Sauvie Island is in the Portland Metropolitan Area of northwestern Oregon. Located between the Columbia River, Willamette River, and Multnomah Channel the island is made up of sediment mainly deposited by the Willamette River where it enters the Columbia. It is one of the largest river islands in the United States.

Understand

The island was first inhabited by Native Americans with multiple settlements being described by various 18th and 19th Century explorers. Epidemics of diseases brought by European and Euro-American explorers mostly wiped out this population by the mid 19th Century with the Hudson's Bay Company removing survivors around that time. Since then, small farms have operated on the island with multiple u-pick fruit options for visitors and a few small fall festivals. The north end of the island is largely undeveloped with multiple shallow lakes, a lighthouse, and beaches on the Columbia River shore.

Get in

There is a single bridge, 1 Wapato Bridge.   accessing the island from U.S. Highway 30. It is located on the southwest corner of the island and accomidates vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. At the base of the bridge is a parking lot that is the end of the line for TriMet's Route originating in Downtown Portland. 2 Island Marina.  provides mooring for boats traveling up and down the adjacant rivers.

Get around

By car & bicycle

Sauvie Island is crossed by multiple paved two-lane roads with a few gravel roads in more isolated areas. Shoulders are rare but because of low traffic volumes and few hills, the island is a popular location for road biking.

By public transit

The island is served by TriMet Route 16 which originates in Downtown Portland, passes through the Northwest and St Johns neighborhoods, and terminates at the base of the Wapato Bridge. There is no public transportation serving other parts of the island.

See

• 1 Howell Territorial Park, ☏ +1 503-797-1545. Sunrise to Sunset. Large park centered on the Bybee-Howell House, a restored site dating to the 1850s. The park is frequently visited by birders who can find waterfoul in wetlands and forested locations. Free. (updated Feb 2024)
• 2 Wapato Access, ☏ +1 503-636-9886, toll-free: +1-800-551-6949. Day use only. Oregon state park property along Multnomah Channel with a dock, dense forest, and wetland area good for viewing wildlife. Part of the larger Willamette Greenway, a series of nature areas along the length of the Willamette River. (updated Feb 2024)
• 3 Warrior Rock Lighthouse. A lighthouse built in 1877 serving boat traffic on the Columbia River. It is the smallest lighthouse in Oregon and is at the end of a 3-mile (4.8 km) hike. Free (Wildlife area parking permit required). (updated Feb 2024)

Do

• 

  Collins Beach on Sauvie Island.

  1 Sauvie Island Wildlife Area, ☏ +1 503-621-3488. 4AM-10PM. Wildlife area encompassing 11,643 acres (4,712 ha) on the northern end of the island with numerous outdoor activites including hiking, canoeing/kayaking, bird watching, fishing, and hunting. Some Sauvie Island beaches are part of this wildlife area. $10 day pass, $30 annual from Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. (updated Feb 2024)
  • 2 Collins Beach. Sandy beach along the Columbia River. The northern end of the beach is clothing optional. (updated Feb 2024)

Farms

• 3 Columbia Farms U-Pick, 21024 NW Gillihan Rd, ☏ +1 503-621-3909. Farm featuring numerous u-pick fruit when in season with fruits coming on in Spring and Summer. Pumpkins also available in fall. (updated Feb 2024)
• 4 The Pumpkin Patch and The Maize, 16511 NW Gillihan Road. U-pick farm during the summer months becoming a pumpkin patch with hay rides and a corn maze in the fall. (updated Feb 2024)
• 5 Sauvie Island Farms, 19818 NW Sauvie Island Rd, Portland, ☏ +1-503-621-3988. Jun-Aug: M-Sa 8AM-6PM. U-pick farm with numerous berries, tree fruit, and vegetables. (updated Feb 2024)

Buy

• 1 Topaz Farm, 17100 NW Sauvie Island Rd. Family farm selling produce and food sourced on site and nearby. A small grill is located at Topaz Farm and u-pick options are available. (updated Feb 2024)

Sleep

Camping

• 1 Reeder Beach RV Park & Country Store, 26048 NW Reeder Rd, ☏ +1 503-621-3970. Beachfront RV park for camping that also features a store with fruit from an on-site garden. (updated Feb 2024)

Go next

Sauvie Island is near Portland and St. Helens. Numerous outdoor activities are also nearby in Columbia County, the Portland area, and the Cascade Mountains in Washington and Oregon.