Friday 4: Horsethief Lake/She Who Watches/Temani Pesh-Wa

Description: The She Who Watches and Temani Pesh-Wa trails at Horsethief Lake in Columbia Hills State Park provide access to the premier collection of Columbia River rock art still available for viewing in the region. Both pictographs and petroglyphs occur along these trails, and representatives of the Central Columbia Plateau, Yakima Polychrome, and Columbia River Conventionalized styles can be seen. Anthropomorphs, animal figures, and geometric images occur in great numbers, with some of the most famous images in the Columbia Plateau—including She Who Watches, Spedis Owl, Naishla (the Swallowing Monster), and the Salmon Shaman—being featured on this fieldtrip.

Access: Pedestrian Access is EASY to MODERATE. Parking will be in a large lot at the trailhead for both trails. The Temani Pesh-Wa trail is a paved walkway about 100 yards long and immediately adjacent to the parking lot. Here, petroglyphs removed from nearby Petroglyph Canyon in 1957 (just prior to filling of Celilo Reservoir behind The Dalles Dam) have been installed for easy public viewing. The She Who Watches trail requires a hike of about one mile round trip over undulating, uneven, rocky terrain to visit five primary locations where pictographs and petroglyphs can be seen close up in their original settings. Participants will need to be sufficiently mobile to walk over uneven ground and climb short, not-too-steep grades to access the rock art panels.

EACH CAR will need to buy a $10 parking permit at the site. Cash or Check only. Also note that the price is PER CAR so carpooling is advised.