| Ape Cave | |
|---|---|
Ape Cave entrance |
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| Location | Gifford Pinchot National Forest |
| Length | 13,042 feet (3,975 m) |
| Discovery | 1947 |
Ape Cave is a lava tube located in Gifford Pinchot National Forest just to the south of Mount St. Helens in Washington state. Its passageway is the longest continuous lava tube in the continental United States, at 13,042 feet (3,975 m). Ape Cave is a popular hiking destination with beautiful views of the Mount St. Helens lahar region. Lava tubes are an unusual formation in this region, as volcanoes of the Cascade Range are mostly stratovolcanos and do not typically erupt with pahoehoe (fluid basalt).
The cave was discovered in 1947 by Lawrence Johnson, a logger, when his truck fell into a sinkhole which opened into the cave. A Boy Scout troop under the leadership of Harry Reese performed the first exploration in 1950. They named the cave for their sponsor, the St. Helens Apes, a local group made up of mostly foresters.[1]