Spirit Lake, Alpine lake in Skamania County, Washington, United States.
Spirit Lake rests at 1,039 meters on the north flank of Mount St. Helens and spreads into a V-shape with two separate arms. Fallen logs now cover much of the surface, floating in dense mats across the cloudy water.
Before 1980, six camps lined the shore, including facilities run by youth organizations and scouting groups. The volcano erupted in May 1980, burying these sites under tons of debris and reshaping the entire basin.
Native communities gave this body of water its name because they believed spirits took different forms here. The name still carries that spiritual connection, even though the lake itself changed completely after the eruption.
A tunnel at the outlet, finished in 1985, channels overflow through an underground passage more than 2.5 kilometers long. Visitors can view the body of water from several overlooks in the area, though direct access remains limited.
During the 1980 eruption, a landslide pushed the water aside and sent waves up to 260 meters above the normal surface. About 430 million cubic meters of material slid into the basin, changing the depth and shape completely.
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