Lower Columbia River 2022
After our summer trip around Cape Scott, my paddling buddy Ken Sund invited me to join him in his home state of Oregon on a paddle down the lower Columbia River, from the Bonneville Dam to Astoria. This historic paddle follows the route of Lewis and Clark in the early 1800's. This promised to be a unique paddle, not a coastal route like many of my previous adventures, but likely assisted by river and tidal currents. After driving by the Columbia River on the roads, I was curious to experience the more placid and relaxed nature of paddling this large river, and to contrast it with my ocean paddles. Would I find the river too boring, compared to the sea? As for estimating the weather, the trip was in October: Ken promised it would be cold and rainy.
Route Overview: 143 miles, 9 Paddling Days
This was to be a one-way paddle, so Ken and I met in Astoria, where we had reservations for the end of the trip at the Comfort Inn Suites on the waterfront. They had agreed to let me park my car in their large parking lot for 2 weeks for a small fee. After loading my kayak and gear onto Ken's truck, we drove a couple hours southeast to the Bonneville Dam area. Ken had secured a "group activity permit" that allowed him to park his truck in the lot by the boat ramp near Beacon Rock State Park. We visited the Bonneville Dam site, an amazing structure, to pick up our permit. Then we went to Beacon Rock State Park and hiked to the top of Beacon Rock, with it's countless switchbacks. This is well worth the visit, with fantastic views for a not very strenuous climb. That night, we camped at the Lewis and Clark RV park and campground, definitely NOT someplace I would recommend.
Beacon Rock State Park Slideshow
DAY 1: Hamilton Island Boat Ramp to Reed Island-- 20.8 mi / 33.5 km: Our trip began somewhat unpleasantly. There were strange goings-on all night in the RV park, with people arriving, driving in and out, and noisily setting up camp throughout the night, including from 1 to 5 a.m. In addition, the RV park was poorly maintained, with no manager to be found. The bathrooms were locked at night, and we never received a code. Moreover, it seemed to be inhabited mostly by permanent residents, some of whom seemed unsavory. I got little sleep and was quite the morning grouch as we escaped as quickly as we could.
As we loaded our kayaks at the boat ramp, I heard what sounded like a gunshot ring out, and a big splash in the river, just downstream from the dam. I saw a Steller sea lion dive, and realized someone was shooting over our heads at the sea lions, which are known for eating the salmon from the nearby fish ladders and rookery. Soon a fellow showed up with a rifle and appeared startled to see us there, claiming he didn't know we were there. I replied tartly that he didn't bother to look, either. He fired a few more shots into the water and I grew more furious, both at the recklessness and the unnecessary shooting of the sea lions. As he walked away, I saw he was wearing the label of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an entity well known for putting the needs of industry well above animal welfare. My ire at this situation prompted me to research this issue when I returned home: the Oregon U.S. Fish & Wildlife is indeed engaged in hazing and killing the sea lions near the rookery, with special permission from the Marine Mammal Protection Act. To my amazement, the website actually claims that it is the sea lion population that is responsible for decreasing the salmon population, rather than overfishing! 'Nuff said. My fury gave me extra energy as we paddled away.
We made great time with some assist from the current; at times we were paddling over 8 mph! Toward the afternoon, the wind picked up slightly and the current subsided, but we were able to paddle more than 20 miles to Reed Island to camp.
Sunset on Reed Island
DAY 2: Reed Island to Lemon Island -- 14.3 miles / 23 km. With the shorter days, I was usually up and starting to pack up in the dark, with sun emerging around 7 am. We enjoyed an easy paddle downstream under a grey overcast sky, easily paddling over 6 mph and enjoying the pleasant conditions. We stopped at the busy Chinook Landing boat ramps to collect water (and find a geocache) and stretch our legs. From there, we paddled south of McGuire Island so we could look at the fancy houseboats. By the time we landed on the south side of Lemon Island at an established camping area, the sun was out and it was surprisingly hot! I desperately sought the shade and read in my tent, while Ken was thrilled to be able to swim in the fresh river water after his paddle. With the nearby Portland airport, I expected this campsite to be noisy at night, but I found it was fine. There were no other campers around and we enjoyed the warm weather.
DAY 3: Lemon Island to Bachelor Island -- 20.8 miles / 33.5 km We departed the Portland area in thick fog at first, requiring us to navigate by GPS and compass, and keep our distance from the shipping channels! The fog began to lift as we passed under the I-5 bridge at Vancouver, and we paddled past Frenchman's Bar Regional Park in warm sunshine - a beautiful day!
