When people think of volcanoes in the United States, they often think of Hawaii.
However, there is one state that has over 28 times as many active volcanoes as Hawaii – Alaska!
What is an Active Volcano?
An active volcano doesn’t mean a volcano that is _actively erupting. _It’s just a volcano that has erupted in recent history and is expected to erupt again.
Volcanologists classify a volcano as active if it has erupted in the last 10,000 years, which is relatively recent in geological terms.
How Many Active Volcanoes Are in the USA?
There are over 160 active volcanoes in the country, most of which are located in Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest.
Most of these volcanoes pose no threat to the humans living nearby. The continental US hasn’t seen a major eruption since Mount St. Helens in 1980, one of the most destructive volcanic eruptions in the United States’ recent history.
Which State Has the Most Active Volcanoes?
As for the state with the most active volcanoes, that honor goes to Alaska! Alaska is home to over 130 active volcanoes, over 7 times as many as Hawaii!
Again, the majority of these volcanoes pose no harm to nearby humans. For the most part, they are all far away from residential areas. Alaska’s volcanoes are concentrated along the Aleutian Arc, a chain of islands that stretches across the northern Pacific Ocean.
Other States With Active Volcanoes
While Alaska is home to the most active volcanoes in the United States, they aren’t the only ones with volcanic activity. In fact, there are over 200 across the country!
Almost all the country’s volcanoes are on the West Coast. The top five states with the most active volcanoes are:
1. Alaska (141)
2. California (18)
3. Oregon (17)
4. Washington (7)
5. Hawaii (5)
Mount Redoubt
About 110 miles southwest of Anchorage, you can find one of Alaska’s most active volcanoes.
Between 1989 and 1990, Mount Redoubt had a series of eruptions that caused over $160 million in damages – the 2nd most expensive eruption in U.S. history! A large portion of this happened when a jet flew into the ash cloud, lost power, and plummeted for 3 miles before recovering. Thankfully, there were no injuries, though some passengers swore they’d never fly again.
Mount Wrangell
At 14,163 feet tall, Mount Wrangell is one of the largest volcanoes in Alaska. There’s no practical way to visit the snow-topped mountain by car – most hikers get dropped off via helicopter.
These days, Mount Wrangell doesn’t make much more than the occasional steam cloud. Scientists believe that the last eruption was about 80,000 years ago. If you’re looking to visit an active volcano with minimal explosion risk, Mount Wrangell may be the destination for you.
Mount Saint Augustine
One of Alaska’s most volatile volcanoes, Mount Saint Augustine, sits on a small island on the Gulf of Alaska. Since the 1930s, it has erupted nine times. These eruptions end with ash clouds, hot currents of gas, and lava flows.
Perhaps more worrisome than the lava flows are the tsunamis that Augustine’s eruptions have triggered.
Mount Spurr
Mount Spurr towers over 11,000 feet above Anchorage, Alaska. The most recent significant activity was in 1992 when an eruption sent ash clouds up to 65,000 feet in the air. Luckily, no one was injured, but the eruption disrupted air travel and covered Anchorage in a layer of ash.
Although in a remote area with no road access, Mount Spurr is closely monitored by the Alaska Volcano Observatory to prepare for future eruptions. Despite its challenging terrain, the volcano occasionally draws adventurers and researchers interested in studying its volcanic activity.
Mount Katmai
Ever wanted to visit an active volcano in a National Park? Then head to Mount Katmai in Katmai National Park and Preserve.
A 6.3-mile-wide lake sits inside the volcano’s crater, formed during the 1912 eruption. That same eruption turned a lush valley into an ash-covered “Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.” The eruption was so intense that haze was seen all the way in Washington D.C.
Visit an Active Volcano in Alaska
For those interested in experiencing Alaska’s active volcanoes up close, there are several opportunities to visit sites. Most, like Mount Katmai and Mount Iliamna, are inside National Parks.
Visitors can sign up for a guided tour or a helicopter ride over an active volcano. Or the truly adventurous traveler can hike to the top themselves. It doesn’t get any closer than that!
Alaska’s Volcanic Landscape
All in all, there are over 140 volcanoes across Alaska – 90 of which have been active in the last 11,000 years. Of all the eruptions that the United States has seen in the past 200 years, ¾ of them have been in Alaska.
Those picturing dramatic lava flows like something out of an action movie shouldn’t worry. The most common threat these volcanoes pose is the ash cloud, which can cause respiratory problems, infrastructure problems, and airplane engine failures.
