John Day Dam
Volcanic Hill near site
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What:
This petroglyph art is like the Bear Paws of Pend Oreille Lake, but pecked into the black varnish of basalt instead of carved into the argellite rock. The art is naturally protected from being touched because they are on a cliff that I couldn't climb to get closeups. It makes me wonder how the Indians carved these unless they built a scaffold around the cliff. Rock art carvings with bear paws can be seen here and at Cranbrook and
Pond Oreille Lake
, but generally are very rare.
Where:
From Spokane take 395 to Pasco and then follow signs to Umatilla, but take Hwy 14 West to John Day Dam. Take the signed road to the dam and take the road to Cliffs Park only a little ways until driving to the river edge. At the edge you will see many Indian fishing platforms like I have pictured in the slideshow, picture#2. Find the platform nearest the dam and park there. Then follow the river edge, walking carefully, boulder to boulder around the cliff into the cliff's inside edge where you will begin seeing the bear paws.
Cautions:
Rules & Law
List:
picnic (no food sources nearby), water, camera.
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