A ticket is required to visit Ape Caves and go inside- see: https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086990/ticket/10086991
A Northwest Forest pass or equivalent is required for parking here.
I volunteered for the Mt. St. Helens Institute at the Ape Cave Interpretive Site in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument on June 16, 2024, doing public outreach -- so basically answering questions and providing information. A lot of what the other volunteer & I explained to folks was that the 2 sections of Ape Cave are very different. The lower cave is a pretty easy stroll with a high ceiling, 1.5 miles round-trip. Go straight from the bottom of the stairs that descend into the lava tube. Just keep an eye out for the uneven floor and the occasional bumpy rocky patch. The lava tube tapers and the ceiling drops at .75 miles into the lower cave and you'll be forced to turn back- you can't miss it. Also there is a rock nicknamed "the Meatball" to look out for! Lots of families were opting for this choice on this Father's Day. In contrast, the upper cave requires near-constant boulder scrambling using your hands and feet with about 27 piles of boulders in 1.5 miles. From the stairs that descend into the lava tube, do a 180-degree turn. If you don't eventually start hitting large piles of boulders, you went the wrong way! ;P Plus at one point you need to clamber up and over an 8-foot rock shelf, and the ceiling height varies, so you might feel more claustrophobic. The upper cave has a dramatic natural skylight where a section of the lava tube's roof has fallen in, which is close to the endpoint, where you'll exit by climbing a vertical ladder. Once you're back in the daylight you need to walk about 2 miles on a gentle trail back to your starting point and the parking lot.
Probably 95% of the 400-odd visitors we counted between 9:30am-3:30pm opted for the easy lower cave, but some hardy souls very much enjoyed their trek through the upper cave!
The lava tube was 42 degrees as always and extra-drippy since it had rained the day before. The small store by the parking lot offers supplies and souvenirs of various kinds. Vault toilets available. Also, I got pretty decent cell phone service in the parking lot for Verizon.
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