Hamilton Island

Open daily 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fishing is available below the Fort Cascades historic trail and continuing west to the tip of the island. The access road ends at a gravel parking lot and the trailhead for the Hamilton Island trail. Available nearby are the Fort Cascades and Hamilton Island trails.

The Hamilton Island boat ramp allows access to the river for motorized and non-motorized vessels. There is no fee to use the boat ramp.
Directions: Take Washington State Hwy 14 East to Milepost 37. Turn left onto the Dam Access road. (This is about 1/2 mile from North Bonneville and 7 miles from Stevenson, Wash.). At the stop sign, turn right. Travel about a mile and turn left (toward the river). Go thru parking lot--the ramp is at far end.

Columbia River Gorge Historic Highway

The historic Columbia River Highway Trail is the nation's first scenic highway, constructed between 1913 and 1922. The area is cooperatively managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the Oregon Parks and Transportation departments. This trail has reserved areas for pedestrian and bicycle use only, such as the section between Tanner Creek, Eagle Creek and Cascade Locks.For more information on the trail, you can use these links to Oregon State Parks, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the U.S. Forest Service websites.
Directions: Take Exit 40 off Interstate 84 (Bonneville Dam Exit) & turn south off the exit. At the T-intersection, turn left (east) uphill to the paved parking lot.

Bicycling along the Dam Access Rd. at Bonneville Lock and Dam Washington shore will afford you many exceptional sites! Start at the visitor center and head west. View the second Powerhouse constructed in the 1970s. Continue west and see the Fort Cascades historic site, the juvenile fish bypass, and great views of Beacon Rock. The access road ends at the trailhead for Hamilton Island Hiking trail. (To add a few more miles, cross Hwy 14 at the Dam Access road entrance and use East Cascade Drive going west to bicycle to the town of North Bonneville.)
Directions: From the Vancouver, Washington metropolitan area, take Washington State Hwy 14 East to Milepost 39. (This is approximately 6 miles west of Stevenson, Washington.) Turn south on Dam Access Rd. by the large Bonneville Lock and Dam entrance sign. At the stop sign turn left. Continue along roadway one mile until you reach the entrance gate and visitor facilities. The Visitor Center building is the glass building at the end of the powerhouse.

Please note: It is your responsibility to follow applicable Oregon or Washington fishing regulations.
There are many prime spots at Bonneville Lock and Dam for fishing. Salmon, steelhead, shad, and sturgeon are the main fish sought at Bonneville fishing areas. Most areas are along the shoreline. Many are covered with riprap (large rocks) so be careful when walking. There are painted lines on the riprap closer to the dam to indicate the "no access" and "no fishing" zones. There are plenty of shady spots, picnic tables and grassy areas available for picnicking with your family. As always, when small children are near the water, please keep them in a life jacket for their safety. The currents below the dam is swift. For those of you with boats to launch, the Hamilton Island Boat Ramp is available for your use at no fee during daylight hours. Always pack out anything you pack in – please do not litter.

Open daily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to views of migrating fish moving through underwater fishways, visitors will find a five-level facility with an observation deck, air conditioned interior with exhibits, restrooms, a large theater, and all-glass exterior walls which allow a panoramic view of the Columbia River Gorge. A short walk leads to a viewing area inside the first powerhouse.
Contact information: (541) 374-8820
Directions: The Bradford Island Visitor Center is located at exit 40, Interstate 84, 4 miles west of Cascade Locks, Ore. At the flag pole intersection, bear right. Follow the signs for approximately 1 mile along park roads.

Open daily 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fishing is available below the Fort Cascades historic trail and continuing west to the tip of the island. The access road ends at a gravel parking lot and the trailhead for the Hamilton Island trail. Available nearby are the Fort Cascades and Hamilton Island trails.

The Hamilton Island boat ramp allows access to the river for motorized and non-motorized vessels. There is no fee to use the boat ramp.
Directions: Take Washington State Hwy 14 East to Milepost 37. Turn left onto the Dam Access road. (This is about 1/2 mile from North Bonneville and 7 miles from Stevenson, Wash.). At the stop sign, turn right. Travel about a mile and turn left (toward the river). Go thru parking lot--the ramp is at far end.

Open daily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fishing is available around the shoreline of Robins Island, except above the painted line in the Navigation Lock channel and painted line to the east. Robins Island boasts a large picnic shelter, horseshoe pits and open grassy areas for outdoor recreation activities. Please be respectful of our volunteers who stay in RVs on the island.
Directions: Exit 40 on Oregon Interstate Hwy 84 to Bonneville Dam, bear right at the flag pole, cross the navigation lock and then turn left at the signs for Robins Island.

Open daily 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Two trails lead down from the parking lot for Tanner Creek fishing area. Flush toilets are available near the parking area.
Directions: Exit 40 on Oregon Interstate Hwy 84 to Bonneville Dam, at the first parking area, bear left and pass the Bonneville Fish Hatchery parking lots to the end of the road where the parking lot is located.

Washington shore

Open daily 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fishing is available below the Fort Cascades historic trail and continuing west to the tip of the island. The access road ends at a gravel parking lot and the trailhead for the Hamilton Island trail. Available nearby are the Fort Cascades and Hamilton Island trails.

