Blue Lake: Toutle Tr238

This outer trail loop is sometimes closed to biking and the status is posted at the TH.

A figure 8 loop using Toutle Tr238, Blue Lake Horse Tr237 and a small section of FR81 is 12mi with a total climb of 2275'.

The Toutle Tr238 to Sheep Canyon Tr240 to Loowit Tr216 to Butte Camp Tr238A lollipop loop is 13mi, with 3500' ascent and a 15% incline on the Loowit Tr216 section.

There is also a short but fun connector trail between Toutle Tr238 and Blue Lake Horse Tr237, which must be ridden from the Blue Lake TH due to ankle-deep pumice gravel.

Toutle Tr238 continues south to the Kalama Horse camp and that is also worth checking out. A shuttle might be better for that ride, or climb back to the TH on FR81.

Plenty of hiking opportunities on the southern flanks of Saint Helens, with St Helens Climbing Route Tr216H and Ptarmigan Tr216A for the more adventuresome.

Ape Cave is popular with day hikers and families. The .75mi Lower Cave takes about one hour round-trip to complete, with interesting features such as the meatball and railroad tracks.

The meatball is cooled lava which fell from the lava tube ceiling while lava was still flowing and the railroad tracks are formations along the side of the once-flowing lava.

The 1.5mi Upper Cave is more challenging, climbing over 27 boulder piles and an 8-foot (2.5m) high lava fall, exiting through a metal ladder then returning on Ape Cave Tr239.