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THIS IS GLENWOOD

PHOTOS BY STARLISA BLACK

GLENWOOD--CAMAS PRAIRIE

Glenwood is a small farming, ranching and logging community located in the Glenwood Valley on the southeast side of Mt Adams

It is part of the Yakama Reservation.  

In early days, the valley was called Camas Prairie, for the wild Camas plant that grows in the lake bottom and  was harvested by Native Americans. Sometimes it creates a field of blue that from a distance appears like water.      "Lake bottom" is what the locals refer to as the part of the valley that floods in the spring with snow melt.  It forms a large lake which eventually drains down the canal/Outlet Creek,  into the Mill Pond, then Outlet Creek and over Outlet Falls to the Klickitat River. 


In the spring, (usually right around Mothers Day),  the "lake bottom" turns purple with blooming Camas.  During the summer, the "lake bottom" becomes a grassy valley used by ranchers for hay and  home to ducks, geese, Sand hill cranesswans,  elk, frogs, deer and any of us that want to gaze upon its beauty and diversity, although access to the "lake bottom" is limited since more than 6500 acres is owned by the Federal Government and they do not allow trespassing.     


Peter Conboy was one of the first to establish a homestead in the valley  and the Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge carries the family name.  But don't bring your boat expecting to find a lake to play in.  

 
  On August 12, 1853, the railroad surveyors in command of Captain (later General)  George B. McClellan camped on the prairie and called it Tahk Prairie.  The United States land office map of 1897 shows the name Camas Prairie.

A common question we hear is..."Where's Glenwood?"  In fact...the Glenwood General Store sells T shirts that say,   "Where in the hell is Glenwood?"

The easiest answer is, "Go one hour east of Portland,  to Hood River.  Cross the Columbia River via the Hood River/White Salmon toll bridge,  into Klickitat County Washington.  We are  40 minutes north of White Salmon.  You can take Hwy 141 north to BZ Corner, then take a right on the BZ/Glenwood Hwy traveling about 20 miles in a northeast direction to Glenwood.  

 

Trout Lake is to our west, Goldendale to the east.   We are between the White Salmon and Klickitat River drainages.

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