President Bill Clinton. Science and Learning Center at Coldwater The Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center in the Coldwater Lake area opened in 1993, operated by the Forest Service, but closed in November 2007 by President George W. Bush due to a lack of funding. The center reopened as the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater in May 2013, operating as an educational facility and conference center in cooperation with the Mount St. Helens Institute. It was open to the public on weekends from 10am to 6pm. Many of the exhibits have been removed, but the gift shop, theatre, and some signage still exist. It appeared to be closed to the public throughout 2018 and 2019, though it was available for educational residential visits. The Winds of Change Trail #232, a short, barrier-free interpretive trail, departs from the Science and Learning Center. South and east sides of Mount St. Helens The southern and eastern sides of Mount St. Helens are accessible only by U.S. Forest Service roads. The main roads are: U.S. Forest Service Road 25 – Monument entrance from U.S. Route 12 to Road 90. U.S. Forest Service Road 26 – Road 99 to Norway Pass to Road 25. U.S. Forest Service Road 81 – SR 503/Road 90 to Merrill Lake, Kalama Horse Camp, and Climber's Bivouac. U.S. Forest Service Road 83 – Road 90 to Ape Cave, Ape Canyon, Lava Canyon lahar, and Smith Creek. U.S. Forest Service Road 90 – Monument entrance from State Route 503. U.S. Forest Service Road 99 – Road 25 to Bear Meadows, Meta Lake and Miner's Car, and Windy Ridge. Bear Meadows Bear Meadows is an alpine meadow and viewpoint northeast of Mt. St. Helens. It is located on U.S. Forest Service Road 99. Gary Rosenquist camped here with friends on May 17–18, 1980. He started taking his famous eruption photographs from this location. The sequence of eruption photos provide a time-lapse view of the developing eruption. As the lateral blast developed, he and his friends abandoned their campsite fearing for their lives. He continued taking photos as they escaped in a car. The eruption's lateral blast narrowly missed the site as it was deflected by a ridge just west of the meadow. In an interview with KIRO-TV in 1990, a friend called that ridge "the line of death." Windy Ridge Windy Ridge is the closest view point accessible to the general public. Beginning