Sandy River Gorge

Why You Should Visit
At Sandy River Gorge, six miles of untamed river with upland terraces and canyons provide excellent habitat for native fish, wildlife and an old-growth forest, all within 20 miles of Oregon's largest urban area. Long before the Cascade Range existed, the ancestral Sandy River began carving its meandering course. As the Cascades rose, the stream cut through twenty million years of northwest Oregon geology, carving a 700-foot-deep gorge that exposes a cross-section of seven major geologic formations. The Sandy River's cold waters originate in the snowfields of Mt. Hood.

Location
East of Portland in the Sandy River Gorge, between Dodge Park and Oxbow Park.

Size
436 acres

How to Prepare for Your Visit
The preserve can be visited year-round. For more information, please see our Preserve Visitation Guidelines.

Directions
From Portland:

Head east on Division Street, past 236th Street for approximately five miles, following signs to Oxbow Park. Or, take I-84 east to exit 16, follow 242nd south to Division and turn left. Follow signs to Oxbow Park.
At Hosner Road, where signs indicate Oxbow Park to the left, turn right instead and go .5 mile to Lusted Road.
Turn left and continue about .75 mile down around a steep curve.
At the bottom of the hill, turn left into the first gravel drive. The parking area, marked by a Nature Conservancy sign, is immediately on the left. Please park your vehicle here (DO NOT DRIVE DOWN THE GRAVEL ROAD).
The preserve begins after walking 1/3-mile past the parking area. Access is through private property. Please respect our neighbors by following all preserve rules.
To get to the river, walk one mile past the elk meadow and stay left at the fork in the road (please observe signage).

What to See: Plants
Within the gorge lies the best remaining low elevation old growth Douglas-fir forest in Oregon, including trees over 500 years old. Forested upland terraces provide a corridor for wildlife, including black bear, cougar and elk.

What to See: Animals
The Sandy River provides excellent spawning habitat for native runs of Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead trout. The forest is home to the Oregon slender salamander, a species found only in northwestern Oregon. Black-tailed deer, river otter and osprey are also common.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
The Sandy River Gorge is the last undeveloped western Oregon river near a metropolitan area. Protection for this unique treasure began in 1970, when the Diack family donated 156 acres to the Conservancy. Today, after years of planning and coordination by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, state agencies, Metro and private conservation groups, most of the Sandy River Gorge is protected and managed for its natural, scientific, educational and recreational values. Popular with wildlife watchers, anglers, rafters and kayakers, the Sandy River is designated an Oregon Scenic Waterway and a federal Wild and Scenic River.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Conservancy owns several properties in the gorge. Ecologists monitor streamside habitats, amphibian populations and water quality. Volunteers and youth corps teams remove non-native invasive Scots broom, Japanese knotweed and Himalayan blackberry, and maintain hiking trails. Volunteer naturalists lead interpretive field trips. Many educational activities, including a fall salmon festival and additional hiking trails, are enjoyed at Oxbow Park.