Parking
Park at the North Bonneville Little League baseball-field lot at the end of Portage Drive. No entry pass is required; there is no restroom at the trailhead.
Overview
About Strawberry Island Loop
Why go
- Meadow and downstream point give distinct Gorge views
- Oak woods alternate with open grassland
Heads up
- Some grass track is faint
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Columbia River Gorge map
Full mapElevation43–144 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Columbia River Gorge alerts
- ClosureEagle Creek Fire area closureDo not enter Oneonta Gorge or the specified trail sections because hazards remain following the Eagle Creek Fire.Official details
- CautionAircraft and drone restrictions at developed recreation sitesAircraft and drone landings, drop-offs, and pickups are prohibited at six high-use developed recreation sites to protect visitor safety.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide
Your drive to Strawberry Island Loop, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
The Island That Joined the Shore0:00 / 0:27
“Strawberry Island near North Bonneville is no longer an island. Lewis and Clark called it that after seeing wild strawberry plants; maps also call it Hamilton Island.”
Plays on the road 0.4 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- When the Hillside Blocked the River
- The Rapids Beneath the Reservoir
- Bonneville Fish Hatchery
- Wahclella Falls Trailhead
- 217 audio storiesacross Columbia River Gorge’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bald Eagle, Black Bear, American Pika, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 111 trails, 78 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Strawberry Island Loop
An island in the riverStrawberry Island Loop is the roughly 4-mile loop from the North Bonneville ball fields around…
Strawberry Island Loop is the roughly 4-mile loop from the North Bonneville ball fields around Hamilton Island, the peninsula in the Columbia River. Allow about two to three hours with stops. The full itinerary links the hilltop meadow and the downstream river edge; it reuses the short ball-field approach to connect both circuits. Come for the unusual views from between the Gorge walls without committing to a long mountain climb.
Meadow and river edgeThe route alternates grass track through mature oak woods and open grassland, with flatter…
The route alternates grass track through mature oak woods and open grassland, with flatter stretches and short hills. A bench in the higher meadow looks toward the Cascade Landslide cliffs at Table Mountain, Red Bluffs, and Greenleaf Peak. Farther down, the island's downstream point faces Ives and Pierce Islands and Beacon Rock. Some grassy tread is faint, so keep the trail map handy. The low-water route to Ives Island is only an optional crossing beyond the loop; it may be dry or require a wade, depending on river level.
At the trailheadPark at the North Bonneville Little League baseball-field lot at the end of Portage Drive.
Park at the North Bonneville Little League baseball-field lot at the end of Portage Drive. There is no restroom at the trailhead, and no entry pass is required. Dogs must be leashed. Hamilton Island was raised with rock excavated for Bonneville Dam's second powerhouse in the 1970s; that fill also joined it to the Washington shore. Lewis and Clark used the name Strawberry Island for native strawberry plants they found there.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Columbia River Gorge
267 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
51 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
136 sightingsAmerican PikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
16 sightingsWapitiMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
195 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
74 sightingsChinook SalmonMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Columbia River Gorge. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
