Hike to Warrior Rock Lighthouse
Portland, Oregon
Details
Distance
6 miles
Elevation Gain
100 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by Sarah Horn
Easy but beautiful out-and-back trail along the Columbia River in a lush forest that ends at a secluded beach. Plus it's only 30 minutes from Portland!
This is a perfect easy hike close to Portland on Sauvie Island that offers more than just a walk through a forest. At the end of the 3 mile trail is a long secluded beach and the Warrior Rock Lighthouse. This has become one of my favorite go-to runs on a summer weeknight evening or for a quieter place to spend lounging on a summer weekend. Dogs are allowed on leash.
Like most of Sauvie Island, there are blackberry bushes along the trail, so come in August for some berry picking!
The Warrior Rock Lighthouse was first built in 1889 to warn incoming ships of a bedrock reef that juts out from Sauvie Island into the Columbia River. The lighthouse still operates today.
The trail can sometimes be flooded in spots, but there are usually signs posted at the trailhead if that's the case. There's a porta-potty at the trailhead parking lot.
You'll need to purchase a parking pass ($10/day or $40/year) at one of the shops on the island.
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Reviews
Nice family friendly hike! Lighthouse was closed for tours the day we went tho :(
4.0
We went during mid-August in an overcast day. Pros: Easy, flat hike. Wasn’t crowded at all, especially at the beach, there was no one else around. Great private beach. Cons: Last 20ish minutes of drive to trailhead is on a gravel road. The trail was a bit overgrown with blackberry bushes (ouch). The scenery was “ok”, walked in the forest along the water, but couldn’t see the water much. Snakes along the trail 😬 Lots of bugs, bring bug spray. Our whole day was a bit clouded by the parking permit... GET A PARKING PERMIT BEFORE YOU DRIVE TO TRAIL HEAD!!!! Its about a 15-20 minute drive from the closest permit place until you reach the trailhead parking lot. We thought there would be a dropbox or station to get the parking permit once we parked, nope. We had two dogs and two kids so, we took a chance and didn’t drive the extra half hour to go back and get a parking permit. We got a ticket, which is on us, but it seems like there could be a more convenient way to get a permit. There were some signs (we noticed on the way back out) that explained the permits could be purchased from local shops.
3.0
Easy, flat out and back. Went super early and we didn’t see a single person until we were on our way out closer to the trailhead. Nice beach to relax on before you head out. You can see Sand Island as well. I don’t recommend going too far into the Columbia to swim, the waters are very strong here. Easy hike for children. Some parts of the trail are slightly overgrown.
5.0
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