Hike to Warrior Rock Lighthouse
The hike to Warrior Rock Lighthouse follows a peaceful trail along the Columbia River to a fun finale, Oregon’s smallest lighthouse. Despite being close to Portland, it tends to get overlooked. The beauty of the trail is understated compared to the famous hikes in the Gorge and the Cascades. It’s more suited to a meditative stroll than dramatic photo opportunities. Free of challenging terrain, it’s a great choice for a low-impact hike at any time of year. The mosquitos vanish in the fall, adding to its appeal in the off-season. Here is everything you need to know about hiking to Warrior Rock Lighthouse.
The hike to Warrior Rock Lighthouse follows the Columbia River
Know before you go
The trail to Warrior Rock Lighthouse is open all year. All Trails labeled it as closed for the winter when I went, which it isn’t.
To park at the trailhead, you need the ODFW Wildlife Area Parking Permit. It costs $10/day or $30/year. Buy it before you get there. The convenience store you see just after crossing the Sauvie Island Bridge sells them, as does Cove Market (next to the RV park) on the way there.
Leashed dogs are welcome on the trail.
The trailhead parking lot has a port-a-potty.
The last two miles of the road leading to Warrior Rock Trailhead are unpaved. It’s bumpy but doable in a low-clearance vehicle.
The blackberry bramble along the trail is hard to avoid. Wear long pants.
Mosquitos can be a nuisance during the summer.
Warrior Rock Lighthouse is close to the northern tip of Sauvie Island, Warrior Point. The hike is 6 miles long if you turn around at the lighthouse. Continuing to Warrior Point adds about a mile of distance.
Banana slug on the trail
On the trail to Warrior Rock Lighthouse
Distance: 6 miles to Warrior Rock Lighthouse or 7 miles to Warrior Point, out and back
Elevation gain: Minimal
Difficulty: Easy
Pass required: ODFW Wildlife Area Parking Permit, $10/day or $30/year.
Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome on the trail.
ADA access: No
Season: Year-round
The details
The Warrior Rock Trailhead looks unpromising. A dumpster and potty-a-port stand on either side of a fence covered in extremely yellow signs about the rules. Behind it is a second fence with more rules. Don’t worry, it gets better soon.
Warrior Rock Trailhead
Things improve once you’re through the fences. To the right is a gap in the blackberry bramble and, beyond it, the Columbia River. One of the charms of the Warrior Rock Lighthouse hike is the fluid boundary between the hiking trail and the river. This first beach access is one of several on the way to the lighthouse.
Beach access is just past the trailhead
You can begin the hike by walking on the beach rather than on Warrior Rock Trail. The river views make it the prettier of the two options, although a stiff wind might make it worth sticking to the forest in winter. On a clear day, you can see Warrior Rock in the distance, topped with a tiny white dot that is your destination, the lighthouse. After about a half mile on the beach, you’ll run out of sand. At that point, look for the faint path that will bring you back to the hiking trail.
You can start the hike on the beach
If you start the hike on Warrior Rock Trail, you’ll walk along a narrow path through a thicket of blackberry bramble. I suggest wearing long pants without sentimental value. Snags are all but inevitable. You’ll soon reach a clearing with an open field on the other side of a wire fence.
The trail meets up with a gravel access road
The dirt trail merges with a gravel road in about 0.2 miles. Take a right, heading toward the forest and away from the gate.
Continue on the gravel road
Once you enter the tree cover, you’ll see a bright orange tower near a fork in the trail.
Turn right at the tower
The tree next to the tower has a sign pointing to the lighthouse trail. Follow it, taking the fork to the right, the trail closer to the river.
Follow this sign
The rest of the hike is through a forest of cottonwood and ash. The path is wider here and allows for some distance between you and the tangled undergrowth of blackberry and snowberry bushes. It can get muddy but is otherwise flat and easy.
Warrior Rock Trail
The trail is never far from the Columbia River. Dense vegetation screens it from view, but frequent gaps in the tree cover keep it from staying out of sight for long. These river views make the Warrior Rock Trail a great place for birdwatching. Herons wade in the shallows. Tall wood posts near the shore support raptor nests. Out in the water, look for ducks, geese, and swans.
River views on the way to the lighthouse
The water level of the Columbia River varies throughout the year. It’s higher in winter and spring, covering more of the sand and limiting beach access. In drier months, it’s easier to explore the riverbanks and watch the ships pass by Sauvie Island. Some are massive, looking like they belong out in the open ocean rather than the inland waterways around Portland.