We made good time, and considered stopping at Caterpillar Island, but it was only 12:30 in the afternoon. We thought we'd paddle a bit further and look for a campsite along the way. To our dismay, the next campsite wasn't for quite a while, forcing us to paddle against a growing wind and current. After more than 20 miles, we took the first site we found at Bachelor Island. Unlike remote coastal areas, campsites along the Columbia are pre-defined and prescribed; there are no impromptu sites due to private property, development, or unsuitable land. The temperature was more than 80 ° F when we landed, hot and tired.
Huge flocks of Canada Geese flew over the Columbia every evening.
DAY 4: R&R at Bachelor Island We had planned to treat ourselves to a luxurious stay at the Kalama Lodge, but with our long mileage the day before, we were ahead of schedule. We were unable to change our room reservations, so we decided to be lazy and enjoy the warm weather, and head for Kalama the next day. Ken was up early to circumnavigate Bachelor Island, which required some portaging over the low spots. He spotted a beaver and quite a few waterfowl. It was HOT during the day; I tried to seek the shade as much as possible. It certainly wasn't the weather we were expecting for October!
DAY 5: Bachelor Island to Kalama Lodge 16.1 mi / 26 km Before dawn the next morning, there was a gorgeous full moon reflecting directly across the river to our campsite! I took a few photos and some of the full moon later to experiment with a composite photograph. We stopped to admire the small lighthouse at Warrior Point, and were happy to see it was decorated with more peaceable symbols. We had an easy paddle to St. Helens, with its charming waterfront. The Spirit of Halloweentown festival was on, as it was mid-October. We stocked up on water at the dockside marina and continued on, pulling up to the Kalama Lodge in the early afternoon. For a small charge, we could moor our kayaks at the private dock, which was around the corner from the riverfront area. Fresh-cooked meals and hot showers were much appreciated, as we caught up on phone calls to family members.
DAY 6: Kalama Lodge to Walker Island 15.7 mi / 25.2 km As we paddled out of Kalama after a filling breakfast at McMenamin's, we made good time passing Rainier, Oregon and the heavily industrialized city of Longview, Washington. The day was much cooler and more overcast, and the west wind increased in the afternoon. As it began to blow more than 15 knots, we opted to look for the campsite on the west end of Walker Island. (The campsite on the east end of Walker Island was occupied by boaters). The west side of the island had been trashed by recent storms, with quite a few fallen trees. We ended up paddling around looking for the campsite, and Ken eventually found the remains of a poor one by bushwhacking through the overgrowth and fallen trees. It was small and required hauling our kayaks up over a berm, as the west end of the island had eroded. The long shallow beach created big wind waves as we unloaded our kayaks. A small weather front was headed our way, and we retired to our tents early. When I reviewed the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership website later I realized I had missed the entrance to the recommended campsite, which is in the interior of the island.
DAY 7: Walker Island to Puget Island 15.1 mi / 24.3 km It rained overnight, and was cool and overcast as we packed up and launched. The wind was light, however, and the sky cleared as we continued west. We stopped for lunch at Wallace Island, but the campsite there was marginal, and we preferred to explore Puget Island just a bit further west. We found a "Fish Camp" on the south side of Puget Island— a well established site in great shape. We had extra time in the afternoon to wash in the river and hike up the eastern cliff head and back. In the evening, we were treated to an amazing chorus of coyotes, yipping and howling.
DAY 8: Puget Island to Skamokawa Vista Park 13.2 mi / 21.2 km We were up early and packing in the dark the next morning. Once we paddled east through the ebbing current and the eastern wind, we had a glorious downwind run to Cathlamet - how lucky to have an eastern tailwind! We decided to explore the slough just west of Cathlamet, which was filled with wildlife and birds. Unfortunately, the water was too low for us to remain in the sloughs, and we had to navigate carefully and occasionally portage our way through, before exiting back onto the river. We had a quick and enjoyable paddle to Skamokawa Vista Park, which is well set up for kayaking campers. We had time to take the nature trail hike in the park, and enjoy the hot showers, before retiring early.
DAY 9: Skamokawa Vista Park to Rice island 14.7 mi / 23.7 km It was COLD during the night, and foggy as we packed and got on the water. I was so cold during the night that I wore my drysuit instead of my wetsuit, then regretted it later in the day. We were hoping to explore the extensive network of islands of the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge, but the tide was too low. Our GPS's were not showing the island names, (must be set on details "more" or "most", not "normal") and we kept getting hung up in low water. We finally gave up and exited the sloughs to skirt the north side of Woody Island, paddling west in the main channel for Snag Island and Miller Sands Island. We felt so lucky to once again have an east tailwind! We stopped for lunch on Fishhook Island (part of Miller Sands), and in the afternoon the opposing flooding current became more noticeable. As we rounded Fishhook Island, we saw three giant tankers in front of us. We stopped to judge their speed, then realized they were anchored - what a relief! We pushed hard against the opposing current to get through the shipping channel, and found a decent campsite in a small bay on the northeast side of Rice Island. It was a beautiful location, away from the shipping channel, and quiet.
