Columbia Hills State Park Washington

Columbia Hills Historic State Park is a Washington state park located 6 miles east of Dallesport on SR 14 in Klickitat County. The park occupies 3,338 acres (1,351 ha) on Horsethief Lake, an impoundment of the Columbia River, and was created in 2003 with the merger of Horse thief Lake State Park and Dalles Mountain Ranch. 

The Butte and the surrounding Columbia River channel were carved out of basalt rock by floods following the last ice age. The basalt rock resulted from a series of lava flows which emerged from cracks in the earth's crust and blanketed the entire eastern Washington/Oregon region long before the coming of ice-age floods. 

This State Park offers various activities that includes

camping, boating, picnicking, fishing, swimming, windsurfing, rock climbing, and hiking on 12 miles (19 km) of trails.

Ø  The trails offer Columbia River Gorge views

Ø  Lupines and balsam root

Ø  Lush green grass meadows

Ø  Horse thief Lake

Ø  Horsethief Butte Trail

Ø  Crawford Oaks Trail

Ø  Dalles Mountain Ranch

 

Wildflowers in Columbia Hills Historic State Park

Columbia Hills State Park is a Washington State Park located 6 miles east of Dallesport on SR 14 in Klickitat County. A Discover Pass is required for vehicle access to state parks for day use.

Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve (NAP) is located on the crest of the Columbia Hills at the east end of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, 17 miles southwest of Goldendale, adjacent to Columbia Hills State Park. Columbia Hills NAP, which is currently 3,644 acres, was established in 1993 after being identified by the Washington State Natural Heritage Program as a priority for protecting Washington’s largest populations of three rare plants: obscure buttercup (Ranunculus reconditus) — state endangered, Douglas’ draba (Cusickiella douglasii) and hot-rock penstemon (Penstemon deustus var.variabilis), both state threatened.