Continent |
North America |
Country |
Washington (USA) |
Next Big City |
Portland |
Next Town |
Hood River, Lyle |
Type: |
River |
Rider Ability: |
Intermediate, Expert |
Features: |
Parking |
Type: |
Shallow, Flat, Chop |
Hazards: |
Ships, Stakes |
Quality: |
Cloudy |
Best Tide: |
Tide independent |
Large sandbar upwind. Semi-flat water below it. The swell can be decent. Lots of space on the water. Don't ride directly upwind of the sandbar. There are many of unexposed stumps and branches right under the surface. Kite upwind into the channel or downwind into the flat water of the Klickitat River mouth.
Type: |
Sand |
Size: |
Small |
Hazards: |
None |
Beach Users: |
None |
Launch from the sandbar's southern most point and downwind of the barge marker.
|
Spring:
|
Normal |
|
Summer:
|
Shorts, Shorty |
|
Fall:
|
Normal |
|
Winter:
|
Thick |
Weather in the summer can be 90+°F with water temperatures warm enough for board shorts only in July and August. Shorties come in for June and September. Full wetsuits the rest of the year. Winters are not really kite-able here, with the bitter, blustering Easterly winds bringing snow, hail, and rain.
Best Months: |
June, July, August, September, October |
Wind Type: |
Thermal |
Best Direction: |
SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW |
Main Direction: |
W |
Spring: March to May, light winds 12-20, somewhat finicky. Summer: June to early September, windy, 15-35, pretty solid. Fall: September to October, light to moderate winds, but very steady: 13-25. The wind is usually gusty. Main direction Westerlies. Works in NW, W, SW.
Transport |
Car |
|
Access
|
Short walk |
From Portland drive to Hood River and take the bridge over the river. Get onto 14 and drive east. Exit 14 and get to the sandbar at the river mouth of Klickitat River. Park in the lot on the north side of the road, east of the bridge. Walk downhill and cross the river. Launch from the sandbar's southern most point.
Rules |
Zones |
Don't launch or ride directly upwind of the sandbar. There are many of unexposed stumps and branches right under the surface. Be careful when walking, there are some on the ground as well. Do not walk over the train tracks, police will fine you 1000 USD.
