Fifteen minutes from downtown, the city simply stops — and Sauvie Island begins. One of the largest river islands in America, this farmland-and-wildlife refuge north of Portland is where local families mark the seasons: strawberries in June, blueberries in July, peaches in August and a glorious chaos of pumpkin patches and corn mazes every fall.
U-pick farms line the island’s two roads, most with hayrides, farm animals and fresh pie. When the sun blazes, Collins Beach and the island’s river shores fill with swimmers and sandcastles, while birders scan the wildlife area’s lakes for sandhill cranes and tundra swans.
Pack bikes for the flat island loop, cash for the farm stands, and zero schedule. Sauvie is Portland’s countryside, close enough for a Tuesday.
