{{Short description|Lava tube in Washington, United States}} {{About|the cave in Washington State|the historical term for an area where cheese was ripened|Cheese ripening}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox cave | name = Cheese Cave | photo = Cheese Cave.jpg | photo_caption = | location = Trout Lake, WA | depth = | length = {{convert|2060|ft|0}} | survey = | discovery = 1894 | geology = | difficulty = easy | hazards = | access = Public }}
'''Cheese Cave''' is a lava tube located in Gifford Pinchot National Forest just southwest of Trout Lake, Washington. It is approximately {{convert|2060|ft|0}} in length, with a mostly flat floor {{convert|25|ft|0}} wide and a {{convert|45|ft|0}} to {{convert|60|ft|0}} high ceiling.
Official reports cite the cave as being discovered in 1894 by Joseph Aerni,<ref>{{cite book|last=Halliday|first=William R.|title=Caves of Washington|year=1963|publisher=Washington Department of Conservation|pages=31–34}}</ref> a local resident. The cave was first used for storing potatoes and, later, cheese. Homer Spencer established the Guler Cheese Co., which used the cave's constant {{convert|42|°F|°C}} to {{convert|44|°F|°C}} passage to age its cheese. The cheese company is now gone, but remnants of storage racks remain toward the north end of the cave.<ref name=parr>{{cite web|last=Parr|first=T|title=Trout Lake Cheese Caves|url=http://www.pnwcheese.com/2011/05/trout-lake-cheese-caves.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909105540/http://www.pnwcheese.com/2011/05/trout-lake-cheese-caves.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 September 2017|work=Pacific Northwest Cheese Project|accessdate=7 January 2014}}</ref>
Cheese Cave's natural entrance is located {{convert|246|ft|0}} from the north end of the tube. The north cave entrance is in private property and has a building over the sinkhole. There is a steel staircase from the inside of the private building down to a small rock pile on the cave floor.<ref name=parr />
Toward the north end of the cave, remnants of wooden racks can be seen.
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The man-made south entrance is covered by a low pavilion structure and has a permanently placed ladder descending to a debris pile. The debris pile can be descended on foot, landing on a flat and clear cinder floor. The main length of the cave is mostly clear with occasional piles of fallen rock.
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{coord|45|59|16.6|N|121|33|1.5|W|type:landmark_region:US_dim:200|display=title}}
<!--- Categories ---> Category:Caves of Washington (state) Category:Lava tubes Category:Landforms of Klickitat County, Washington