Large ships pass by Sauvie Island
The changing leaves are an added draw in the fall. The woods on Sauvie Island are almost all deciduous, a rarity around Portland.
Expect fall color in late October and early November
The forest has few dramatic surprises and countless beautiful details. The cottonwoods were a mottled yellow by my late October hike, still a week or two before peak season. The mosquitoes were long gone, a welcome relief. Scattered pink and red leaves stood out on the dogwood trees and blackberry bushes, where I was surprised to find several still-ripe berries. A last gasp of wildflowers: tansy, Queen Anne’s lace, and pearly everlasting. Tread carefully and look for wooly bear caterpillars and banana slugs crawling over fallen leaves.
Wooly bear caterpillar
Mushrooms had sprung up around the trail, including a few waterlogged giants and vivid yellow fly agarics.
Fly agaric mushroom
The trail to Warrior Rock Lighthouse is more of a walk than a hike. Free of roots, rocks, and hills, the even terrain makes for a low-impact trail that spares the knees. It’s easy to fall into a meditative rhythm as you walk, even for me, whose rhythm, thanks to an old injury, is a limping staccato. The hike is farther than I can normally walk, but I decided to risk it because of the easy conditions. With the help of one gazillion stretch breaks and some ibuprofen, I managed.
The forest is quiet and moody in the fall
Close to Warrior Rock Lighthouse, the forest opens up. You’ll reach a fork in the trail. Keep right to head towards the lighthouse.
Take the fork to the right just ahead
Warrior Rock Lighthouse stands on a chunk of basalt next to a long sandy shore. It has two stories. The lower story has remained since the lighthouse’s construction in 1889. Today, two murals decorate it, one of a dove and another of a heron. The upper concrete story replaced the original wooden tower in 1931. At 28 feet tall, it’s Oregon’s smallest lighthouse.
Warrior Rock Lighthouse
When the water is high, it can cover Warrior Rock and part of the lighthouse’s lower story. During most of the year, it’s low enough that you can walk up to Warrior Rock Lighthouse. Driftwood logs on Warrior Rock are great places for a snack break. As you sit, watch for boats, birds, and sea lions out in the water. On a clear day, you can see Mount St Helens across the river.
Warrior Rock Lighthouse
Warrior Rock Beach begins at the lighthouse and extends to Sauvie Island’s northern tip, Warrior Point. In the summer, the beach is a peaceful place to lounge on the sand and cool off in the river. Three miles from the nearest road, it’s one of the least crowded beaches on Sauvie Island. On a chilly fall day, no one was there but me.
Warrior Rock Beach
After seeing Warrior Rock Lighthouse, you can turn around for a 6-mile hike or continue to Warrior Point. As long as the river isn’t too high, you can walk there on the beach. It may be a muddy journey. About a quarter mile north of the lighthouse are some curiosities. Old dock pilings stand in rows in the river, some topped with mysterious debris. There’s a large pipeline with no clear purpose or destination. Rusty cables and less identifiable artifacts lie scattered on the beach.
The muddy walk to Warrior Point
Warrior Point is at the confluence where the Multnomah Channel meets the Columbia River. Across the channel is St Helens, Oregon. If you’re familiar with the town, you’ll recognize the Town Hall and the marina. Look closely to see the bright orange construction fencing around the future waterfront park. On the east side of the Columbia River are the shores of Washington and, on a clear day, a glimpse of Mount St Helens.
Warrior Point
To return from Warrior Point, look inland to find an old road bed. Follow this road to begin the walk back. It will merge with the main trail in about half a mile.
Take this path to head back
If the river is too high to walk on the beach, use the roadbed to reach Warrior Point. From Warrior Rock Lighthouse, return to the fork and take the other branch.
St Helens from Warrior Point
Enjoy your hike to Warrior Rock Lighthouse!
With love,
Emma
Getting there
Search for the Warrior Rock Lighthouse Point Trailhead in Google Maps. It’s at the end of NW Reeder Rd. After crossing the bridge onto Sauvie Island, continue onto NW Sauvie Island Rd. Follow it for 2.2 miles, then turn right onto NW Reeder Rd. Continue for 12.8 miles until the road ends. The drive from downtown Portland takes about 45 minutes.
The roads are paved until the last 2 miles. I hate the end of this drive in my tiny car. The potholes aren’t a problem, but it’s grated in a way that makes it very shaky. If you also have a small car, it helps to keep your speed between 5-10 mph, especially toward the end.
Explore nearby
Find more things to do on Sauvie Island.
Try out more fall color hikes near Portland.
