Sasquatch encounter at Ape Canyon near Mount St. Helens (1924)

📍 Location

📝 Description

Historically, the Ape Canyon incident refers to a July 1924 report by five gold prospectors near Mount St. Helens who claimed they were attacked by seven-foot, ape-like 'mountain devils' while staying in a cabin at Vander White Mine in Ape Canyon. The group allegedly fired on a creature, which Beck said toppled into a gorge, and later the attackers pelted the cabin with rocks through the night, prompting a dawn escape to Spirit Lake and Kelso. The U.S. Forest Service investigated but found no conclusive evidence and suggested the footprints could have been faked; the episode nonetheless helped launch one of the earliest and best-known Bigfoot legends. In 2013, researcher Marc Myrsell and colleagues reportedly rediscovered the cabin and mine site and recovered artifacts (nails, a spoon, baling wire, cabin foundation), adding historical texture but not proving Sasquatch. Contemporary coverage from Atlas Obscura and OregonLive frames Ape Canyon as a foundational, contested chapter of cryptozoology; the canyon’s name commemorates the incident, while the landscape itself was later altered by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

🔍 Circumstances

Five prospectors built the Vander White Mine cabin in Ape Canyon on the southeast flank of Mount St. Helens. After days of unusual sounds and sightings, they encountered ape-like beings estimated around seven feet tall and heavily hairy. Beck fired at one, which allegedly fell into a gorge. That night, large rocks were hurled at the cabin; the group fled at dawn, reporting to Spirit Lake and Kelso. Rangers investigated and later disputed the claims, noting the footprints could have been forged and finding no tangible evidence. The story spread nationwide and became a landmark Bigfoot legend.

👤 Physical Description

The creatures were described as about 7 feet tall, covered in long dark hair (often described as “gorilla-men” or “apemen”). Reported features included prominent ears about 4 inches long and a weight around 400 pounds.

ℹ️ Additional Details

The event inspired Ape Canyon's name and became a foundational Bigfoot tale. The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens destroyed the area and may have erased physical traces of the cabin. In 2013, Marc Myrsell and colleagues reportedly rediscovered the cabin/mining site and recovered artifacts (nails, a spoon, baling wire, cabin framing). The U.S. Forest Service's 1924 investigation and later skepticism in various sources emphasize that there is no conclusive evidence of actual apemen; many researchers treat the story as legend or embellished folklore.

🔗 Sources (6)

👥 Community Contributions

Help improve this case by adding notes, observations, theories, or tags. Your contributions help the community understand patterns and connections.