Washington · Trail 234

Ape Canyon

Ape Canyon Trail is a 3.9 miles trail in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end46.1653, -122.0914 · Directions ↗
Other end46.1955, -122.1348 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length3.9 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
AccessibilityEvaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines
National designationNational Recreation Trail or other national designation
Trail numbers234
ForestGifford Pinchot National Forest (unit 0603)
StatesWashington
Detail publishedbasic characteristics

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Ape Canyon Trail30°40°50°60°70°January: 17.68 inches of precipitation, 6.5 inches of snowFebruary: 11.99 inches of precipitation, 3.1 inches of snowMarch: 13.20 inches of precipitation, 1.7 inches of snowApril: 9.71 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowMay: 5.17 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 3.82 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.91 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.42 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 4.26 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 10.55 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 17.83 inches of precipitation, 0.7 inches of snowDecember: 18.76 inches of precipitation, 4.1 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 39.6°F averageFebruary: 42.0°F averageMarch: 45.0°F averageApril: 49.6°F averageMay: 56.6°F averageJune: 61.2°F averageJuly: 67.6°F averageAugust: 67.9°F averageSeptember: 63.2°F averageOctober: 53.7°F averageNovember: 44.9°F averageDecember: 39.3°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Cougar 6 E, 10 miles from the trail midpoint at 659 feet, station USC00451760 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 115 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 16 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 3,100 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Trailheads

No season published
0 mi

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    High Lava

    21 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,899 acres · 80% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Ape Canyon Trail?

3.9 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Ape Canyon Trail?

Gifford Pinchot National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.

Source: Gifford Pinchot National Forest official page

Where does the Ape Canyon Trail start?

The line begins at 46.1653, -122.0914 and ends at 46.1955, -122.1348. The nearest recorded trailhead is Trailhead: Ape Canyon, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Ape Canyon Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Ape Canyon Trail?

Marble Mountain Group Picnic Site (4.2 mi) is within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Ape Canyon Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Ape Canyon Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Ape Canyon Trail accessible?

No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Ape Canyon Trail a national trail?

Yes. The record marks it as a National Recreation Trail.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Ape Canyon Trail?

Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Forest Service unit 0603. The trail is in Washington.

Source: Gifford Pinchot National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Ape Canyon Trail?

1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest High Lava at 21 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named APE CANYON in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0603. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.