About this campground
At 2.5 miles long, Ape Cave is the third longest lava tube in North America. Explore a chilly, pitch-black corridor deep beneath the forest floor of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. A short, paved trail leads to the entrance of the cave, where visitors must descend a series of staircases for self-exploration of the cavern. The 3/4 mile long Lower Cave is relatively easy and family-friendly; most visitors explore the Lower Cave in about an hour. For the more adventurous, the 1.5 mile Upper Cave involves scrambles over rock piles, scaling an 8 foot rock wall, and exiting a small opening in the ground surface before hiking 1.5 miles back to the entrance. The Upper Cave can take 2 hours or more to explore. Visitors must come prepared to explore the cave independently—there are no lights in the cave, so visitors must bring their own headlamps or flashlights. Cell phone lights are not adequate for the cave. More information on the cave can be found here. To provide for public safety and to protect the delicate cave ecosystem and natural resources, tickets for Ape Cave are required for each vehicle parking on-site. Thank you for your cooperation!
Getting there
From Portland take I-5 north to Woodland, WA. Take Exit 21 for WA-503 E toward Woodland/Cougar. Follow WA-503 East to the town of Cougar, WA. WA-503 becomes Forest Road 90; continue on Forest Road 90. Turn left on Forest Road 83, following signs for Ape Cave/Lava Canyon/Climbers Bivouac. Continue for 1 mile, then turn left onto Forest Road 8303, following signs for Ape Cave.
Never miss an opening at Ape Cave Interpretive Site Ticket
Popular Washington campgrounds book out months ahead — but cancellations happen every day. We watch Ape Cave Interpretive Site Ticketaround the clock and alert you the moment a sold-out site reopens for your dates, so you don't have to keep refreshing Recreation.gov.
Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office or on Recreation.gov before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.