Question: "Camping" spot 1 minute up the hill from Mt. St. Helens Ape Caves?

Grease

Grease

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A few weeks back I took a trip to the Ape Caves under Mt. St. Helens. In the process of getting there, I missed the turn into the parking lot and took a rather scenic windy road up the mountain. On the way, I passed a couple of spots where people had obviously been parking off the road and camping in fields down below. They were definitely not official camping sites, but they seemed like great little out of the way spots to practice some wilderness skills without a KOA manager getting mad at me for gathering my own firewood :p

For those familiar with the area, how would you suggest taking advantage of the spots? Think I could get in trouble for spending the night there if I bought a parking pass at the Ape Caves? It's about 3 hours away, so I can't exactly just drive over and ask a park ranger.

(One of the spots actually had a couple tents set up, so I'm not the first to find the place.)
 
I have not been there, but I do know a trick that may work.... You can buy the backcountry pass. Drop your seat back, so that the rangers can't see the back of the chair if they drive by. Effectively, you can sleep in your car, depending on comfort. I had to do that one time at Arches national park because if I went home, I would have fallen asleep and wrecked.

It even got to the point that I fabricated an awkward situation so that the park ranger would leave me alone.
Just tell him you have explosive diarrhea and you used up your other roll of biodegradable butt wipes. Normally, that quick of a response reverts them back to civilian mode and they say "have a pleasant night".

If you have a tent setup, say that you drove 6 hours and think that you are a menace to society, falling asleep on the road a few times before deciding to call it a night. They find drowsy drivers all the time.

If people regularly camp there, it probably isn't a problem. What attracts trouble? Big fires and trash. If you don't see those there, most likely, good stewards such as yourself know how to camp out of bounds, without being class A butt heads. Use that. Use the above as backup if you need it.
 
I have camped in the exact area you describe. It is National Forest land if I'm not mistaken. It is public land and you can explore and camp all you want.

Be sure you are obeying the fire restrictions and keep a clean camp. There is no charge for such a spot as it is not improved. You will need the Discover pass or a day pass to park at Ape Caves.

That's a great area by the way. It is a wonderful drive around Mt. St. Helens, and you get amazing stops at the visitor center and Ape Caves.
 
eomeo said:
That's a great area by the way. It is a wonderful drive around Mt. St. Helens, and you get amazing stops at the visitor center and Ape Caves.
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Heh, my little scenic drive found me turning around at the most gorgeous drop-off overlook I've seen in a long time. It really is a great area :)
 
You're ok to camp around those areas. I own some land around there and its the gifford pinchot national forrest. All of their off trail camping regs are available on the website.
 
I live in the area and worked for the forest service when several of the roads around the cave were put in. The St. Helens monument changed a lot of the old rules close to the mountain but in general you can camp any where you want in the GP outside a designated camp ground without a permit. The area close to the cave may have different rules, I've never tried to camp there.
 
I own a cabin near there and have camped in the general area with scouts for years. If you park in a parking lot you may need a Northwest Visior's pass. Look for a sign. The passes are avaialble in several sores and at the pine creek ranger station. During elk season the area is full of elk camps.
Ron Athay
 
Why is this place called Ape Cave? Is it a reference to the Sasquatch legend?
Faiaoga:D
 
Thanks guys! Looks like I'll probably be heading up there soon :D

Faiaoga said:
Why is this place called Ape Cave? Is it a reference to the Sasquatch legend?
Faiaoga:D
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The guys who found the caves called themselves the Apes. I'm not sure why :p
 
It was named after a boy scout troop, the Mt. St. Helens Apes that explored it after it was discovered in 1951. I worked for one of the original discovers back in the very early 1970's. Also walked from one end to the other of it in 1971 when it was still fairly undeveloped as a tourist attraction.
 
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