The Hamilton Island boat ramp allows access to the river for motorized and non-motorized vessels. There is no fee to use the boat ramp.
Directions: Take Washington State Hwy 14 East to Milepost 37. Turn left onto the Dam Access road. (This is about 1/2 mile from North Bonneville and 7 miles from Stevenson, Wash.). At the stop sign, turn right. Travel about a mile and turn left (toward the river). Go thru parking lot--the ramp is at far end.

Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for global positioning system (GPS) users.
The basic idea is to set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the Internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All visitors are asked to do is if they find something, they should try to leave something for the cache. (This information from  http://www.geocaching.com/faq/)
Bonneville Lock and Dam park rangers have developed 4 cache sites at that will share information about the history of the dam, salmon passage at the dam, and water safety. Please click on the links below to find out more:

•  Go With the Flow
•  Ducks Float--You Don't
•  Bradford Island History
•  Bonneville Landmark

Bass Lake is a small wildlife area in Washington, just north of Bonneville Dam. This short trail (less than a half-mile) next to the lake leads to a bird-watching area where you may see a variety of birds and mammals coming to the lake for a drink. There is an open meadow, a forest of alders and big leaf maples, and stream ecosystems to view.
Directions: Located on Washington Hwy 14, approximately 1 mile west of Bonneville Dam. Turn right at signs for Bonneville Hot Spring, at the stop sign, turn right onto East Cascade Drive. The entrance to the parking area is opposite Lakeside Way off of East Cascade Drive.

Fort Cascades is one of several forts built to protect the portage around the Cascade Rapids. The trail is now on the National Register of Historic Places. There is a self-guided path through the former fort and town-site area. The 1.5 mile trail has views of a petroglyph replica. There is little elevation change and most of the trail is shady, lush and green, but look out for poison oak.
Directions: Take Washington State Hwy 14, East to Milepost 37. Turn toward the river (south) at the Bonneville Dam entrance (This is approximately 1/2 mile east of North Bonneville, Washington and 7 miles west of Stevenson, Washington). At the stop sign, turn right. Take an immediate left into the Fort Cascades Historical Site Parking lot.

Approximately 2.5 miles of trail just west of Bonneville Dam, this trail offers wildlife viewing past open meadows, a pond and blackberry bushes. Beautiful vistas and views of Beacon Rock and the Cascade Mountain range provide excellent photographs. You can also view barges coming up the Columbia River
Directions: Access Dam Access Road, off Washington Hwy 14 about 1 mile west of Bonneville Dam. Follow the signs for Hamilton Island and go to the end of the road. The trail begins in the gravel area just west of the handicapped parking spots. This trail can also be reached in the town of North Bonneville, 2 miles west of Bonneville Dam. Follow the signs to the baseball field and there will be a parking lot and trail sign at the trailhead.

The Washington section of the Pacific Crest Trail rivals that of Central California and the Sierra Nevada in terms of dramatic, mountainous scenery. The Washington PCT also boasts some of the trail's most fickle weather patterns. Just across from the Washington Shore visitor complex is one of the many trail heads for the Pacific Crest trail. Follow the trail through rolling terrain and lush scenery and walk as far as your feet will carry you for the day. Be aware of poison oak along the path and always pack water.
Directions: On Washington Hwy, about 1 mile west of Bride of the Gods, directly across from the Bonneville Lock and Dam Washington Shore Visitor Complex. Please secure valuables or take them with you.

This waterfall is part of Tanner Creek, and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The trail is shady and cool on a hot day with a beautiful creek full of colorful rocks and boulders. Rock walls on either side share space with lichens, moss, and fern. It is approximately 1 mile to the waterfall from the parking lot and is a loop trail. There is approximately a 200-foot rise in elevation and there are a few drop-offs along the trail and a sturdy bridge over the creek.
Directions: Located at Exit 40 off Hwy 84 (Bonneville Dam Exit). Head south off the ramp and stay to the right to the trail head parking lot. Begin the hike at the far end of the parking area. To protect your valuables, please do not leave them in your vehicle.

Bonneville Fish Hatchery

Bradford Island Visitors Center

Navigation Lock, Oregon

Washington shore visitors complex

River and reservoir levels

Other related government links

• Oregon State Parks
• Oregon State Marine Board
• Lane County Public Works Parks Division
• Linn County Parks and Recreation
• Willamette National Forest

• Keep clear of swimmers and
  off-limits areas.
• Take a safe boating course
• Wear a life jacket
• Avoid alcohol--it is a factor in over 50% of boating deaths.

• Fines up to $6,250.
• Spending up to a year in jail.
• Suspension of boat registrations for up to 3 years.
• No boating privileges for a year.

Swimming Safety:

• Never swim alone.
• Do not dive into a lake-whether from a boat, bridge or shore.
• Swim in designated areas.
• Learn basic non-swimming rescue methods.
• Watch children at all times.
• Watch for electrical storms.
  Do not swim if you see lightning.

H.E.L.P.

If you are thrown or fall into a body of water, you risk hypothermia. Hypothermia is when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. If you're being exposed to cold conditions, remember:

• Don't discard clothing. Clothing (including shoes and hats) help to insulate you and fight hypothermia.
• Wear your life jacket! It helps hold heat in your body's core areas, enabling you to get into the HELP position (above). Pull arms and legs close to your body; keep armpits and groin areas protected from exposure – to minimize heat loss.