Columbia Hills State Park

Columbia Hills State Park Profile

Park Profile:
Columbia Hills State Park (which includes the Horsethief Lake area and Dalles Mountain Ranch area) is a 3,338-acre camping park with 7,500 feet of freshwater shoreline on the Columbia River. Horsethief Butte dominates the skyline. It stands over the lake like an ancient castle. The lake itself is about 90 acres in size and is actually an impoundment of the Columbia River. The lake was flooded into existence by the reservoir created by The Dalles Dam. The park has eight partial utility sites, four standard sites, six primitive tent sites, one dump station and one restroom. Maximum site length is 60 feet (may have limited availability). In addition, there is one primitive hiker/bicycle camp site. Be aware that it can be very windy in the Columbia River Gorge, and be prepared for such conditions. All campsites are first come, first served.

Park 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.

Special Features:
The park contains Native American pictographs (paintings) and petroglyphs (carvings). Some of the oldest pictographs in the Northwest are found in this park. Artifacts associated with local tribes can be seen at the nearby Maryhill Museum of Art and the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Archeological sites and artifacts are protected by both federal and state laws, and their disturbance and/or removal is illegal and carries severe penalties.

Directions & Address:
Located on the Columbia River on the state's southern border in Klickitat County.
Milepost 85 State Route 14, Dallesport, WA 98617

Additional Information:
For more information on Columbia Hills State Park or any other Washington State Park, please visit parks.wa.gov or call the Washington State Parks Information Center at (360) 902-8844.

Columbia Hills State Park - Day Trip April 2017

Family outing to Columbia Hills Historic State Park back in April 2017. More info on the park here: