Rooster Rock

Can you walk to the Island today?

Columbia River level right now

checking…
00.00ft

Reading the river…

Where the water sits relative to wading across to the Island.

Best time to cross today

This stretch of the Columbia is tidal and dam-influenced, so the level swings through the day. Lower water = easier crossing.

Today's low

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Right now

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Today's high

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Looking at today's pattern…

Water level history

How the level has moved over time.

Getting there

Rooster Rock State Park · I-84 Exit 25 · Corbett, Oregon

The dashed red line is the actual ~0.2-mile wade from the mainland beach across the channel to the Island (Sand Island).

Directions (Google) Directions (Apple) Open map

How to reach the Island

  1. Take I-84 to Exit 25 (Rooster Rock) — the exit is reachable from the eastbound lanes. It's a day-use park: $10/day or an Oregon State Parks annual pass.
  2. Park in the main lot and walk east along the beach toward the channel that separates the shore from Sand Island (the "Island").
  3. Check the level above before you cross. Under 13 ft you can usually wade or walk; 13–15 ft, expect to wade and maybe swim; over 15 ft, plan to swim or float.
  4. The water is cold and currents can be strong. Underwater sand ridges cause abrupt drop-offs — tread carefully and never cross alone if you're unsure.

Note: the far east end of the park is one of Oregon's two designated clothing-optional beaches.

What does the level mean?

Many visitors like to hang out on what locals call "the Island." Because the Columbia fluctuates, sometimes you can wade straight across, sometimes you have to swim or float, and sometimes the Island connects to shore as a peninsula.

  • Rooster Rock sits above sea level, so a reading of, say, 8 feet does not mean the water will be over your head — it's a gage height, used here as a relative guide.
  • Underwater sand ridges make abrupt drop-offs common while wading. Please tread carefully.
  • The reading comes from the USGS Columbia River below Bonneville Dam gage, the nearest real-time gage on this connected stretch of river — the same reference the original site used to calibrate the wade/swim thresholds.