Ape Canyon

Ape Canyon is a former wooded area near Mount St. Helens in the state of Washington in the United States. The name alludes to several local legends surrounding the mythical animal Sasquatch, also called Bigfoot.

It was reportedly the site of a violent encounter in 1924 between a group of miners and a group of Sasquatch. One of the miners, Fred Beck, claimed in his later years that the miners shot and killed one of the creatures and that that night a large group of Sasquatch attacked their cabin and tried to break in.

In 1950 a skier named Jim Carter was with a group of other men but went off by himself to film a documentary. He was never seen again despite a massive search. One of the search team members said he had a chilling feeling of being watched the entire time. Carter's ski tracks seemed to indicate that he took off at a very high speed, making tremendous jumps that no experienced skier would make unless he was frightened beyond reason or being pursued.

Ape Canyon was destroyed by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano. Adjacent to the mudflow-filled canyon is the present Ape Canyon trail, popular with hikers and mountain bicyclists.

Ape Canyon is near Ape Cave.