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Mouth of the Snake River looking towards the Columbia River, at the Horse Heaven Hills.
Fishing docks are at Sacajawea State Park.
Image taken September 25, 2005.
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Horse Heaven Hills ...
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The Horse Heaven Hills is a large area of rolling hills on the west side of the Columbia River, between the Yakima River and the Wallula Gap. The hills provide a backdrop for the "Tri-Cities" of Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick. According to Robert Hitchman in "Place Names of Washington" (1985), the Horse Heaven Hills were named in 1881 by James Kinney, a Yakima pioneer, "because the area offers excellent forage and compartive isolation". Large bands of wild horses once roamed the area.
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Lewis and Clark and the Horse Heaven Hills ...
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On October 16, 1805,
Lewis and Clark and the "Corps of Discovery" arrived at the junction of the
Snake River with the
Columbia River
and laid eyes on the hills.
Clark wrote:
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"... river wide Countrey
on each side low, a rainge of hills on the west imedeately in
front of the opposit side of Columbia ..."
[Clark, October 16, 1805, first draft]
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"... In every direction from the junction of those rivers the Countrey is one Continued plain low and rises from the water gradually, except a range of high Countrey which runs from S. W & N E and is on the opposit Side about 2 miles distant from the Collumbia and keeping its derection S W untill it joins a S W. range of mountains. ..."
[Clark, October 16, 1805]
The "range of high Countrey" is today's Horse Heaven Hills and the "S W. range of mountains" is the
Blue Mountains of Oregon and Idaho.
Lewis and Clark's camp of October 16 and 17, 1805, was at the junction of the Snake River and the Columbia River, today the location of Washington's Sacajawea State Park.
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Early Horse Heaven Hills ...
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Robert Hitchman wrote in "Place Names of Washington" (1985, Washington State Historical Society):
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"Horse Heaven Hills (T6-8N R18-28E) ... Extensive area of low, rollinghills east of Satus Creek, southeast Yakima County; east of Goldendale, Klickitat County; and between Columbia and Yakima rivers, south Benton County. In 1881, it was aptly named by James Kinney, a Yakima pioneer, because the area offers excellent forage and comparative isolation. In the past, numerous banks of wild horses roamed this range."
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Views ...
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Homes of Kennewick, Washington, and the Horse Heaven Hills.
Looking across the Columbia River towards the Horse Heaven Hills. Image taken from Sacajawea State Park, Washington, September 29, 2003.
"Countrey on each side low, a rainge of hills, on the west imedeately in front on the opposit side of Columbia"
[Clark, October 16, 1805, first draft]
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Old Grain Dumping Silo, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington.
View from driving along Interstate 82/395.
Yellow "Rabbitbush" (Chrysothamnus nauseosus) is in the foreground.
Image taken September 29, 2006.
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Yakima Fold Belt ...
Views from Interstate 82/395 ...
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Horse Heaven Hills, Washington.
View from driving along Interstate 82/395.
Image taken October 2, 2005.
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Clouds, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington.
View from driving along Interstate 82/395.
Image taken September 30, 2005.
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Summit, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington, looking north.
View from driving along Interstate 82/395.
Image taken September 30, 2005.
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Wind Turbines on Horse Heaven Hills, Washington.
View from driving along Interstate 82/395.
Image taken October 2, 2006.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, October 16, 1805, first draft ...
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S. 28 W. 6 ˝ miles to the Junction of Columbia R. in the Point Stard [Sacajawea State Park, where the Snake River joins the Columbia River]
Passed the rapid opposit the upper Point of the Said Island
and Passed a Small Isd. on Lard Side opposit, passed the
lower point of the Island on Stard Side at 2 ˝ miles a
gravelley bare in the river at 3 miles, river wide Countrey
on each side low,
a rainge of hills on the west imedeately in
front of the opposit side of Columbia [Horse Heaven Hills]
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Clark, October 16, 1805 ...
In every direction from the junction of those rivers [Snake River with the Columbia River] the Countrey is one Continued plain low and rises from the water gradually, except
a range of high Countrey which runs from S. W & N E and is on the opposit Side about 2 miles distant from the Collumbia and keeping its derection S W [Horse Heaven Hills]
untill it joins a S W. range of mountains [Blue Mountains].
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Clark, October 17, 1805 ...
I took two men in a Small Canoe and assended the Columbia river 10 miles to an Island [Bateman Island] near the Stard. Shore on which two large Mat Lodges of Indians were drying Salmon,
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there is no timber of any Sort except Small willow bushes in Sight in any direction - from
this Island the natives showed me the enterance of a large Westerly fork which they Call Tâpetętt [Yakima River] at about 8 miles distant, the evening being late I deturmined to return to the forks [Snake River with the Columbia River, to their camp at today's Sacajawea State Park], at which place I reached at Dark. from the point up the Columbia River is N. 83° W. 6 miles to the lower point of an Island near the Lard. Side passed a Island in the middle of the river at 5 miles [Clover Island] at the head of which is a rapid, not dangerous on the Lard Side opposite to this rapid is a fishing place 3 Mat Lodges, and great quants. of Salmon on Scaffolds drying.
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The Waters of this river is Clear, and a Salmon may be Seen at the deabth of 15 or 20 feet. West 4 miles to the lower point of a large island [Bateman Island] near the Stard. Side at 2 Lodges, passed three large lodges on the Stard Side near which great number of Salmon was drying on Scaffolds
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I Set out & halted or came too on the Island at the two Lodges [Bateman Island]. Several fish was given to me, in return for Which I gave Small pieces of ribbond from those Lodges the natives Showed me the mouth of Tap teel River [Yakima River] about 8 miles above on the west Side this western fork appears to beare nearly West, The main Columbia river N W.-
a range of high land to the S W and parralal to the river and at the distance of 2 miles on the Lard. Side, [Horse Heaven Hills] the countrey low on the Stard. Side, and all Coverd. with a weed or plant about 2 & three feet high and resembles the whins. I can proceive a range of mountains to the East which appears to bare N. & South distant about 50 or 60 miles [Blue Mountains]. no wood to be Seen in any derection ...
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