Revision as of 19:19, 15 July 2019

The open bowl below Ednas Point, Wallowa Union Railroad (bobcat)

Cous desert-parsley (Lomatium cous), Wallowa Union Railroad (bobcat)

Ponderosa pine slopes near the old Smith Mountain Road above the Wallowa Union Railroad (bobcat)

The trails at Iwetemlaykin State Heritage site and the Old Chief Joseph Gravesite (not a GPS track) (bobcat) Courtesy: Google Maps

• Start point: Iwetemlaykin Trailhead
• Ending Point: Old Chief Joseph Trailhead
• Trail Log:
• Hike Type: In and out
• Distance: 2.3 miles
• Elevation gain: 145 feet
• High Point: 4,440 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Seasons: Spring through Fall
• Family Friendly: Yes
• Backpackable: No
• Crowded: No

Hike Description

“Iwetemlaykin” means “at the edge of the lake” in Nimíipuu (Nez Perce). The grassy slopes here are part of the terminal moraine of a glacier that stretched down from the two forks of the Wallowa River. The plains below the moraine were the homeland of the Nez Perce, and a trail reaches from the state park to a part of the Nez Perce National Historical Park at the Old Chief Joseph Gravesite, which overlooks Wallowa Lake. The entire area is sacred to the Nez Perce tribe. White settlers displaced the Nez Perce and forced their removal to reservations in other states. The farmer/settler is established here in the form of two irrigation ditches that carried water from the Wallowa River to surrounding farmlands. The state acquired the property in 2007 using lottery dollars, and the park was opened in 2009.

Walk past the shaded benches, and switchback twice up the slope to reach the crest of the terminal moraine and get a view up the Wallowa River valley, with Mount Howard on the left and Chief Joseph Mountain on the right. East Peak and Hidden Peak can be seen behind Howard, with Aneroid Mountain at the head of the valley. Unfortunately, interpretive signs have been removed as of 2019. Drop to walk below a copse of ponderosa pines getting a view to the north face of Chief Joseph Mountain as well as the Hurricane Creek valley and Ruby Peak.

At a trail junction, make a left over a footbridge that spans the Silver Lake Ditch. The irrigation ditch is over 100 years old and feeds water from the small dam at Wallowa Lake to area fields. Switchback at a western juniper, and pass a bench that offers more mountain views. Follow a moraine ridge before dropping to the Wallowa Lake Highway. Then take the paved bike path next to the road to hike up the hill to the entrance of the Old Chief Joseph Gravesite, part of the Nez Perce National Historical Park. Old Chief Joseph, Ttıwí·teq’is, stood firm on the rights of his people to remain in the Wallowa valley. He died in 1871 at the confluence of the Wallowa and Lostine Rivers. After his son, Chief Joseph, was forced to leave the valley for a reservation in Idaho in 1877, the grave of Ttıwí·teqis was looted twice and his skull carried off as a souvenir. Some locals, however, had enough respect to name the town of Joseph after him in 1880. His remains were moved to the current site in 1926 because the landowners were “tired of” working around it during farming operations. Beyond the grave marker are the graves of members of the McFarland family, also leaders of the Nez Perce, and Martha and Frank McCully, the latter a local sheep rancher and friend of Chief Joseph. Views from here stretch up the classic lateral moraine of Wallowa Lake as far as Aneroid Mountain, with Bonneville Mountain splitting the two forks of the Wallowa River.

Return down the road, and hike back into Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site. After crossing the footbridge over the Silver Lake Ditch, make a left and ten yards later, make another left to circle around Knights Pond, with the Silver Lake Ditch to your left. Continue through a ponderosa pine parkland. A trail leading left gives you a view down to the Wallowa River and the Farmers Ditch. An Entry Prohibited sign turns you back to close the loop around the pond. Make a left to cross a field and reach the South Main Street entrance, where a bridge crosses the Farmers Ditch. Return to Knights Pond, and keep left past a small platform to return to your vehicle.

Fees, Facilities, etc.

• Restrooms, interpretive signs
• Dogs on leash

Maps

• Maps: Hike Finder
• Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site (Oregon State Parks)

Trip Reports

• Search Trip Reports for Iwetemlaykin Hike

Related Discussions / Q&A

• Search Trail Q&A for Iwetemlaykin Hike

Guidebooks that cover this destination

• Best Hikes With Kids: Oregon by Bonnie Henderson & Zach Urness

More Links

• Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site (Oregon State Parks)
• Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site Master Plan (Oregon State Parks)
• Nez Perce National Historical Park (National Park Service)
• Iwetemlaykin Heritage Park Panorama (Joseph, Oregon)
• “Iwetemlaykin: At the edge of the lake, a state park is born” (The Observer)
• “A peaceful park at the edge of busy Wallowa Lake” (Oregon Live)
• “New trail features spectacular Wallowa Mountain views on easy hike near Joseph” (Statesman Journal)
• Hikes for Kids: Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site (Joseph, OR) (Have Kid Will Teardrop)
• Old Chief Joseph (Native American Netroots)
• Old Chief Joseph (Tuekakas), Nez Perce chief (AAA Native Arts)
• Old Chief Joseph Gravesite History (National Park Service)
• Old Chief Joseph Gravesite (Wikipedia)
• “Od Chief Joseph Gravesite symbolic beginning of Nez Perce National Historic Trail” (Oregon Live

Page Contributors

• bobcat (creator)