While doing camp chores, we enjoyed the quiet bay full of American Wigeons and others ducks, and Ken built a fire on our last camping night. Just at dark, we saw some strange mammals with long tails, about the size of opossums, emerge from the dunes and go swimming in the bay! I had no idea what these creatures were, and was fascinated by the tracks I found the next morning. We later asked an Oregon fisherman who had a ready answer: they were nutrias, also known as coypus, originally from South America! They apparently inhabit only a few areas in the northwestern U.S.
DAY 10: Rice island to Astoria 8.8 mi / 14.2 km It was another beautiful morning, again with no wind. We had a bit of a long haul of kayaks and gear to the beach, due to the low tide, but we were in good spirits with our lucky run of good weather. We didn't have far to paddle, so we decided to visit Mott Island, just east of Tongue Point near Astoria. Although Tongue Point can be challenging to paddle when wind and current are opposing, we found it glass smooth and easy going. We had a relaxing paddle in to the kayak launch in Astoria, just next door to the Comfort Inn where I had parked my car. We landed just after noon, with plenty of time to unpack, clean up gear, and celebrate a successful trip with fantastic weather!
Final Day Slideshow
We were unbelievably lucky with the weather on this trip, and experienced good timing with the currents. After our poor luck on our recent Cape Scott trip, we thoroughly enjoyed the benefits of river paddling. Even though current flows from the dam were not nearly as high as they might be in spring, they offered welcome assistance, making for a very relaxing excursion the entire way. My concern for missing the ocean, or finding the area too industrial, were unfounded: The Mighty Columbia has it's own mystique, different from the open coast but magical nonetheless. I appreciated the history and unique geology of the area, and as I paddled, I enjoyed imagining it two hundred years ago, when Lewis and Clark explored the area, or even five hundred years ago, when it was in more gentle harmony with humans and nature. I highly recommend this trip for paddlers experienced with managing wind and current, and I hope to return to spend more time visiting the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Refuge area just east of Astoria.
Photos by Cris Lewis and Ken Sund
REFERENCES AND INFORMATION
The best chart for this paddle is the Fish N Map of the Lower Columbia River. It can be purchased from many fishing supply stores in Oregon and Washington for ~ $11.
A waterway access permit is required from the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Department, even for non-motorized boats 10' and longer, and sailboats under 12' long. An annual permit is transferrable to other paddlecraft. It can be obtained online and printed prior to the trip.
The Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership has an outstanding interactive map of the entire route, with many campsites designated along the route, usually with updated notes from recent visitors. The website is free to use, but consider donating to their cause of maintaining the water trails. (Ignore any pop-up window requesting a log-in, none is required; select 'cancel' or close the window.)
Two guidebooks describing this paddle are worth a read prior to your trip:
Roskelly, John (2014). Paddling the Columbia: A Guide to all 1200 Miles of our Scenic and Historical River. Mountaineers Books. ISBN-10: 1594857784
Hay, Keith G. (2004). The Lewis and Clark Columbia River Water Trail: A Guide for Paddlers, Hikers, and Other Explorers. Timber Press. ISBN13: 9780881926200
Another interesting historical read that is a first-hand account of the settlement of Astoria in the early 1900's, as well as the Alaska Gold Rush, is "The Trail Led North: Mont Hawthorne's Story" (1960), by Martha F. McKeown.
Both guidebooks urge caution when paddling around the many wing dams that populate the Lower Columbia. I have a healthy fear of 'strainers' when whitewater kayaking, and the frequent caution about the wing dams initially made me nervous. However, the wing dams are visible from far away and easily avoidable. The current flow was not very high during this trip, but I can see how the wing dams could become a problem during periods of higher flow from the Bonneville dam.
Beacon Rock State Park is well worth a visit! Although we didn't camp there, I would recommend reserving a campsite in the upper loop, or trying your luck at the few first-come, first-served campsites near the river.
We were able to obtain a permit for long-term parking at the Hamilton Island Boat ramp from the Bonneville Dam Visitor Center, as a 'special group activity'. This area is overseen by Homeland Security, and the truck remained safe while parked there for ten days. Similarly, the Comfort Suites of Astoria was an excellent hotel for our final day, and allowed me to park a car in their lot for a small fee. They were very accommodating and are very close to a landing location that is nearby Tongue Point.
Scipio's Goble Landing RV Park and Columbia Riverfront RV Park do not accept tents; RV's only.
Feel free to download and share this GPX file of campsites and waypoints for this trip. Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions.