Hood River Waterfront Park

Hood River Waterfront Park is a nearly six-acre public city park on the Columbia, between Portway Avenue's 2nd and 8th streets. Its draw is a human-made crescent of sand tucked into the riverbank, with picnic tables and a small watercraft launch. It works well for a swim, a picnic, or a pause on a walk through Hood River's waterfront. There is no lifeguard at the swim cove, so treat this as an unsupervised river swim.

The Port donated the land to the City, which made it a multi-use community park. Waterfront paths and access were completed in 2008; the restroom and playground followed in 2009. The park sits along a broader Columbia shoreline walking route of close to two miles, though the path has gaps. Keep it distinct from the Hood River Event Site farther east: these are separate waterfront stops with different uses. The beach, shelters, and playground make this a relaxed family stop; the discontinuous path is less satisfying if you want one long, uninterrupted waterfront walk.

You'll find a restroom, playground, picnic shelters, and off-street parking. No food vendor turned up in the park information I checked, so bring a snack or plan to eat elsewhere. The exact paid-parking zone for the park's spaces wasn't clear; check the sign at your lot before leaving the car. At the park's hook, look down the Columbia and keep a strip of shore in the foreground for a river-and-Gorge view. Available information doesn't specify an accessible route or restroom type, so confirm those details if they affect your visit.