The Birth of a Lake boardwalk trail is pictured at Coldwater Lake on Thursday, Jan. 23. 

“This short, accessible boardwalk trail explores the creation of Coldwater Lake,” the U.S. Forest Service states online. “It leaves from the Coldwater Lake Picnic and Boating Area. Interpretive displays explain how the 1980 debris avalanche dammed Coldwater Creek, creating Coldwater Lake. Chewed trees, the sign of beavers at work, can often be seen around the trail. Ripples, caused by trout rising to feed on insects, are also a common sight.” 

To reach the lake, drive east on state Route 504 and stay to the right where it forks toward the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Continue for 1 mile and turn left at Coldwater Lake Picnic and Boating Area. The trailhead is accessed from the picnic area.

While the U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center at the Coldwater Science and Learning Center on the road to Mount St. Helens closed for the winter on Dec. 16, the Hummocks trailhead and Coldwater Lake boat launch and day-use area remain open all winter, as road and weather conditions allow. 

The Coldwater Science and Learning Center is located at milepost 43 along state Route 504, also known as the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway. The Coldwater Visitor Center is expected to reopen for the 2025 season on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in time for the 45th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens.