JANUARY 2018
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| CELEBRATION PARK PETROGLYPHS |
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| CELEBRATION PARK PETROGLYPHS |
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| CELEBRATION PARK PETROGLYPHS |
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| SNAKE RIVER |
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| CELEBRATION PARK PETROGLYPHS |
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| CELEBRATION PARK PETROGLYPHS |
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| SNAKE RIVER |
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| CELEBRATION PARK PETROGLYPHS |
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| CELEBRATION PARK PETROGLYPHS |
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| OLD HOMESTEAD ALONG THE SNAKE RIVER |
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| OLD HOMESTEAD |
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| CELEBRATION PARK PETROGLYPHS |
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| BOULDERS |
Celebration Park is a cool area located along the Snake River containing many petroglyphs. It has a visitor's center and campground, and can get fairly crowded during spring, summer and fall, so I decided to check it out on a warm day in January. There are a lot of petroglyphs located on the boulders just above the parking area, and they continue to appear for a mile or so as you walk along the river. After about a mile, the trail will split. I stayed to the left to check out Halverson Lake. I didn't even know there was a lake here until I saw sign for it. While the lake was really nice, there were a couple guys who had camped there who were shooting off guns, which killed the peaceful mood of the morning. I had been all alone up to that point. Just past Halverson Lake are some sand dunes, an old dugout and another smaller lake.
After checking out the dugout, I headed back to the Snake River to see if I could find anymore petroglyphs. Just south of the second lake, right along the river, there was a big group of ruins. There appeared to be rock foundations for thirty or forty rooms. While there were signs these dwelling had last been used by homesteaders, I wondered if maybe this village had been originally established by earlier inhabitants. I couldn't find anything on-line about them. From here I followed along the river back to Celebration Park. Along the way, I did see another rock foundation for a dwelling with a large petroglyph next to it, making me think again that at least some of these dwellings has been established before the homesteaders arrived. There were also a lot of tiny oyster shells scattered along the ground around it.
If you're up for a along walk, you can actually walk along the Snake River all the way to Swan Falls and the Bird of Prey. I've heard there are more petroglyphs along this stretch if you look closely. I'm looking forward to checking those place out in the future. I have to say, I was impressed with the quality of petroglyphs at Celebration Park, and I'm sure there were a lot I missed. I also really enjoyed the peaceful stroll along the river. I'm learning to appreciate the beauty of the Snake River more and more.
