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Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site, Joseph, OR

Photo: Finetooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sightseeing

Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site

A day-use Oregon heritage site in the Wallowa Lake basin, sacred to several Native American tribes, with short foot trails and mountain views.

Joseph, OR

About Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site

This state heritage site sits in the Wallowa Mountains and covers part of the ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce Tribe, which regards the place as sacred, along with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville and Umatilla reservations. Its Nez Perce name refers to the edge of the lake in the Wallowa Lake basin. Short trails lead past Knight's Pond, a cool spot in summer, and visitors may see wildflowers in spring and summer as well as deer, foxes, bears, and raptors. The site is adjacent to a national historical park that holds the Old Chief Joseph gravesite and cemetery. It is open for day use only, with foot traffic on the trails.

  • #Nez Perce
  • #heritage site
  • #day use
  • #hiking trails
  • #Wallowa Mountains

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