A hideout indeed! Google maps and pics do not properly show the enormity of this place. I came…read morehere a couple of months ago for disc golf, but there was way more to be discovered here then I had thought. Here's a little bit about Horning's Hideout: = Just Getting Here = Be aware that once you drive off the main road, you'll see the signs to the hideout, but it's all gravel and tall trees from there. From the main sign, the drive heads downward, winding through the forest, down the canyon. Similar to that of driving to Pittock Mansion, only unpaved and narrower turns. So please proceed with caution. Once at the bottom, it opens up to a pleasant little valley. = Parking and Fee = Past the barn, to your right is the parking area. It's an open field. Pay at the parking station, $5 per person. = Features & Activities = * For fishing, I had inquired at the office. Once you park, there is a house or an information office just above the parking station. The lady (or owner) was helpful as she explained to me the lay of the land. Again, this place was way larger than I had imagined. But back to fishing... There is a lake that gets stocked with trout. No fishing license required. Assuming due to this being private land. You do pay a catch/cleaning fee. They also have fly-fishing during the winter through spring season. More details on their website. I did notice they've got paddle boats as well. So, forget the stupid ipad, and keep the kids busy with fishing and paddle boating! * For disc golf, there are three huge courses. One, only being par 3's. Which to me was like a good hike, yet still challenging. A medium course that's par 3's and 4's through the canyon that's said to be scenic. I have yet to try it. And a championship course with par 5's; Difficult greens around trees, and a U-turn. Someday, but not any time soon! * As for the wedding venues, I can only imagine, but there are three venues to use depending on your wedding party size. Can you envision your wedding photos or even your reception being close to a pond, a lake, a creek, or even a waterfall, with trees all around? Yeah, that's this place! Oh yeah, and with peacocks too! * Camping is also allowed as well. Reservations required of course. * And as you can see with the yelp photos, they occasionally have concerts which I though was really cool. Well, that just about sums it up, not sure what else to say. It's just a secluded place worth checking out. Especially if you need to escape some city life.

An Absolutely Beautiful place for a wedding. My son and daughter in law chose the lakeside venue…read more We were blessed with a wonderful day weather wise. It had forecasted to rain but luckily it held off until the following day. It would have been a totally different event had it rained. I do wish there was a way of getting around having to walk in gravel but unless they pave it there is no getting around that. So guests were told ahead of time to be aware of that. Different chairs were rented rather than the plastic ones that are provided which was a nice thing. Extra hanging lights were rented and hung up by the brides father. It made a big difference and I think the venue should consider investing in adding them permanently.

I love this park! I have driven past a few times, but just recently visited. Great place for all…read moreages. Calm water, lots of space to sit and enjoy the view. Ample free parking in the neighborhood.

We love Horseshoe! Such a great place to swim, float, or padddle board. It's a short loop and you…read morecan go the full length fairly easily. Don't be scared away by the crowds on the beach. Once you're out in the water it's not bad at all.

Many people only think of "the pumpkin patch" or other U-Pick farms on Sauvie Island, but there is…read moreSO MUCH to see and do here. * Bird & Wildlife watching. There is a refuge on the NW side of the island where visitors can see bald eagles, cranes, herons, Osprey, nutria, deer, coyotes, and other critters. * Greenways and trails (Wapato Loop, Warrior Point Trail). * Beaches along the Columbia River (swimming, fishing), including a clothing-optional beach. * Kayaking and SUP (paddleboarding) on Multnomah Channel. * The island is a popular place for cyclists. * Picnic area at Howell Territorial Park. * Dog training and boarding at Sauvie Island Kennels and Charleton Kennels. NOTE: Permit required to park anywhere on the Island (except private property & businesses). DFW Fish & Wildlife regularly patrols, checking for permits and asking people to show their angler's licenses.

I had a great time on the beach with my friends and their kid all while watching boats pass by. The…read morecurrent isn't too strong but if you're in a floaty just make sure you don't float too far down the river. Enjoy!

A beautiful place to walk along shore of Columbia River, and my family and I love to fly our kites…read morehere as well! Also, a great place to search for rocks of all kinds to add to your collection :)

A tiny thumbnail park with a nice view, a few steps down to access to a small beach, a couple of…read morebenches and a picnic table. Located in an historic neighborhood in Columbia City. Perhaps it's named Pixie Park because it's so small? Nice place to enjoy a sandwich or a smoke break before tackling rush hour traffic.

This hike is easy, short, and flat. There are several areas to picnic, one near water. Dogs are…read morewelcome, on leash, and there is plenty of parking. If you go in or near the rainy season, there are loads of puddles and some areas are very slippery, so be cautious and wear appropriate footwear. Marshy area with standing water so bring you bugspray if it's warm. It was almost boring for my 11yo, so play some nature scavenger hunt for entertainment. If he was quiet, I'm sure we would've seen lots of birds, but we could hear them.

Wapato is a gem! Such an amazing nature trail. This is where I go to get away from it all, even if…read moreit's just for a moment. It's never over crowded. Most of the time you feel like you're the only one who knows about this place. Walk along the trail, bird watch at the 2 ponds.... You need more than 2 hands to count the snakes that slither by you on the trail. When you reach the back side of the park you are walking right along the river. A boat dock and a couple of picnic tables await you at the edge of the trail. No one is ever there using them. Score! Early in the spring/summer the dock and tables might be half under water depending on the river level. But there is a nice private grassy patch on higher ground that is perfect for a picnic. This is such a quick and easy escape from the city. Just another treasure on Sauvie Island.

