Everytime I'm in Portland in the summertime, I come here to go swimming…read more I was super lucky, I was actually staying way over in the NW part of town and found out that the #77 crosstown busswhich was literally a block away from me would bring me straight here. So I gathered all my stuff for a day at the river, towels, sunscreen, plenty of water, snacks, hopped on the bus and spent a fantastic day here. Go early because there really isn' a lot of shade by the river and all the best spots get taken up early. There's also the woods to walk through filled with wild blackberry bushes everywhere. I guess my Canadianness comes out because I went straight into the water and swam about like it was nothing while everyone else was freaking out over how cold the water is and stayed close to the sandy shore. It's not. Especially on a scotching hot day, it really isn't a big deal. Also I have no idea how there can be drowning in a river which you can literally walk across, and never gets very deep. The current isn't all that strong if you go further away from the bridge, in fact the water is downright meandering at that point. If you have an umbrella, some reading material, lots of water, snacks, and you don't easily burn or get sunstroke, you can easily pass an entire, serene day here.

Great place to escape the heat and swim. We took trimet to this location. Hopped on the blue line,…read morethen switched over to the 80 bus line which took us directly to this place. We will be floating down this river next time.

My 6 year old son and I had fun time kayaking on Lacamas Lake. Sweetwater SUP Rentals has…read morefriendly, helpful staff. They had suggestions on where to kayak on the lake. That was helpful. It was my son's first kayak trip and one staff kindly member took our picture. I would definitely recommend Sweetwater SUP and hope to go back soon.

there's so many reasons to rate 5 Stars. I'll start with ease reservation and payment. I feel the…read morerates are absolutely fair I reserved for two hours Meeting Christine at the pick up location at Lacamas Lake was easy and seamless. It's a great set up for people that may have mobility issues, like myself. I was able to get in and out of the kayak with ease if you're only going out for an hour, I would say head over under the bridge over to round where a lot of SUP activity is going on. this is a fun family, friendly adventure

Had an amazing time learning with these guys for the Skipper Small Keelboat course. Afterwards,…read morewe've reserved the small Capri's a few times and the GM is always amazingly kind, informative and helpful at getting us setup and out on the river. I feel extremely blessed to have this support as I'm learning and can't wait to take the next level course!

Thank you Island Sailing Club, and especially Paul Sammons, my first ASA sailing course was such a…read moresuccess! Clearly passionate about sailing and infinitely patient, Paul was an excellent instructor. He was eloquent in his descriptions and took time to answer all my questions. I would gladly sail with Paul and Island Sailing Club again! Sincerely, Kristen LaGrange

This is a beautiful river beach close to Portland. On a sunny day, in any month, the view is just…read morespectacular!!! Is it the ocean? No. Does it have facilities like bathrooms and snack bars? No. It's a river with sand along the bank where people come to walk, lay in the sun, or go in the water to cool off in a hot day. It's perfect for picnics or just chillin. Of course I wish there were public bathrooms, but this is Sauvie Island and it's not built up or commercialized. That's part of the charm and why it remains so pristine. There are porta potties located every 40 feet or so along the parking area. As many have mentioned, you need a parking permit to park in the street. Cost is $7 for the day or $30 for an annual pass, totally worth it if you plan on visiting more than 4 times. You can purchase the pass at the convenience store before you cross the Sauvie Island Bridge. And at the Island Cove Market right before you get to the beach. Buy the permit! Don't take chances, they patrol and will fine you. Dogs are allowed but they must be on a leash. Again, they patrol, especially in the summer, and they will fine you if your dog is roaming free. So save yourself the hassle and follow the rules that are posted everywhere. At the beach area, there is plenty of parking along the road. You then cross the street and take one of the many sets of steps up and over the small hill to the beach. The sand is soft and white until you get closer to the water. There are lots of clam shells to collect! If you drive down NW Reider and hit the gravel road then you have entered the clothing optional beach. Even in the winter, or a mid April day like today, people are enjoying the beach au natural. Doesn't mean you have to be nude, but be aware that others are in various stages of clothed and unclothed. On a blue sky day, the view is absolutely beautiful with Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood clearly viable. It's a peaceful and easy respite from Portland, just a 45 minute drive from downtown to cross the bridge onto Sauvie Island and reach the beach area. So pack a picnic, some cool beverages, a good book and enjoy! If it's a sunny day bring an umbrella because there is zero shade.

Going to this beach has become an annual summertime activity for us. When you don't have as much…read moretime to drive to the coast and want to stay in shorts at the beach rather than jackets, this one works beautifully. There is parking by the street (parking passes can be purchased from some shops and farms on the island) and then it's a short walk (and steps up) to the beach. Plenty of sand for kids to play with and the water is pretty calm for some swimming or floating on the floatables. We always take a beach tent for some shade, otherwise it could get brutal on a sunny day. I do miss having showers on the way out to clean up. But other than that, I'm happy to enjoy this river side beach when I'm itching for some beach vibes!

