Interpretation and history at Columbia Hills

History

For centuries, the park was the site of a Native American village. The Lewis and Clark expedition camped at the village and described its wooden houses in one of their journals. The village was flooded by the waters of The Dalles Dam.

Oral history states that the park received its former name -- Horsethief Lake State Park -- from workers in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who developed the site. The workers thought the terrain was similar to that of horsethief hideouts in popular 1950s Hollywood westerns. The abundance of horses kept on the premises by local Indians apparently gave the workers their inspiration.

The commission combined the park with Dalles Mountain Ranch and renamed the area Columbia Hills State Park in 2003.

Interpretive opportunities

Horsethief Lake section of the Columbia Hills State Park is a National Historic Site. Guided tours of the pictographs and petroglyphs (Indian rock art) 10 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, April to October. Reservations are required. To make a reservation, call the park office at (509) 767-1159. If you reach the answering machine, leave a detailed message with your party size, the dates you have in mind, and your name and phone number. If a ranger does not return your call, call the office again. Do not come for a tour without verbally confirming with a ranger that your reservation has been made. It is advisable to reserve at least two or three weeks in advance, as tours are limited to 25 people and fill up fast. To ensure your desired dates, please call as far in advance as possible.