Late last year, a handful of ancient petroglyphs and pictographs were unveiled to the public in a new home just a mile upriver from where most of the works were originally created: Columbia Hills State Park (formerly Horsethief Lake State Park). Thousands of these treasures had been drowned by rising waters when The Dalles Dam was completed on the Columbia River in 1957; the ones now shown were pried from the rocks and tucked away at the dam for safekeeping.
Walk the park's Temani Pesh-wa Trail to see 41 rock-art images, arranged as closely as possible to their original orientation. The 0.5-mile She-Who-Watches Trail leads to more petroglyphs in their original setting, but access is by guided tour only (10 a.m. Fri-Sat; reserve well in advance by calling 509/767-1159).
Rock on
Columbia Hills State Park (open daily through Oct 31; $5 per vehicle; www.parks.wa.gov or 509/767-1159) is off State 14, 5 miles northeast of The Dalles, OR.