Ron and TJ did a great job running the open water certification program. Strongly recommend.read more

I got certified at Adventure Sports Scuba with Ramon, Mark, and Irene at Ron's shop and can't…read morerecommend them enough. They were extremely patient with all the students, the instruction was clear and well paced, and the SDI certification and knowledge from the instructors put me in a great position to get my open water referral at my dive sites in Maui. I saw poor divers firsthand on my actual dives and was very thankful for the instruction I got here. Ron was a huge help in processing my certification when my referral dive company was a different certification group and was knowledgeable and patient through some logistical hoops I had to jump through due to the dive companies I chose. I'm recommending Adventure Sports Scuba to all my friends for certification and I hope to dive with their team and social dive network a lot more in the future!

What a lovely spot to launch in the water, it's calm and easily accessible. It's $3 to park and you…read morepay at the kiosk, if you don't have your own paddling gear( canoe, SUP, and kayaks) they have them for rent in the office. When the water is high in May and June is the best time to see the swiftlets gliding around the water as the fly towards the nests they have built on a nearby abandoned floating shed.. If you are new to kayaking this would be the place to start you have lots of local long-timers who have become experts willing to pass on their knowledge and the staff is friendly and helpful also. They have a small picnic area and a hiking trail (that was mostly submerged in the Columbia) and a small swimming area. 10/10 would recommend:)

One of my favorite places to kayak in the Portland area. There is a convenient place to unload and…read moreload your kayaks, although it gets pretty crowded on the weekends. Other than a more crowded location on the weekends, I have no no negative things to say about this awesome place There is a daily fee to park in their parking lot, but it's minimal for an all day pass ($3). You can also rent kayaks/SUPs from the Next Adventure location located at Scappoose Bay. There is also a place to load/unload and dock boats on a more long-term basis as well. The views of Mount Saint Helen's are great and you can see so much wildlife when kayaking around through the inlets. I've seen bald eagles, great blue herons, ospreys, deer, turtles and even a cow once! on my last visit, there was an abandoned ship in an inlet to investigate as well. You can spend time exploring the different in loads or the former appears on the banks or you can paddle straight to the Columbia for a more "action" on the water. If you kayak, this is a must-visit place in the Portland area!

The Marine Drive multi-use path is a sweet little section of biking/hiking/walking and generally…read moreanything-without-a-motor-ing path that hugs the Columbia River from NE 33rd out past the I-205 bridge. It's mostly flat and set down a bit from Marine Drive in many areas, so while on the path you definitely feel like you're out on the river. However in some areas, like near the airport, it's set up above Marine Drive, offering fun views of aircraft landing and taking off, etc. I've biked this path a few times on the section between 205 and the airport. On weekdays during the daytime it's pretty deserted. As this path connects with the 205 Multi-Use Path, it offers a lot of miles of fairly un-interrupted dedicated paved path for riding. The zero inclines along the path add to ease for family outings. There's pretty much no cover from the sun, however, so anyone planning to go the distance on this path should definitely be rocking the sunscreen, especially with the water right there next to the path. There are some spots available for parking along the length of the path however I've always accessed this path via the 205 connection, which you can take across the river to Washington (exhaust is an issue) or down south all the way to Oregon City. All told, this is part of a much larger system of trails that lets you stay out of traffic and get some serious mileage in. As an added bonus, once you get east of the 205 bridge, the views of Mt. Hood up the Columbia are stunning.

Safe and easy to access, this is beginning to be one of my favorite walking paths. It stretches…read morefor miles, and I appreciate the Columbia / Mt. Hood views, especially to the east of the 205 bridge. Fellow walkers and cyclists are friendly and respectful of each other's space, and there's lots of space out here. If I'm driving to this pathway, I like parking at the Brighton Beach area.

Lucia Falls is tucked along the East Fork of the Lewis River. I stopped by on a spontaneous…read moreafternoon, and it felt like stepping into a sanctuary, untouched corner of nature. The walk in is easy, about a 1‑mile loop with gentle gravel paths, enough shade to feel cool but also patches where sunlight filters through the trees in the most beautiful way. I saw a woman with her stroller here, but had leave it half way through because there is an upward path. When I reached the waterfall, I was struck by how graceful it was, the river cascades over a basalt-rock ledge, wide and steady. One of the most magical things..the park is a front-row seat for steelhead trout leaping upstream. There are picnic tables nearby, so I ended up opening up my book and just reading, listening to the water, hearing frogs, and feeling completely grounded. And honestly sometimes running away from bees! Oh the great outdoors! But a very important heads-up: no swimming allowed. The area near the falls is a sensitive fish spawning ground, and the park strictly protects it. Parking is easy enough and the park is open from 7a.m. to dusk. If you're looking for a peaceful afternoon where you can unwind, enjoy a modest but lovely waterfall, go visit Lucia Falls.

It's a beautiful autumn day and I decided to take a drive up here to these falls. I have never been…read moreand I am so glad I did. The park area was very nice. Clean and well kept. There were a lot of people enjoying picnics at the abundant picnic tables that are on the site. The waterfalls were really great. I enjoyed watching the people walk down by the Falls and the children. There is no fee to come and visit this waterfall. I recommend it if you are looking for relaxing afternoon in a great view.