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Sauvie’s Island: Oak Island Walk |
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Distance: 2.5 miles round trip. Travel time to trailhead: 30 minutes Walk duration: 1 hour Conditions: A mowed road that is used to patrol the state's Sauvie Island Wildlife Area. Total elevation change: 0 ft. It’s practically level. Brief summary: This is the only walk outside the bounds of the West Hills, but since Sauvie’s Island is a significant contributor to the richness of this NW corner of the greater Portland area, I thought it appropriate to include at least one island walk in my list. Sauvie’s Island also plays a large role in Portland’s early history. Originally called Wapatoo Island, it was the home of the long-since vanished Multnomah indians that lived along the lower banks of the Willamette between its confluence with the Columbia and for a distance of 6 miles upriver to just beyond where the Multnomah Channel branches joins the river. Early accounts describe how this island was much favored by the eldery indians, who enjoyed eating the “wapatoo”, or edible tuber (Sagittaria variabilis) that grows in Sturgeon lake. This was said, by the Indians to promote longevity...at least until the whites arrived and the Multnomah were decimated by the smallpox. During the times of Doctor McLaughlin’s tenure at Fort Vancouver, the island was used to graze cattle. And later some of the first farms were established on the island. It remained a bucolic backwater until the bridge was built in recent years and access from Portland became much easier. Aside from exploring Sturgeon lake by canoe or kayak, perhaps the best place to experience Sauvie Island's variety is on the 2.5-mile loop trail around a peninsula called Oak Island. Near the island's heart, the Oak Island trail has an open, airy atmosphere, even though it's bounded by water on three sides. ________________________________________________________ Access: Head 10 miles northwest of Portland on U.S. 30 (St. Helens Road) and turn east (right) onto the Sauvie Island Bridge. Cross Multnomah Channel and follow Sauvie Island Road north two miles to Reeder Road. Turn east (right) and drive Reeder Road 1.3 miles to a Y junction. Take the left fork and drive 4.2 miles on The trail follows a mowed patrol road, but the only vehicles allowed are those of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Hikers can stick to the path or they can wander cross-country through fields of tall grass to quiet spots to watch the wildlife. Steelman and Sturgeon lakes are never far from the trail. The clockwise loop hike is on a mowed road that is used to patrol the state's Sauvie Island Wildlife Area. The only two junctions along the way are marked by yellow signs with hiker symbols. Head north from the parking lot and pass the signed return trail after five minutes. Continue straight through the grassy field, passing Steelman Lake to the left. At the top of the peninsula, the trail swings east and then south, passing Sturgeon Lake. Turn west at the hiker symbols to complete the loop, then head south back to the start. The 2.5-mile loop takes about one hour to walk. Elevation is consistent - about 100 feet above sea level. Access to Oak Island is restricted to hunters beginning Oct. 1, so summer and early fall are the only times non-hunters can visit. Vehicles must display a Sauvie Island Wildlife Area parking permit, which costs $3 per day or $10.50 per year, available from island stores and other vendors. Public access is restricted to licensed hunters after Oct. 1 on most wildlife management lands. FOR INFORMATION: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sauvie Island Wildlife Area, 18330 NW Sauvie Island Rd, Portland, Ore., 97231; 503-621-3488. |
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Oak Island Road to a small parking lot at road's end. The final 1.1 miles is gravel.