Historic Hood River
Sentinel Rock
6-7-2023
Notes
I’ve brushed past this card dozens of times assuming it was another view of Beacon Rock (AKA Cathedral Rock). But Beacon Rock is accessible from shore and has prominent basalt columns– turns out Sentinel Rock is nearby, but not nearly as impressive. While it looks enormous in this postcard, here’s a modern view of what is more commonly called Phoca Rock today.
This postcard was sent to Gladys Reavis by Leone Steinhoff circa 1906.
L. E.
My grandma told me the rock blew off the top of Cape Horn and landed in the water. I like that story better.
I am surprised Lewis and Clark knew the word Phoca. A few miles downstream from this rock is the Washougal River which they named Seal River.
nels
Would be an interesting place to explore being as isolated as it is – as long as it’s not a Snake Island kind of thing.
ArthurB
nels, the link says it was also known as "Hermit Isle". Wonder if it had a resident hermit.
L.E.
In the days when steam boat was the main method of travel through the Gorge, this rock would have been a familiar site.
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