Sauvie Island – Willow Bar
Seasons
Checklists
Location
Open year round, Parking Permit required. After just passing the County Line (marked) there is a gravel road that heads east off of Reeder Rd. You can opt to park at the entrance or drive the length of the road to a parking area at the Columbia River’s edge. When open, driving is permitted along a jeep track that heads north up the beach.
DirectionsHabitat and Birds
Cottonwood gallery woods and a trail along the beach to the north. The woodland trail up off of the beach is the most productive after scanning the river. The river view can have all manner of river birds, loons, grebes, gulls and ducks in season. The area is good for woodpeckers and sparrows. A secluded pond can hold Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks and waders. There are lots of fly-over birds crossing the Columbia to and from Ridgefield NWR – Swans and Snow Geese are regular in winter. The best way to cover the area is to park at the entrance next to Reeder Rd and walk the short road to the river, walk the jeep track to the north scanning the river, then move inland to the woodland trail and walk back to the road. Also, just across the street from the entrance there is a hunter’s path cut through the blackberries that affords a scope view of Gay Lake. Here you can find the same birds as listed below at the Observation Platform.
Nearby Birding Locations
- Bonnie Falls
- Crown Zellerbach Trail – West End (OBT)
- Sauvie Island – Racetrack Lake
- Crown Zellerbach Trail – East End (OBT)
- Sauvie Island – Gilbert Boat Ramp
- Sauvie Island – Rentenaar Point
- Sauvie Island – Rentenaar Rd
- Santosh Quarry Lake
- Sauvie Island – Walton Beach
- Sauvie Island – Oak Island Nature Trail (OBT)
- Scappoose Waste Treatment Pond and Kessi Pond
- Sauvie Island (General Info)
- Sauvie Island - Steelman Rd
- Sauvie Island - The Wash
- Sauvie Island – Collin’s Beach
- Sauvie Island –Observation Platform
- Scappoose Bottoms Honeyman Road
- Sauvie Island – Warrior Rock Trail
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