Columbia Hills Historical State Park — Attraction in The Dalles

Amazing location with an amazing lake for fishing, swimming, kayaking etc. Discover pass is required or pay for day use.

They have a small amount of kayak rentals available. You'll have to visit the camp host for details on renting.

The RV campsites do not have sewer hookups but have electric and water. Non issue for me, however about 30-45min east is Mary Hills State park. Which is also on the river and is another amazing campground in itself.

There are bathrooms on site, alongside outside showers and even indoor showers that take quarters.

The lake was clean when I went. Saw a few people fishing and claimed they had bites but this time we didn't do any fishing. I took my 4yr old into the lake for swimming and we all had a blast.

The grass is well maintained and green! A small walking trail around the lake is available (not handicap) which provides scenic views.

Within the park there is also petroglyphs which can be observed. Parking is available closer to the petroglyphs alongside a small boat ramp into the river.

If you're into star gazing... It was unbelievable on what you could see at night. I took a few photos from my phone but can't expect alot from a phone camera. Ensure you bring a telescope as you won't regret it!

There is tent camping sites available as well.

THINGS TO DO AROUND:

In the area we didn't get to visit as much as we liked but another 30min east is the Mary Hill stone hedge veterans memorial. It's a replica of other stone hedges and is worth a trip to see.

I went to a few other various parks, there's tons of trailheads but the heat sorta limited us on outside activities during my visit. (Was 108-110) for most of the days I was here. (August 2021).

I'd recommend eating at Big Jims drive in. Easily found on Google Maps. Not to far of a drive. This place had some enemorous burgers and amazing ice cream.

RV CAMPERS:

With that said the park is well maintained. When you arrive if it's your first time pulling an RV it's a bit confusing as it's "Columbia hills state park" but there is also a sign. That says the lakes name as well. It isn't very well marked. When you pull into the park you'll see a gravel road that will access the RV area. It is small and close together but trees provide shade on the RV during the day that helps keeps temperatures down in the summer. (Was 109 in August 2021).

There was also no check-in locations. They have sites marked for those who make reservations and if it says "open" I'd imagine overnight is fine. Again check with the camp host on details there.

If you like the review please consider following and liking the review for...

This park is beautiful! With the lovely views of the Columbia river and the hikes I don’t regret the drive or staying here at all. We camped for 2 nights, the Park Ranger was super nice and helpful and the Park Hosts are a very friendly and lovely couple. We even got free wood from the hosts, I have never experienced this anywhere else I’ve camped at before. I feel like the way they treated us also makes me want to come back in the future again!! It plays a huge role in feeling comfortable and feeling as if you’re home. Everything has been worth it! The campsites are close to each other that’s the only downfall, and the water is swimmable but I personally wouldn’t because there’s a lot of algae. It’s super calm, but there is a bit of noise with the train passing by constantly but I don’t mind it at all. The bathrooms are super clean and the people here are very nice. The water is also calm and perfect for any...

We came to camp on the park for star gazing and it was great. We also made a short trip to the Stonehenge memorial for a better view in a darker surrounding. However we decided to leave the park earlier than planned for a few reasons. The lake had toxic algae and not for swimming, though it was a hot day and we craved for it. The wind was really strong that we wondered if our tent would be blown away. The trains running nearby made very loud whistles even in the midnight because a crossing was just down the road. The park facilities could use some improvements. The restrooms came with shower booth but can be too small if the camp site is fully occupied. We found several water taps close to the tent site but water from them was clouded, so we ended up using the...