Located about 10 miles northwest of downtown Portland, Sauvie Island is a slice of nature that draws city folks year-round thanks to its hiking trails, wildlife viewing, hunting and fishing, outdoor concerts, kayaking, and sandy beaches (some are clothing optional). It’s also home to sprawling farms that grow everything from berries and flowers in the spring to pumpkins and corn in the fall. There’s only one entry point to the island — the Wapato Bridge — so weekend traffic can be a headache during the harvest season. Still, with a bit of planning and an early-bird mentality, it’s well worth the trip.
Picking apples is a bushel of fun. (LeeAnn Cline / Unsplash)
Why You Should Visit This Week: U-Pick Apples
September is peak apple-picking in the Pacific Northwest; if you don’t feel like driving all the way to Hood River and the Fruit Loop, then set your sights closer to home and visit Douglas Farm. Open for U-pick Saturday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), the fifth-generation family farm grows several varieties of apples that ripen at different phases of fall, including McIntosh, Rome, Criterion, and Golden Delicious. Gravenstein apples are already available in the farm store.
From the entrance, you’ll have to take a short bus ride ( $2 per person) to reach the orchards. Make sure to wear sturdy shoes and leave your pets at home. Bags and boxes are available to carry your haul.
Outdoors: Oregon’s Tallest Bird & Smallest Lighthouse
Driving along Sauvie Island’s eastern edge, you’ll catch glimpses of cargo ships drifting up the Columbia River like floating skyscrapers, with the imposing form of Mount St. Helens rising above the treeline on the opposite shore. Eventually, Reeder Road ends at a parking lot and a trailhead. After three miles of relatively flat trekking through white oak and cottonwood trees, which turn a brilliant yellow in the autumn, you’ll encounter Warrior Rock Lighthouse, the smallest lighthouse in Oregon. It’s a serene spot to catch your breath, enjoy a sandwich, and watch for sea lions and regal sandhill cranes. Don’t forget to explore the nearby UFO.
Here are other noteworthy trails:
Note: All ODFW wildlife area locations require a parking permit.
Food & Drink: Farm-Fresh Produce
If it grows on Sauvie Island, chances are you can find it at Topaz Farm’s market. While you’re there, wander sunflower fields and butterfly mazes, take home flats of blackberries, tomatoes, and other in-season veggies, or shop cuts of pasture-raised beef. Its annual farm-to-plate dinners are outstanding in the field and usually sell out in a flash, as do the “Make Taste Unwind” events on Wednesday nights. During the weekend, the grill’s going from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., serving up brats, grilled corn, hand pies, popsicles, and more — the ideal lunch when you’re out exploring.
Did we miss something on Sauvie Island? Send us a line to share your recs.
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