Right now at Rooster Rock
Reading the river…
Looking at today's pattern…
Water quality
A directional read on how the water's looking at the crossing — there's no sensor in the channel, so always check it yourself at the water.
Reading the wind…
Estimated from wind direction & speed
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What it looks like
Representative views of the crossing at different gage levels — today's is selected automatically; tap another to compare.
A representative view of the crossing to Sand Island at today's level. The gage is measured at Bonneville Dam, so conditions and exact depth vary — and sand ridges cause abrupt drop-offs.
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Live view
A live look across the channel from the Rooster Rock visitor center, refreshed every minute — watch the sand past the willows appear and disappear with the level. Step back through recent frames with the arrows, or play the time-lapse to see the last hour, day, week, or month in ~30 seconds.
Water level history
How the level has moved over time.
When can you cross? A seasonal guide
The live number tells you today; this tells you what to expect. With the crossing, time is really the factor. Roughly 17 ft or lower lets the trails and sandbars start to drain and dry out — but they need a stretch of low water to actually do it.
Rule of thumb: about 18 ft is the highest that's worth attempting. Around there you'll wade through varying depths to reach a beach with limited room to post up; any higher and it's usually too flooded to bother. Just remember the gage can move fast depending on dam spill — it could read 18 ft now and hit 21 ft later in the day (or drop), so check right before you head out.
- Through June Levels can swing wildly. The river might drop to ~17 ft and start draining, then jump back to ~21 ft and flood everything again. Hard to count on.
- Late June In a typical year the level finally starts staying low and trending down. Expect lingering puddles and mud on the paths.
- Early July Generally the first safe bet: things have dried out and the water is usually shallow enough to wade out to Sand Island.
- Mid–late July The sandbar leading to Sand Island is usually exposed, with puddles here and there.
- August About as low as it gets — tons of sand exposed and the easiest crossing of the year.
How much beach & trail you'll get
The bands above tell you whether you can cross; this tells you how much beach and trail will actually be out of the water at a given level.
- 18 ft or more Close to zero beach and few trails — most of it is underwater.
- 13–18 ft Hit or miss. Some beach is exposed and some trails are open.
- Below 13 ft More and more opens up — beach and trails become usable.
- Around 10 ft Almost everything is exposed, and the walk to the island is mostly ankle-deep. The sandbar shifts, so your mileage may vary.
Note: the trails stay muddy for a while even after the water drops off them — they need a stretch of low water to actually dry out.
Bugs: mosquitoes and other bugs can be a problem in summer, worst on the paths between the parking lot and the beaches — especially in the early evening. They're less of a nuisance out on Sand Island, and late summer (August) is generally the best time to avoid them.
These are typical-year patterns, not guarantees — always check the live level and the history chart above before you go.
Getting there
Rooster Rock State Park · I-84 Exit 25 · Corbett, Oregon
Route view: from the east parking area, follow the beach/trail east toward the crossing. The dashed red segment is the actual ~0.2-mile wade across the channel to Sand Island.
How to reach the Island
- 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.
- Park near the east end of the main lot, then walk east along the beach or Sand Island Trail toward the channel that separates the mainland from Sand Island.
- Check the level above before you cross. The crossing ranges from dry sand to shallow wading to full swim/float conditions depending on the river.
- 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.
Resources & links
Official info for planning your trip to Rooster Rock State Park.
- Rooster Rock State Park (official) Hours, amenities, rules and the park map from Oregon State Parks.
- Buy a parking permit Day-use $10/day (OR) or $12 (out-of-state); 12-month pass $60/$75.
- Where to buy permits On-site fee machines, posted QR codes, statewide vendors, or online.
- Live river gage (USGS) Raw gage-height data — Columbia River below Bonneville Dam (site 14128870).
- Local weather forecast (NWS) National Weather Service forecast for the park area.
- Nearby camping Rooster Rock is day-use only — reserve camping at Ainsworth State Park (Exit 35).
- RoosterRock.org (community) Community-run site with on-the-ground info and trip reports for the beach.
- @roosterrockbeach (Instagram) Recent photos and updates from visitors — a good real-time feel for conditions.
- History & geology of Rooster Rock Columbia River Images' deep-dive on the landmark's name, history and geology (archived).
From space — browse the archive
Step back through Sentinel-2 satellite passes over the crossing from the past year to see how much sand was exposed on each date. This is by available image, not by day: the satellite only passes every few days, and the Columbia Gorge is often cloudy — so some dates are cloudy or unavailable. Each image shows its capture date and cloud cover.
Frequently asked questions
Can you walk to Sand Island at Rooster Rock?
Sometimes. It depends on the Columbia River level. The site uses five rough bands: under 9 ft is usually dry sand, 9–11 ft is very low, 11–13 ft is wade or walk, 13–15 ft is wade or swim, and over 15 ft is swim or float. Check the live reading at the top of this page before you go.
What is the water level at Rooster Rock today?
The live gage height is shown at the top of this page, updated every few minutes from the U.S. Geological Survey gage on the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam (USGS site 14128870), the nearest real-time gage on this connected, tidal stretch of river.
How deep is the crossing to the Island?
The gage is measured at the dam, not at the crossing, so depth at the sandbar is an estimate. Roughly: under 9 ft can be dry, 9–11 ft is very low, 11–13 ft is shallow enough to wade or walk, 13–15 ft is wade or swim, and over 15 ft is swim or float. Sand ridges cause abrupt drop-offs, so always tread carefully.
When is the best time to cross to Sand Island?
This stretch is tidal and dam-influenced, so the level swings through the day. The "Best time to cross today" section above shows today's low and high and when they occur — aim for the low-water window.
What time of year can you cross to Sand Island?
In a typical year, early July is the first safe bet — the trails have dried out and the water is usually shallow enough to wade across. Through June the level swings wildly (draining around 17 ft, then flooding back toward 21 ft). Mid-to-late July usually exposes the sandbar, and August is the lowest and easiest. See the seasonal guide above for the full breakdown, including when bugs are worst.
Where is Rooster Rock State Park and what does it cost?
Rooster Rock State Park is on the Columbia River at I-84 Exit 25 in Corbett, Oregon, about 22 miles east of Portland. It's a day-use park: $10 per vehicle per day, or use an Oregon State Parks annual pass.
What is "the Island," and 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-or-swim thresholds.
Spot something off, or have an idea?
Tell us what's wrong or what would make this more useful — it goes straight to the people who maintain the site.