How Hard Is Ape Cave?

Explore 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.

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.

How long does it take to go through Ape Cave?

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.

Why is it called the Ape Caves?

It is sometimes referred to as Ape Caves (plural)

because the main entrance is between its two ends, referred to as the Lower Cave and Upper Cave

. Ape Cave was formed nearly 2000 years ago from lava streaming down the southern flank of Mount St. Helens.

What is a lava tube?

Lava tubes are

natural conduits through which lava travels beneath the surface of a lava flow

. Tubes form by the crusting over of lava channels and pahoehoe flows. A broad lava-flow field often consists of a main lava tube and a series of smaller tubes that supply lava to the front of one or more separate flows.

Where is the longest lava tube in the United States?

• Mount St. Helens National Monument.
• The Ape Caves were created by lava. …
• Not just that, it’s the longest lava tube in the continental United States.
• 13,042 feet long.
• 2 miles round trip.
• Formed about 2,000 years ago.
• Named after the scout patrol that did a lot of the first explorations, the Ape Patrol.

How was Ape Cave 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 dogs allowed at the lava tubes?

Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash

. Drive 9 miles north of Flagstaff on US 180 and turn west (left) on FR 245 (at milepost 230). Continue 3 miles to FR171 and turn south 1 mile to where FR 171B turns left a short distance to Lava River Cave.

Are there lava tubes in Washington state?

One such marvel is the lava cave in Washington, where you can hike underground through an actual lava tube

, one of the longest in North America. Ape Caves in the Mount St. Helens National Monument, Washington is over two miles long and was formed over 2,000 years ago!

Is Mt St Helens open?

Hours.

March 1 – May 15, open daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

May 16 – Sept. 15, open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Are there bats in the Ape Caves?

Although

Ape Cave does not get much bat use

, there are several lava tube caves in the area that are hibernacula, so the potential for transmission to area bat populations could be high.

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.

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

.

Why are lava tubes hollow?

When the surface of a lava flow cools, it hardens and the lava can channel beneath the surface in a tube-shaped passage.

Once the flow of lava diminishes, the tube may drain, forming a hollow void

.

How long does it take to summit Mt St Helens?

Although strenuous, this non-technical climb is suitable for experienced hikers in good physical condition who are comfortable scrambling on steep, rugged terrain. Most climbers complete the round trip in

eight to twelve hours

.

Are lava spiders real?

“

These spiders never leave their underground habitats, which are strictly humid lava tubes and volcanic pits

. There they build sheet webs in small holes and crevices on the walls of the caves,” a press release from Pensoft explains.

How is a lava cave formed for kids?

Lava caves only form

when fluid basalt flows out of a volcano forming a river of molten rock

. The sides of the flow slowly crust over forming a roof over the flow. When the eruption stops the lava pours out the end of a lava tube forming a cave.

What happens when lava tubes run out of space to flow?

The lava will continue to move and drain the tube downhill when the volcano spots erupting. This leaves a partially empty tube that is called a lava tube cave.

Lava that is not able to flow out of the tube will remain in the form of solidified pools, flows, or even congealed, waterfall-like features

.

Are Ape Caves safe?

It has inherent dangers

. This cave is actually a lava tube, and is one of the longest such in the world at a length of 12,810 feet. It is said that the cave was discovered by members of a youth group known as the St. Helens Apes.

What is deepest cave in the world?

(The absolute deepest known cave on Earth is the

Veryovkina Cave in Georgia

, at more than 6,800 feet deep.) The Hranice Abyss is located in a limestone formation in the Czech Republic.

Which is the deepest lava cave?