This was a fun excursion and was a part of the One Big Ticket for the Halloweentown festival I…read morepurchased. Those that paid this kind of admission hot to go on a boat across the Columbia to this island and walk on some of the designated paths to see Bigfoot. Lots of Halloween decor on the loop we went on, sculptures or maybe props to look like sculptures and a couple opportunities with Bigfoot. As part of the ride to this island we also ate some roasted marshmallows. I felt this was a highlight to the whole experience. As for the island itself it looks like a very chill place and even more so when it doesn't have a festival on it. Nice riverside beaches and places to have picnics. On another ride the person driving the vehicle said in the summer there are free boat rides to downtown St. Helens that go back and forth.

Camped here this weekend and had such a great time. We had a group campsite (#23) that faced the…read moreriver and front row to watching the annual Sand sculpting competition, which was a fun surprise to happen upon. You have to take a boat shuttle with your camp gear to get to the island, where you can load a cart pulled by an ATV that park staff will drive to your site. You can purchase firewood bundles that staff will also deliver directly to your site. Our site was more than ample space for a large 3 room tent, a 2-room tent, and two single tents, an ez-up, and about 15 chairs around the campfire plus the 2 site picnic tables. There was some sort of scavenger hunt going on and last year, I hear a bunch of people (or the staff?) dressed up as pirates - even had a "pirate" ship and walked around the island speaking Pirate jargon. Everything was very clean, especially for as many sites (at least 75, I believe) and people that were there. I was surprised to still see some empty campsites this late in summer, but apparently this is not yet a well-known little slice of Heaven on the Columbia. There is no running water on the island, so bring water with you or just hop back on the shuttle boat - it's just a couple minute ride over to the Marina and parking and short drive into St. Helens. The camp staff were all incredible - helpful, friendly, and all-around really good-natured people. It was quiet and peaceful, just the kind of place where you go to forget life for a while. There were no crazy loud parties, and I slept better here than I have for weeks at home. The dogs chased eachother up and down the beach, we found several agates on the other, less sandy side of the island. Theyveven have a disc golf course! There's something about camping that just feels serene. I enjoyed a kid-free weekend camping but I am so excited to bring my kids back here. 5/5 Stars. 2 thumbs up. We will be back. Thank you Sand Island and staff for an awesome weekend!

In all honesty, my primary reason for coming to Kelley Point Park this weekend was two-fold: spend…read moresome time in the water on a warm, sunny day, and scout out how hard it would be to row a boat over to Sauvie Island, to bypass the crazy long lines that queue up for the Haunted Corn Maze at Bella Organic Farms in October. While the latter was *immediately* eliminated as an option, after seeing the breadth and turbulence of the waters here, at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers, a day relaxing on a sandy, semi-rocky beach went...well, swimmingly! Well, sort of. Apparently, swimming is dangerous here. There are multiple signs warning people to stay out of the water, targeting all modes of recreation: swimming, floating and boating. That didn't stop some people, at least those further down shore from the northwestern apex of the park, and personally, it's dumb rule, in my opinion. There is a lot of shipping traffic along this stretch of river, but most people aren't going to get anywhere near these massive vessels, and the tide and depth don't seem particularly more dangerous than anywhere else. Exercise caution and wisdom, and you should be fine. The water was warm enough, once you adjust to it, for a late May day. The beach is mostly soft sand, with a mixture of gravel in bands farther up the shore from the water. Large logs and cement blocks, the remains of old docks and the like, litter the shore. Depending on the time of day, large swaths of the beaches are shaded by the tree line, so it can be a bit cooler than the rest of the park. There are miles of paved paths for walking, riding, skating, etc, as well as several large picnic areas (including tables), open fields, and ample parking. And, of course, dog friendly, although be sure to clean up after your poopers! So maybe it won't serve as a back door to Sauvie Island, but Kelley Point Park is a great place to spend a sunny afternoon, provided you don't like swimming...or don't mind giving the government the finger and doing it anyway.

There is a joke in Oregon. How do we pronounce "beach"? We say, "coast". That's because the coast…read morehere, while breathtaking in it's natural beauty, is not a beach where one goes to recline in soft sand and catch some sun. But we do have a beach!! At this park! Only it's on the river, and it's a convergence of rivers so the current is really dangerous, like kill a person dangerous, so you do not dare swim in it. But still .... it's a beautiful beach where you can put out your blanky and spend a gorgeous day relaxing by the water. The rest of the park is also beautiful. I know a bit of the history of this land, and this was not always a park. For a while in its history it was a dump. True story. Then it got cleaned up and nature was encouraged to take it back, and now it is a peaceful, lush refuge full of life. Tall trees, flower covered meadow, shade covered trails. Ample parking is available. There have been some remarks that the park has a seedy side, but that has been overstated. As a single woman, often alone except for my dog, I find it safe enough. Park in a spot that has a lot of visibility, don't leave valuables in your car. Be aware of your surroundings and eyeball the other people near you. Walk with confidence. I always nod (but not smile) and acknowledge other people around me. I keep my resting b face in place. It says, "I see you" and let's them know I'm not going to be an easy target. People with bad intentions look for distracted, shy or mild mannered targets. Sure, it kinda sucks to have to be on guard, but my confident demeanor has deterred bad things, I'm sure of it. In any event, I have never seen anyone here who was sketchy enough for my spider sense to tingle.