Columbia River / Prescott Beach

Columbia River. Pretty flat on the sides, big chop in the middle. Watch for shipping traffic (lots of it through here.) Current pushes you upwind on dominant wind direction (NW). River runs SE to NW. Trojan nuclear reactor (shutdown now) is about 2 miles up river. Flat and choppy. Not too much swell or big chop. Half mile of sandy beach, few obstacles. Not very wide. Watch for fisherman/kids playing. Parking right next to beach. Sand is less dusty/dirty than Jones, and no vehicles on the beach. This spot benefits from some of the strong west winds that Jones Beach gets, but its a little closer to Portland than Jones (by about a half hour). It also benefits from the North wind that Sauvies Island gets, in the afternoons in the summer this is what fills in and makes the place solid. The winds are stronger than Sauvies, but also gustier. I've been powered on a 12m here when Sauvies was still flat. Good any time NW wind is blowing. Check NW Weather forecast for Jones. You can also check the Scappoose sensor to see how strong the North wind is. The wind usually starts at 3pm and goes till 8 or 9pm. You can usually count on wind if there is a 10° temp difference between Astoria and Portland. Usually not as warm as Portland, but not as cold as the coast either. Check St. Helens temps. Water: Flat, Chop. Features: Toilet, Parking. Rider ability: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert.

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