Quick Guide to Sauvie Island Beaches
Less than half an hour from my home in Portland, Sauvie Island feels like another world. Past the farms, fields, and orchards are miles of undeveloped sandy beaches along the Columbia River. On clear days, you’ll have a good chance of spotting a mountain or two. The downside? It’s no secret that these beaches are great hang-out spots during a heat wave and rising temperatures draw a crowd. Here’s all the info about Sauvie Island’s beaches to help you plan a relaxing day.
Willow Bar Beach
Know before you go
You need an ODFW Wildlife Area Permit to park at the beaches on Sauvie Island. It’s $10/day or $30/year. Buy one online and print it before you leave. If, like me, you don’t have a printer, write your ODFW ID# on a piece of paper and leave it on your dashboard. You can also buy one online once you get there. Sauvie Island has decent phone reception. It’s just easier ahead of time since the process is tedious. Don’t count on buying one at the businesses on the island anymore. ODFW is transitioning to online only permit sales.
Leashed dogs are welcome on Sauvie Island’s beaches.
Sauvie Island gets crowded in the summer, especially during heat waves. Arrive early on summer weekends.
The beaches are open from 4 AM until 10 PM.
Alcohol isn’t allowed on Sauvie Island’s beaches from May 1st to September 30th. Fires aren’t allowed at any time of year.
The beaches are on the east side of Sauvie Island along Reeder Road. I have them in the order you’ll reach them as you drive.
Willow Bar Beach
Mount St Helens from Willow Bar
Where to go: Look for the right turn from Reeder Rd at milepost 7. Follow the short dirt road to the parking area. It’s no problem in a low-clearance vehicle.
Amenities: Port-a-potties
Parking pass: ODFW Wildlife Area Permit
Clothing optional: No
Willow Bar is a peninsula on the east side of Sauvie Island with about two miles of sandy shoreline. It tends to get less crowded than the neighboring beaches, probably due to the low-profile entrance rather than the scenery. I find it one of the prettier beaches on the island. On clear days, you’ll have a great view of Mount St Helens almost anywhere on Willow Bar Beach. Toward the south end, you can get a glimpse of Mount Adams. Cottonwood trees and blackberry bushes line the long sandy shore. If you didn’t bring a beach set-up with you, you can find plenty of driftwood logs perfect for relaxing by the river.
Walton Beach
Where to go: Park next to Reeder Rd starting at milepost 9.8. Climb the stairs across the road to get to the beach. If you’re using Google Maps, navigate to Sauvie Island Beach. The parking lot fills up on hot summer weekends.
Amenities: Port-a-potties
Parking pass: ODFW Wildlife Area Permit
Clothing optional: No
Walton Beach is the most popular beach on Sauvie Island. It has a winning combination of being easy to reach and easy to spot from the road. The entrance is inviting. On the west side of Reeder Road, the row of parked cars looks like a party. On the other side, the staircases leading up and over the small hill to the beach are irresistible, as though you can sense water before you see it. The beach is less secluded than Willow Bar but has similar lovely views of the Columbia River. It’s harder to see Mount St Helens here. You can spot a glimpse through the trees if you’re looking for it. Unlike Sauvie Island’s other beaches, there aren’t any trees nearby, so you won’t have shade until late in the afternoon. Bring an umbrella and a blanket for the hot sand.
Collins Beach
The UFO boat
Where to go: Park along Reeder Rd around milepost 11. Parking for the beach starts just after the pavement ends. Like Walton Beach, the lot fills up on summer weekends. Take one of the short trails across the road to the beach.
Amenities: Port-a-potty
Parking pass: ODFW Wildlife Area Permit
Clothing optional: Yes
Collins Beach has two claims to fame. One is that it’s Sauvie Island's only clothing-optional beach. If the weather is even a little bit warm, most people will be naked. No one will care if you are or not. The atmosphere is laid back and non-judgmental, and you’ll see every type of body there. A thin wooded area runs along the beach, screening it from the road. Tucked back in the cottonwoods is the other novelty of Collins Beach, the UFO Boat. Colorful graffiti covers every inch of the abandoned boat. Nature is starting to do the same. Vines cling to the rusty hull that’s shaped like an alien spacecraft. For being so distinctive, it’s hard to spot until you get close. The easiest way to find it is to start from the parking lot at marker #3. Take the trail to the beach. Follow the tree line south for a couple of hundred feet.
North Unit Beach
Where to go: Drive to the end of Reeder Rd and park in the lot for Warrior Rock Trailhead. The last two miles of the road are rough. It gets worse as you go. It’s unpleasant but doable in a low-clearance vehicle. I was down to about 6 mph by the end in my Honda Fit.
Amenities: Port-a-potty
Parking pass: ODFW Wildlife Area Permit
Clothing optional: No
North Unit Beach is the northernmost beach on Sauvie Island that you can reach by car. You’ll park by the Warrior Rock Trailhead. Instead of taking the trail, head through the gap in the blackberry bramble to get to the beach. It extends three miles north in fits and starts. You’ll have about a half mile of sandy shore before the forest starts to encroach on the beach. By taking the Warrior Rock Trail, you can reach more secluded portions of it farther from the parking lot. It continues for three miles until Warrior Rock Lighthouse.
Warrior Rock Beach
Warrior Rock Beach and Lighthouse
Where to go: Park in the lot at the end of Reeder Rd and take the Warrior Rock Trail three miles (one-way) to the lighthouse and beach.
Amenities: Port-a-potty at the trailhead. None at the beach.
Parking pass: ODFW Wildlife Area Permit
Clothing optional: No
Getting to Warrior Rock Beach takes some work. You can only reach it by hiking three miles on the Warrior Rock Lighthouse Trail. You’ll walk alongside North Unit Beach for much of the way. Your destination is Warrior Rock Lighthouse, Oregon’s smallest lighthouse. The beach next to it extends about a half mile north, ending at the northern tip of Sauvie Island, Warrior Point. If you walk out to the end, you’ll see the town of St Helens across the Columbia River. Since it’s the hardest to get to, Warrior Rock Beach is the least crowded of Sauvie Island’s beaches. The lighthouse is a fun bonus destination. Murals decorate two of its sides. The downside is that you won’t have any amenities and will be a long way from the car, so you’ll need to pack everything in and out. The hike is flat, easy, and has plenty of shade.
Learn more about the hike to Warrior Rock Lighthouse.
Reeder Beach
I’m mentioning Reeder Beach because you’ll see it if you look up the beaches on Sauvie Island. This private beach is only open to people staying at the RV park. It’s the first one you’ll pass as you’re driving on Reeder Road. Unless you’re stopping for snacks at the convenience store, keep going a few more miles to reach the public beaches.
Best beaches of Sauvie Island, the summary:
Willow Bar Beach
Walton Beach
Collins Beach
North Unit Beach
Warrior Rock Beach
Enjoy your day on Sauvie Island!
With love,
Emma
Explore nearby
Find all the best things to do on Sauvie Island.
Find all the best places to swim near Portland.
