Four Caves to Explore in Washington State
Washington State is not well known for caves, but it has some great places to explore underground. From lava tubes, and limestone caverns, to a small cave that was inhabited almost 7,000 years ago, here are a few opportunities to get underground.
Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Skamania County is home to three of these caves.
The Ape Cave, at 2.5 miles, is the longest lava tube in North America. It is a good destination on a hot summer day, with temperatures around 42ºF year round. You can reach the cave via a short, paved accessible trail that leads to staircases that descend down into the ground. Once in the cave, you can take a ¾-mile lower cave route that is family friendly, or the 1.5-mile upper cave route that includes a climb up an 8-foot rock wall and a scrabble over rock piles, before reaching an exit 1.5 miles from the parking lot. The Forest Service recommends that you bring two flashlights per person (do not count on cell phone lights) and warm clothing. To avoid overcrowding, timed reservations are required to visit the cave, and you also need a USFS Recreation Pass or $5 fee to park. There are no pets, food, or rock collecting, and visitors should not touch the walls of the cave.
Ape Cave. Photo credit: USFS
Guler Ice Cave is another popular lava tube cave in Skamania County. This cave is known for its ice formations and it takes its name from Christian Guler who used it as a “freezer” to store produce. This 650-foot-long cave, consisting of several discontinuous segments, has a beautiful display of ice stalactites and stalagmites early in the season. Descend stairs into the Crystal Grotto, being careful as both the stairs and surface of the cave can be very slick. In the winter, you can access the cave from the Atkisson Sno-Park (Sno-Park permit required between December 1 and March 31). In the late spring and summer, you can enjoy the Ice Cave Picnic Area, but check the Forest Service web page to see if it is accessible as the road will be snowed in until sometime in May. For more information about the Ice Cave, check out the Carson Ridge Cabins blog post (and you can also reserve a place to stay while you are visiting the area).
Guler Ice Cave. Photo credit: Jeff Hollett
Layser Cave. Photo credit: ZeFlower
Layser Cave is small cave—40 feet by 60 feet—that is worth visiting to get a taste of how humans lived thousands of years ago. It is considered to be one of the most significant archaeological sites in Western Washington as it was used by indigenous people between 4,000 and 7,000 years ago. When the cave was first discovered in 1982, it had been undisturbed for almost 4,000 years and had artifacts, including animal bones, stone tools, and beads. The artifacts showed that there were trade links between groups in the region as some of the arrowheads were made from obsidian only found in Oregon and there were beads made from ocean shells. It is a short walk from the trailhead to the cave entrance and you do not need a pass to park. Learn more about this cave here.
Gardner Cave, in Crawford State Park in Pend Oreille County, is the longest limestone cave in Washington State. It descends 295 feet into the earth with 2,000 feet of cavern (only the first 494 feet are open to the public). The cave has stalactites, stalagmites, and pools with popular features including Fried Eggs and Queen’s Throne. Caves like Gardner are formed when water combines with carbon dioxide in the air to form carbonic acid which dissolves the limestone as it flows through cracks and hollow spaces. You can learn more about this cave on the Washington DNR page. A Washington Discover Pass is required for parking.
Gardner Cave. Photo credit: Robert Ashworth
Gardner Cave. Photo credit: Gallivanting Geese.
Gardner Cave. Photo credit: Washington State Parks
Northwest Portal is partnering with the Selkirk Sun to highlight businesses in the Pend Oreille Area. If you visit the Gardner Cave, make sure to check the web map or app for supporting businesses, including cafes, lodging, theater, and a gun shop, and tell them you found them on Northwest Portal. You can see the map with our Pend Oreille supporters here.
