Everyone In Washington Should Take This Underappreciated Scenic Drive

When you're lucky enough to live in Washington, road tripping is always delightful. We all have our favorite areas, but the truth is, there really is no ugly part of the Evergreen State. Our scenic byways are especially lovely, and they're well worth going out of your way for. If you have yet to experience the wildly underrated Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, add it to your road trip bucket list right away.

The Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, also known as SR-504, is a 52-mile stretch of highway in Southwest Washington.

It travels along the North Fork Toutle River to the Mount St. Helens area. In fact, it's the main access route to the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

This byway is the only of its kind to penetrate a fresh volcanic blast zone.

And the route goes way back -- it was constructed in 1903 by the Cowlitz County government, connecting Castle Rock to the shore of Spirit Lake.

Needless to say, this route gives you unparalleled views of Washington's most famous volcano.

And that's just one of many of its perks.

Once you cross over the Coal Bank Bridge, you'll continue along the north side of the North Fork Toutle River, following the narrow valley to the east of Beigle Mountain.

You'll want to allow plenty of time to stop along the way and take in the sweeping views. This part of the state is truly breathtaking.

When Mount St. Helens erupted in May of 1980, it annihilated the upper half of the road and caused a lot of damage to the highway.

It was slowly and carefully rebuilt, opening again in 1992.

Despite its name, the road now ends high on Johnston Ridge before you actually reach Spirit Lake.

But the striking views of the volcano make it all worth it.

The Spirit Lake Memorial Highway opens in the spring and closes for the winter, although its opening was delayed this year due to current conditions.

That being said, there's never a bad time to go. From its opening date to its closing time, this route is gorgeous.

Have you ever taken this route to Mount St. Helens?