June Lake Falls

June Lake is located on the south side of Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. From Interstate 5 at Woodland, drive east along SR 503 for 35 miles, or 12 1/2 miles west of the Pine Creek Information station along FSR 90, to FSR 83 (signed for Ape Cave, Lava Canyon and Climber's Bivouac). Turn and follow FSR 83 for 5 1/2 miles to the signed June Lake Trailhead. The June Lake trail leads uphill gradually but steadily for 1.1 miles to the outlet of the lake where it crosses the stream on a footbridge. Bushes line the lake in many places, so walk parallel to the shore of the lake, following the sound of the falls, until an opening presents itself to access the shore and view the falls.June Lake, found on the south side of Mount St. Helens, is essentially a large pond nestled against a significant cliff just below treeline near the terminus of a the "Worm Flows". The Worm Flows are a series of large lava flows which originated from vents below what is now the summit between 1530 and 1570. These porous lava flows effectively clogged the drainages on this side of the mountain and now as the copious winter snow melts it drains underground. Of the many spring sources where this water re-surfaces is June Lake Falls, where a stream seeps out of the cliffs lining June Lake and plunges a sheer 74 feet almost directly into the lake, framed by several picturesque snags. A second spring cascades down a talus slope about 200 feet south of the falls, and a third but much more seasonal waterfall can be found to the left of June Lake Falls. While the falls are spring fed and flow very consistently throughout the year, the heavy snow which Mount St. Helens receives does provide a significant seasonal boost to the flow of the falls. Between June and August the falls will be at their best, while from September until the onset of winter the volume of water plunging over the cliff will be reduced but still very prominent as viewed from across the lake.