Revision as of 15:57, 23 October 2018

Looking north from Knoll 5936 along Poker Jim Ridge, Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge (bobcat)

Narrow-leaved paintbrush (Castilleja linariifolia), Poker Jim Ridge (bobcat)

View south across the Warner Lakes to the Rabitt Hills from Poker Jim Ridge (bobcat)

Approaching Petroglyph Lake, Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge (bobcat)

The "lizard", Petroglyph Lake (bobcat)

The cross-country loop hike along Poker Jim Ridge and then to Petroglyph Lake (not a GPS track) (bobcat) Courtesy: Caltopo

• Start point: Hilltop Reservoir Trailhead
• Ending Point: Petroglyph Lake
• Trail Log:
• Hike Type: Loop
• Distance: 4.9 miles
• Elevation gain: 285 feet
• High Point: 5,936 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Seasons: Spring through fall
• Family Friendly: Yes
• Backpackable: No
• Crowded: No

Hike Description

There is an easy way to access Petroglyph Lake in the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge: Simply park at the gate on the old jeep track that leads to the lake, and follow it 1.8 miles directly your destination. However, the cross country loop described here allows you first to take in spectacular views over the Warner Lakes and along the rim of Poker Jim Ridge. Then you can descend to the lake and admire the 65 or so panels of petroglyphs along its low rim. Rock art experts classify this particular display into three groupings: spirit representations are more recent and more hastily sketched, perhaps on a vision quest; more ancient and deeply carved abstract representations; and “lizard style” representations. The figures were scratched with stone implements in the desert varnish, the natural patina that accumulates on rocks over time. No traditional explanation has been handed down as to the petroglyphs' true meaning.

Bear in mind that this route is entirely cross-country. Wear good boots and long pants, and keep your bearings at all times. This is a wildlife refuge: Keep your dog on leash at all times.

Cross the road, and head in a north-northwesterly direction towards the rim of Poker Jim Ridge. You’ll be hiking through clumps of low sagebrush, horsebrush, buckwheat, fescue, and cheatgrass – the latter will leave irritating spikelets in your socks. Death-camas blooms here in the spring. The wind whips up over the rim at times keeping the plants very low-growing. Sage grouse squat low to the ground on your approach and then may whirr up startlingly. Cottontail rabbits may scuttle off. Once you arrive at the edge of the plateau, you’ll get a magnificent view down to the Warner Lakes. These shallow lakes are the remnant of a single, deeper Pleistocene lake. The large lake below you is Campbell Lake. To its west are Upper Campbell Lake and Flagstaff Lake. North of Campbell Lake are Stone Corral and Turpin Lakes. Far to the south are the Rabbit Hills and the outline of Crane Mountain.

Keep hiking north along the rim. Your destination is a juniper-dotted knoll in the near distance. In late spring/early summer, there are a number of blooms among the clumps of sagebrush: Indian paintbrush, lupine, groundsel, and parasitic broomrape. When you reach the knoll, look north to the steeply sloping face of Poker Jim Ridge where it extends above the Warner Valley. Then circle around the ramparts at the summit to get a view east across a broad sloping plateau. You’ll see two lakes not far away: The nearest one is Petroglyph Lake, your next destination.

Descend the knoll where the slope becomes easier, and make your way cross-country towards Petroglyph Lake. Make for its northern end, keeping to the left of a low rock scarp. Soon you’ll see the lake again. Keep your eyes open for antelope here; they like to congregate by the lake, but they won’t stay long upon your approach. When you reach the northern end of the low rock rim above the lake, you can hook up with a user trail that takes you along the rocks. The petroglyphs are most numerous at this end of the rim. In the center of the rim, the rock is quite weathered and doesn’t have the smooth surfaces or “varnish” suitable for illustrations. There are a few more petroglyphs at the south end of the rim. Stay a while here and envision a former people camped by the lake and spending time chipping away at the rock – for entertainment or spiritual purpose?

Once at the south end of the rim, align yourself with the steep northern edge of Hart Mountain to the south. You’ll see the refuge headquarters buildings glinting in the sunlight far to your left. Make your way across the landscape trying to avoid the russet clumps of cheatgrass. Wild onions bloom among the sagebrush. There’s a low scarp to the left. As you continue, adjust your angle to hike towards the bare patches of scree on the east slope of Hart Mountain. Once you reach a crest, you’ll see your vehicle and can make straight towards it, passing to the west of a depression with a seasonal lake.

Fees, Regulations, etc.

• Dogs on leash
• Do not touch the petroglyphs!
• Wear long pants to protect your legs

Maps

• Maps: Hike Finder
• Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)

Trip Reports

• Search Trip Reports for Petroglyph Lake Loop Hike

• Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge 6-26-18
• Hart Mountain Refuge: Petroglyph Lake and Warner Peak

Related Discussions / Q&A

• Search Trail Q&A for Petroglyph Lake Loop Hike

Guidebooks that cover this destination

• 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Eastern Oregon by William L. Sullivan
• Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill

More Links

• Petroglyph Lake (Oregon Adventures)
• Hart Mountain & Petroglyphs (AliHikes)
• Hart Mountain NAR 05/29-31/10 (nwhikers)
• The Heart of Hart (High on Adventure)
• “An ancient gallery: Lake County rock carvings offer a view into the past” (Herald and News)
• Petroglyph Lake, Hart mountain, Oregon (Taddzues)
• Petroglyph Lake (Rock Art Oregon)
• Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)

Page Contributors

• bobcat (creator)