We chose to do this as add on to another hike and it did not disappoint.  I would suggest summiting the Butte is not fit for small children.  There is some bouldering to do to get to the summit.  Lupine and Basalm Root are in great condition- better than some hikes up the road.  Initially we should to go right when we came to the fork but since I had just had knee surgery two weeks prior, I wasn’t comfortable climbing those boulders.  We retreated and began walking on the west side of the Butte.  We found another trail with a much easier ascent though we did still climb some boulders close to the top.  The views are stunning and we had the place to ourselves.  If you’re not up to the task of climbing boulders, continue on the path west of the boulder which will provide a beautiful view of the Columbia Gorge.  

Since I was in the area for the flowers, why not do a quick run through Horsethief section of Columbia Hills State Park.

Horsethief Butte parking was consistently full throughout the day. I didn’t climb the butte but rather followed a flat trail around it. This trail terminates abruptly halfway, but still provides great views of the Columbia. Didn’t take me more than 10 min.

At Horsethief Lake campus, petroglyphs and lake views are of interest. The entire area was pretty empty and quiet with just a handful of visitors.

After setting up camp at Maryhill SP, we had time for a short meander at Horsethief Butte which as usual was extremely windy! We have never been there when it wasn't windy an this was our 19th time! The trail begins by passing by large Red Osier Dogwood shrubs, man root, (wild cucumber), Oregon grape and chokecherry. It then opens up to a view of Horsethief Lake and the Columbia River with a train track running between the two! Flowers were not plentiful, but beginning yarrow, bi-colored cluster lilies, death camas, fiddleneck, miniature lupine and nine-leaf biscuit root were seen. 10-12 vultures were seen circling the area most of the time we were there! The coolest siting was an osprey with a fish in its talons flying from Horse thief Lake towards the Butte and then heading south across the Columbia! 

After meandering the Catherine Creek Area, we went to Horsethief Butte to see if there were any blooming wildflowers. We had only an hour before sunset. There were many blooming grass widows and yellow desert parsley, shooting stars, prairie stars and gold stars were starting to bloom. It was VERY, VERY windy and the wind made it very cold. We saw a group of climbers and a family walking the area. 

Today was a redo from several days ago. Our visit(s) today was to two units of this park.

Initially we visited the Horsethief Lake section. Many petroglyphs were moved here in 2003 (originally from Petroglyph Canyon which is now flooded). A decent job has been done to preserve these petroglyphs, though their display is at such a distance that they really cannot be appreciated. There is a special trail that is open June-October by reservation only. It is called the She-Who-Watches trail. It is Friday and Saturday’s only at 9am.

Our second stop was Horsethief Bluff itself. We wandered about quite a bit, scrambling through rocky gullies until we attained the summit. We looked for promised petroglyphs but found none🤨

The flowers, rocks, views of the gorge, and route finding made for a great outing.