Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site, a public park in the U.S. state of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, is on the south edge of Joseph

Joseph, Oregon

Joseph is a city in Wallowa County, Oregon, United States. Originally named Silver Lake and Lake City, in 1880 the city formally named itself for Nez Perce Chief Joseph. The population was 1,054 at the 2000 census.- History :...

, along Oregon Route 351

Oregon Route 351

Oregon Route 351 is an Oregon state highway running from Joseph to Wallowa Lake State Park. OR 351 is known as the Joseph-Wallowa Lake Highway No. 351...

. Its name comes from the Nez Perce

Nez Perce language

Nez Perce , also spelled Nez Percé, is a Sahaptian language related to the several dialects of Sahaptin . The Sahaptian sub-family is one of the branches of the Plateau Penutian family...

 place name, Iwetemlaykin , which means "at the edge of the lake". The park, near Wallowa Lake

Wallowa Lake

Wallowa Lake is a ribbon lake one mile south of Joseph, Oregon, United States. Impounded by high moraines, it was formed by a series of Pleistocene glaciers. On the south end of the lake is a small community made up of vacation homes, lodging, restaurants, as well as other small businesses....

, is adjacent to a Nez Perce National Historical Park

Nez Perce National Historical Park

The Nez Perce National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park comprising 38 sites located throughout the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington which are the traditional aboriginal lands of the Nez Perce. The sites commemorate the history, culture, and stories of the...

, the site of the Old Chief Joseph

Old Chief Joseph

Tuekakas, commonly known as Old Chief Joseph or Joseph the Elder, was a Native American leader of the Wallowa Band of the Nez Perce. Old Joseph was one of the first Nez Percé converts to Christianity and a vigorous advocate of the tribe's early peace with whites...

 grave and cemetery.

Established in 2009, the park lies on 62 acres (25 ha) of land in an area that was once part of the homeland of the Nez Perce. Park amenities include a walking trail, Knight's pond, wildlife watching, native plants, views of the Wallowa Mountains

Wallowa Mountains

The Wallowa Mountains are a mountain range located in the Columbia Plateau of northeastern Oregon in the United States. The range runs approximately 40 mi northwest to southeast in southwestern Wallowa County between the Blue Mountains to the west and the Snake River to the east. The range is...

, parking, and a restroom.