kari @ pnw kids
- Aug 8, 2018
- 2 min read

Collins Beach, Portland, OR

Collins Beach is located on the beautiful Sauvie Island in Portland, Oregon. The beach is on the banks of the massive Colombia River and its such a beautiful spot to take in views of Mt. Saint Helen! In general, Sauvie Island is a beautiful little area with loads of wonderful things to do like berry picking, farmers markets, produce stands, wildlife viewing areas and of course, beaches. But is Collins Beach a good spot to take the family? Read below to check out our full review.

Collins beach is located on the north eastern part of Sauvie Island. The island drive is certainly beautiful and you'll pass all kids of gorgeous farms and wildlife areas. There is no shortage of lush farmland with the quaintest little farm houses en route to this beach.

Overall, this is a nice little beach but it isn't our favorite spot in summer. Mostly because in the summertime the beach is extremely crowded AND certain parts of the beach are pretty dirty. We've walked past lots of trash and dog poop in the summer, which is unpleasant to say the least. Not to mention, most of the areas near the parking lot are fairly crowded with some people playing music.

That being said, if you're willing to walk a bit from the parking areas, you can find quieter and cleaner spots and stretches along the shore. Plus, it's fairly shallow ( at least out to several feet) and a good spot to cool off.

We prefer Collins Beach in the fall and winter time because its much cleaner and way less crowded. It's also the funnest spot to watch massive ships pass through the Colombia river! The waves that come towards the shore after a massive ship passes through is so fun!

Also of note, a nude beach is located on the northern part of Collins Beach. If you're interested in taking a walk with kids , I suggest heading south.