Such a gem! This is a beautiful river beach close to Portland making it super convenient to get…read moreaway and enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of this gorgeous area. On a sunny day, in any month, the view is just spectacular. You can see both Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens from the beach area. The beach is clothing optional and people are in all variations from nude, to topless, to clothed. So if walking around naked isn't your thing, don't let that stop you. You do you and everyone else will do themselves. It all works. As you drive down NW Raider, you will pass the Island Cove Market. if you haven't bought a permit to park, stop here to get one. It's $7 a day or $30 for an annual pass, well worth it. Don't neglect to buy the permit, they patrol frequently and will fine or tow!!! After the Island Cove Market you will pass a beach - you will know based on the cars all parked on the left and a hill to the right with several stairs and handrails taking you over the small hill to beach. Keep driving. When you hit the gravel road, you are in Clothing Optional Beach territory. Anywhere along this several mile stretch, park your car to the left and walk through the various marked paths to the right. When you walk through the clearing, you will be delighted by the sight of a decent sized white sandy beach, the river sprawled out in front of you with views across the water to the grass and trees. Plus Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood standing proud. It's stunning! And so peaceful. There are no bathroom facilities. 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 well as garbage bins. Do take all your trash with you, don't leave it on the beach. This beach is great for long walks, sunbathing, picnics, floating or swimming in the water. In the summer, the water is actually pretty warm. And few waves other than when a large barge goes by and creates some waves. So if you like stunning scenery, peace and quiet plus water you can swim in, check it out! I plan on frequenting often this summer. I'll be the one in full bathing suit and a sun hat!

Needs some infrastructure and maintenance. The parking place…read moreis filled with dust and the roads to this place is so dusty that when you are walking and a car goes by, you are filled with dust. The beach itself also needs some maintenance, some more trees are needed and in general some greenery is needed, it totally feels like a desert more than a beach.

Loved this pretty little beach. Easy access, I drove on in my 4W drive Tacoma. Be aware of…read moretides. If you dont know what tides are maybe you shouldnt drive onto the beach. I love flying kites down here. Not alot of car traffic. This is a good razor clam beach as well when clamming is open.

here's a place you (and your dogs) can run or walk for days! and you can drive right on to the…read morebeach, should you so desire. i parked at the trailhead and went on the short trail which alights on the beach a little bit north but then walked down the beach and cut back to the trailhead on the road which is a 5min walk from the beach. the beach itself is amazing and there's plenty of room for people and dogs and cars. i was there fairly early in the morning but it's a great place to just walk and walk and walk. a very quick drive from warrenton or astoria. bring food and wine--have a picnic!

Serene & secluded…read more Easy access off of Marine Drive, mid sized parking lot, bathrooms available. Watch the regular plane take offs and landings being next to the airport. Check for toxicity water reports before swimming. Nice spot to chill.

Well pros - dogs are welcome. Cons - a lot of trash on the beach. Lots of glass. Lots of cigarette…read morebutts, lots of wrappers and bottle caps and trash. So a lot of people who disrespect the beach. It's actually quite sad. The people we have met there are all very friendly. And I saw quite a few who were also picking up trash. One of my dogs had decided he needed to poop 4 times so I just added trash to the bags each time. As there was plenty. The parking is only $5 for the day. It's WAY closer than the coast and it's easy. For all the convenience, and nice people it's a 4/5. For my baby Finn, he loved it. And that makes Mama smile.

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!

This is a fun playground on the oregon coast. Lots of play structure to run about on. Featuring…read morebalance beams, monkey bars, and slides. My kids had a lot of fun, the problem came when they had to go the bathroom... It looks like the bathrooms at the park are closed for vandalism so that was inconvenient for us.

Was visiting Astoria for a day and my toddler needed to burn off some energy. Lo and behold, we…read morefound this park with an AMAZING play structure. Hands down one of the better ones we've seen. There's a separate areas for very young kids and another area for bigger kids. Also has convenient bathrooms. Our 2 year old had so much fun. We had no trouble finding parking right on the street. Will definitely come back here again.

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.

Absolutely Beautiful! Even though it was windy , cold and wet. A must see if you ever visit…read moreWashougal, WA. I was just just looking at maps trying to find places to explore and was pleasantly surprised! Apparently you can swim in the lake and it's great for dogs!

Peaceful and beautiful spot on the river. A good family friendly spot. I plan on coming back here…read moreon a hot day to swim with the kiddos. Took my dog this time and let her off at the end of the beach which was pretty secluded. Some horses even showed up!

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!

I enjoyed our visit back in June 2018…read more I was looking at some photos from that trip and just realized I never wrote a review. We didn't wander around near the ship for long but I have good memories of the beach walk and love that it's likely to look different each visit (and in each photo you see) due to the sand and tides.

After lunch we took a drive to see the shipwreck. It was a BEAUTIFUL sunny afternoon and was high…read moretide. Been here years ago and it was as just as stunning as it was then. Will return at low tide.

One of the nicest parks in the area! Lots of options for a park (play, food, views, recreation,…read moreboating, lodging, etc.)! Loved having it be small while it was, but like all great things... everyone else finds them too! If you don't mind the wind a bit, it's a great place to spend the day at.

I'm quite surprised to be the first to review this beautiful and very well kept-up riverfront park…read more We stayed at McMenamin's Kalama Harbor Lodge this past weekend, and Louis Rasmussen Day Park is adjacent to the Lodge. My husband and I were surprised by how much we liked this park. We were also surprised by how much this park has to offer. It has wide walking paths with beautiful waist-height light posts lining one of the paths for when it gets dark - very romantic! The river view is really nice. There are lots of trees, 2 covered areas with several picnic tables under each one, horseshoe-throwing sand pits, tennis courts, 2 basketball courts, several sandy river-front areas, and 2 beach-volleyball courts. Also within Louis Rasmussen Day Park is Ahle's Point Cabin, a small, gorgeous, wood-paneled restaurant/bar with 2 fireplaces (1 indoor & 1 outdoor), a patio overlooking the river which is a nice place from which to watch the sunset, and a variety of games to play if you're in a game-playing mood, from cribbage to chess. I'll review Ahle's Point Cabin (which is a part of McMenamin's) more extensively on its own separate listing, but for the purposes of this review, the cabin really adds a lot to this already impressive park. This park has 3 signs saying that: 1. Beachfront hours are from 5am - 9pm. 2. There is no camping or overnight staying at this park. 3. No alcohol is allowed in this park. The public bathrooms in this park are easily accessible - they're near the basketball courts and the tennis courts - and they're very clean, well-kept-up for outdoor bathrooms, and well-stocked with toilet paper and paper towels. To my surprise, I noticed a full walk-in shower at the back of the women's bathroom. However, the shower was out-of-order at the time of my visit. Do note that this park is a stone's throw away from a busy amtrak train track and close enough to I-5 to clearly read the exit signs on that freeway. However, don't let that deter you from visiting this lovely park. We saw couples, teenagers, families with small kids, 20-somethings, and elderly folks enjoying their time there yesterday. This is a delightful park for a stroll along the river, a chat seated on a park bench, watching a sunset from the Ahle's Cabin patio, a picnic, or a fun game of basketball, horseshoe-throwing, tennis, or beach volleyball.