Elk Area 5064 Upper Smith Creek
Foot-only permit elk on the volcano's east flank: pumice flats of the Plains of Abraham dropping into Smith Creek canyon.
WDFW Region 5 — Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, east blast zone (Skamania County) · Last reviewed 2026-07-17
Area
8
sq mi
Public land
100%
approx.
Elevation
2,000–4,800
feet
Motorized
wilderness
access
Overview
Elk Area 5064 "Upper Smith Creek" is an 8.3-square-mile special-permit elk area carved out of GMU 522 (Loo-Wit) on the east flank of Mount St. Helens, entirely inside the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in Skamania County. GMU 522 is closed to all hunting except permit-only elk (and mountain goat) hunting, so this is not a GMU — it exists solely to put a handful of permit hunters into country the 1980 lateral blast rebuilt from scratch. WDFW and the U.S. Forest Service developed the Upper Smith Creek hunt cooperatively (alongside Pumice Plain and Mount Whittier) to implement the Mount St. Helens Elk Herd Plan, which calls for reducing an elk herd that boomed on post-eruption forage and has since been brought down from mid-2000s highs. The boundary runs from Forest Road 99 down the Smith Creek Trail #225, up Ape Canyon Creek, and back north along the Loowit, Abraham, and Truman trails — a roadless block hunted entirely on foot. WDFW is blunt that these hunts are very strenuous and only hunters prepared for the challenge should apply; the reward is a nearly private piece of the blast zone where bulls see almost no pressure.
Terrain
Two very different worlds stacked together: up top, the barren pumice benches and ash flats around the Plains of Abraham and Windy Ridge at 4,000–4,800 feet; below, Smith Creek canyon, where the 1980 blast and lahars stripped the valley and the walls fall roughly 2,000 feet to the creek. Expect loose pumice, ash gullies that cut deeper than they look, blowdown, and long sidehills — glassing country on top, grinding country below.
Cover: Sparse pioneer vegetation and lupine on the upper pumice; regenerating shrubfields of huckleberry, willow, and vine maple on the canyon slopes; alder thickets and young conifer along Smith Creek and Ape Canyon Creek; standing silver snags and down blast timber throughout. Forage-rich regen is what holds the elk.
Landmarks: Plains of Abraham (west boundary, Abraham Trail #216D) · Smith Creek and Smith Creek Trail #225 (east boundary) · Ape Canyon Creek (south boundary) · Loowit Trail #216 (southwest boundary) · Truman Trail #207 and Windy Ridge (northwest) · Forest Road 99 (north boundary) · Muddy River drainage (Smith Creek's outlet, just south)
Access
All federal monument land, but access is trail-and-boot only: no motorized use, no wheeled game carts or bicycles, and no horses, mules, llamas, or goats — harvested elk come out on human backs, and WDFW allows up to three helpers for the pack-out. Perimeter access is from Forest Road 99 (the Windy Ridge road, typically open late June through November) via the Smith Creek trailhead or the Truman Trail at Windy Ridge, or from the south by climbing the Ape Canyon Trail #234 off FR 83 to the Loowit/Abraham corner. Big caveat through 2027: the Spirit Lake tunnel-intake project closes the Truman #207, Windy #216E, and Plains of Abraham #216D trails Monday–Friday from mid-May through the end of October (open weekends and federal holidays), and part of the Windy Ridge parking area is a contractor staging zone — plan weekday entries via the Smith Creek Trail instead. In 2026 the Huffaker Bridge closure on FR 25 severs the southern approach; reach FR 99 from Randle, with a posted detour via FR 23–28–76 from the south. Camping inside the monument is allowed only in designated areas — check with the monument before planning a spike camp.
Managers: U.S. Forest Service — Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Gifford Pinchot NF)
Access points: Forest Road 99 — Smith Creek trailhead (Trail #225) · Windy Ridge viewpoint at the end of FR 99 (Truman Trail #207) · Ape Canyon Trail #234 from FR 83 (south approach, climbs to the boundary corner) · FR 25 to FR 99 from Randle (check bridge/detour status)
Species notes
Roosevelt Elk
common qualityThis is the Mount St. Helens herd — elk that recolonized the blast zone within a few years of the 1980 eruption and boomed on the young forage before WDFW deliberately reduced the herd; surveys in 2018–2019 indexed about 1,000 adult elk, below objective and well below the mid-2000s highs. WDFW classifies Cascade elk here as a genetic mix of native Roosevelt and introduced Rocky Mountain elk managed as westside elk, and because GMU 522 sees no general-season pressure, the bulls that live here get old — but hoof disease (TAHD) is present in the district and elk densities are honest, not stacked.
