Memaloose State Park

Memaloose State Park on the Columbia River, west of The Dalles, is chiefly valued for its view of Memaloose Island just offshore. Long before European arrival, Chinook peoples used the island as a burial ground, placing the dead in canoes and cedar vaults; its name comes from Memaloose Ilahee, meaning “land of the dead.” Lewis and Clark called it Sepulcher Island during their 1804–1806 expedition. The park began in 1925 and later expanded with land left over from Interstate 84 construction. Bonneville Dam flooded much of the island after 1937, leaving only about a third above water, while the site remains linked to regional memory and folklore.

Oregon · United States