter for frogs, newts, and salamanders as they travel across the sun-baked valley. Gopher waste helped fertilize establishing plants.
Photographed by Ross Hutchins, Mississippi Entomological Museum
5. Marker detail: Insects and Spiders
Millions of insects fly, hop and parachute onto the Pumice Plain. Spiders spin silk that catches the wind, transporting them as far as 30 miles. Insect carcasses add nutrients to the Pumice Plain, up to 80 pounds per acre, per year.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2015
6. The Pumice Plain Marker
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2015
7. Mount St. Helens
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2015
8. Windy Ridge Viewpoint
Credits. This page was last revised on June 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 30, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,473 times since then and 135 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on October 31, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
