How hard is Ape Cave?
Get to know this 3.0-mile out-and-back trail near Cougar, Washington. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 1 h 18 min to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring.
How long does it take to go through Ape Caves?
2.5 hours
Allow 2.5 hours for travel through the upper cave to Ape Cave Trail #239. To help stop the Spread of White Nose Syndrome and to Help Keep Our Caves Open please decontaminate your clothing and equipment before visiting from another cave. Please see Keep our Caves Open for more information on WNS.
Can you get lost in the Ape Caves?
The good thing is, you can’t get lost. The cave has not junctions, so just head up the tube. The ceiling of Ape Cave is high, approximately 50 feet in areas. The “big room” of the tube is 88-feet wide, while narrower passages are just a few feet wide.
Why are Ape Caves closed?
The site was closed to the public in Spring 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to implement a toilet replacement project, according to a press release from the U.S. Forest Service. It has remained closed since that time.
Are dogs allowed in the Ape Caves?
Note that while leashed dogs are allowed on the surface trails around the cave, they are NOT permitted inside the cave itself. It is not safe for them (the floor of the cave can be sharp and may cut paws) or considerate for other cave users.
How were the Ape Caves formed?
Ape Cave formed about 2,000 years ago, when an 8-mile-long lava flow known as the Cave Basalt poured down the southern flank of Mount St. Helens . As it flowed, parts of the lava started to cool, forming a hardened crust and creating an insulated tube for the still-molten lava flowing inside.
Are there bats in the Ape Caves?
The cave does not have a known hibernating bat population, but with white-nose syndrome having been discovered in Washington in 2016, educating and managing people to minimize the risk for potential introduction of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd)- the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome- into this and other caves …
Can you see lava at Mt St Helens?
Magma reached the crater and could be seen glowing red through the cracks in the lava dome. Mt St Helens is currently in another quiet phase, but occasionally visitors can still see steam venting from the dome.
How was ape caves formed?
Are there any other volcanoes near Mt Saint Helens?
Considered “brother and sister” mountains, the two volcanoes are approximately 50 miles (80 km) from Mount Rainier, the highest of the Cascade volcanoes. Mount Hood, the nearest major volcanic peak in Oregon, is 60 miles (100 km) southeast of Mount St. Helens.
Is Mt St Helens going to erupt again 2021?
We know that Mount St. Helens is the volcano in the Cascades most likely to erupt again in our lifetimes. It is likely that the types, frequencies, and magnitudes of past activity will be repeated in the future.
What do you need to know about Ape Cave?
Ape Cave is the third longest lava tube (2.5 miles long) in North America and cave temperature is 42 degrees F/5.6 degrees C year-round. Make sure to bring two sources of light per person (a cell phone light is not bright enough), sturdy shoes, warm clothing, even in warm weather.
When will Ape Cave open?
11/01/21: Ape Cave Interpretive Site and Ape Headquarters are closed for the winter season. Ape Cave will reopen April 1, 2022. Restrooms are not available at this time. 11/01/2021: Ape Cave is now closed for the season and will re-open in spring of 2022.
How did Ape Cave get its name?
Ape Cave was named by the Scout Troop in honor of their sponsor, the St. Helens Apes. This local group was made up primarily of foresters. The sponsor’s name, St. Helens Apes, may have come from an old term used for foresters in the area, “brush apes,” or from the legend of Bigfoot.
How to get to the lava tube in the Ape Cave?
One more section of the lava tube is beyond the upper exit. The cave opens out and you need to clamber over a large breakdown. The floor of the cave here is a solidified lava flow. Unfortunately, the walls here have been disfigured by graffiti (2012). Soon reach the amphitheater at the end of the cave and return to the Upper Ape Cave Entrance.