- →Glass first: from Windy Ridge, the Smith Creek overlook on FR 99, and the Plains of Abraham rim you can pick apart most of the open country before burning boot leather.
- →Hunt the edge where pumice meets regen — elk feed in the huckleberry and willow shrubfields on the canyon slopes and shade up in alder stringers along Smith Creek and Ape Canyon Creek.
- →In September, bugles carry enormous distances across the open blast terrain; locate from the rim in the evening and drop in on the bench the bull beds on, not the spot he bugled from.
- →Plan the pack-out before the shot: an elk killed at the bottom of Smith Creek canyon is a brutal, multi-trip climb — bone out, and have your three helpers committed in advance.
- →Carry water; the pumice country up top is essentially dry, and the ash gullies between you and the creek are slower crossings than the map suggests.
Pro tips
- →Treat this like a backpack wilderness hunt, not a Washington road hunt — fitness and a dialed pack-out plan are worth more than optics upgrades here.
- →Scout on summer weekends when the Truman/Abraham/Windy trails are open (they close weekdays through 2027 for the Spirit Lake project) and mark bedding benches on the canyon walls.
- →The Smith Creek Trail #225 is the weekday-reliable entry — it is not affected by the Spirit Lake project closures the way the Windy Ridge trails are.
- →Bulls displaced from the Pumice Plain and upper mudflows drift through this side of the mountain; don't write off the sparse-looking pumice benches at dawn.
- →Verify FR 25/FR 99 status with the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District the week before you go — bridge work, washouts, and early snow have all rerouted access in recent years.
- →Read your permit letter carefully: WDFW attaches specific conditions (helpers, orange, camping, removal methods) to these monument hunts.
Watch out for
- !Non-motorized, non-hoofstock meat removal only — no game carts, no bikes, no llamas or horses. An elk down in Smith Creek canyon is a serious extraction.
- !Spirit Lake infrastructure project: Truman #207, Windy #216E, and Plains of Abraham #216D trails are closed Monday–Friday, mid-May through October, into 2027.
- !FR 25's Huffaker Bridge closure (2026) cuts the southern approach to FR 99; the detour adds significant miles — confirm current routing.
- !Ash gullies and lahar channels are unstable and deeper than they appear; blowdown fields hide leg-breaking holes.
- !No water on the upper pumice and no cell service anywhere in the unit.
- !Camping in the monument is restricted to designated areas — a casual spike camp can cost you a citation.
- !Elk numbers are below historic highs and hoof-diseased (limping) elk occur in this herd; a permit here is a quality experience, not a guarantee.
Logistics
Randle on US 12 is the practical base — last fuel and groceries before the long gravel run up FR 25/99 (roughly 1.5–2 hours to Windy Ridge). Packwood and Morton add motels; Cougar serves the FR 83 south approach. There is no camping at Windy Ridge and monument camping is limited to designated areas, so most hunters camp on general Gifford Pinchot NF ground outside the monument boundary along the FR 25/99 corridor (Iron Creek Campground near Randle when the FR 25 bridge work allows). Expect zero cell coverage in the blast zone, narrow rough pavement on FR 99 unsuitable for trailers, and snow that can close the high roads in November.
Nearest towns: Randle, Packwood, Morton, Cougar (south approach via FR 83)
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: WDFW — Pumice Plain, Mount Whittier, & Upper Smith Creek Special Permit Hunts (hunt conditions, USFS partnership, herd plan) · WDFW — Special elk permit hunts around Mount St. Helens (five elk areas, restrictions, helpers) · WAC 220-415-040 — Elk area descriptions (Elk Area 5064 Upper Smith Creek legal boundary) · WDFW District 10 Hunting Prospects 2021 (GMU 522 Loo-Wit permit-only status, St. Helens herd ~1,000 adults, herd plan reduction, TAHD) · Gifford Pinchot NF — Spirit Lake Infrastructure Project trail closures (Truman/Windy/Abraham weekday closures 2025–2027) · Gifford Pinchot NF — Mount St. Helens East: Forest Roads 25 & 99 (road status, Huffaker Bridge closure, seasonal gates)
FAQ
- How big is Elk Area 5064 in Washington?
- Elk Area 5064 (Upper Smith Creek) covers about 8 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,000 to 4,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Elk Area 5064?
- Approximately 100% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: U.S. Forest Service — Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (Gifford Pinchot NF). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Elk Area 5064?
- Roosevelt Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Elk Area 5064 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.