Oak Island Nature Trail on Sauvie Island

2.7 miles

Flat

Easy

Pass required

The Oak Island Nature Trail is a peaceful stroll through open fields and Oregon white oak forests on Sauvie Island. Sturgeon Lake surrounds the Oak Island peninsula. The loop trail takes you to the end of it. You’ll see the lake and, on clear days, several mountain peaks, but this hike is more about having a relaxing nature walk than reaching a specific destination. Watch for songbirds, shorebirds, and raptors. Snack on the trailside blackberries. Say hi to the many cows grazing in the fields. Here’s everything you need to know about Sauvie Island’s Oak Island Nature Trail.

Trail through grass with one tall tree and forest in background — *Oak Island Nature Trail*

Know before you go

To park at the Oak Island Trailhead, you need the ODFW Wildlife Area permit, $10/day or $30/year. Buy one online. If you don’t have a printer, write the permit information on a piece of paper and put it on your dashboard.
Leashed dogs are welcome on the Oak Island Trail.
The trailhead has a port-a-potty.
The Oak Island Trail is open to hikers from April 16th through September 30th.
The trail gets narrow and it’s hard to avoid brushing up against the plants. Wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. I got a few itchy spots on my arms that lasted for about an hour after my hike.
Cows hang out on the trail. Cow pies are everywhere. Pick your shoes accordingly.

Cows graze in field — *Several of the many cows near the trail*

On the Oak Island Nature Trail

Distance: 2.7-mile loop with a spur

Elevation gain: Minimal

Difficulty: Easy

Pass required: ODFW Wildlife Area Permit

Dog friendly: Yes, leashed dogs are welcome on the trail.

ADA access: No

Season: April 16th to September 30th

The details

The Oak Island Trail starts from a standard-issue Sauvie Island Trailhead: port-a-potty and panel of yellow signs about the rules.

The main trail is straight ahead, but it’s worth making a short detour to see Sturgeon Lake first. Head through the gate to the left labeled Wildlife Refuge. Heads up, the “wildlife” is pretty much all cows.

Gate with sign for wildlife area — *Spur trail to Sturgeon Lake*

A faint trail passes through a field out to the west arm of Sturgeon Lake. The field was full of cows when I visited. Several of them were grazing on the trail. They weren’t thrilled about my arrival, especially with so many calves around, but we worked through it.

Grassy field with faint trail — *Head toward the trees*

The spur trail ends at a tree-lined shore on the west arm of Sturgeon Lake. The names here are a bit misleading. Oak Island is not an island but a peninsula. Sturgeon Lake surrounds it on three sides. The lake has no sturgeon. In all but the wettest months, the shore has a strip of sand under the trees. The only other beachgoers when I visited were cows.

Two calves on lakeshore — *Rough crowd by Sturgeon Lake*

After seeing the lake, head back to the Oak Island Trailhead and take the main trail.

Sign points to nature trail — *Head this way for the loop trail*

A sign at the beginning has a map with interpretative stops. It’s a well-intentioned project that seems to have lost steam at some point. When I scanned one of the QR codes for information, I got an ad for an available domain name.

Sign with map and wildlife painted — *Non-cow animals you might see*

The Oak Island Trail begins on a grassy access road through an oak savanna. Surrounded by open fields, it’s unlike most of the trails near Portland and a good destination when you’re craving sunshine and wide open spaces.

Trail through grass leads to grove of trees — *Oak Island Nature Trail*

After about 0.3 miles, you’ll see a blank yellow sign on a fence. It’s the start of the loop portion of the hike. The return of the loop is subtle. Don’t worry if you walk past it without noticing. Keep going straight past the sign to do the loop clockwise.

Path through field next to fence — *Head straight, keeping left of the sign*

I didn’t see any more cows from here on out, but I know they visit these fields thanks to the abundance of cow pies on the trail. You’ll avoid most but not all. There are just too many. It was nice to start seeing non-cow wildlife at this point in the hike. Ground squirrels scurry across the trail. Songbirds call from the trees. Swallows fly over the grass in the field on your left. Scrub jays flit between fence posts, the least shy of Oak Island’s bird life. Behind the fence is a forest of Oregon white oak and ash.

Scrub jay sits on fence post — *Scrub jay on the fence*

In a little under a mile, you’ll reach a fence crossing the trail. Walk through the gate to the right to continue. I hoped the fence might mean the end of the cow pies. It doesn’t, at least not right away.

Fence on trail in front of trees — *Head through the gate to the right*

A little past the fence, the trail starts curving to the right toward the end of the Oak Island peninsula. Sturgeon Lake forms a slender channel called the Narrows at the north end of Oak Island. You’ll see it through the greenery. If you walk through the brush, you’ll get a view of the water and the mountain peaks in the distance. The easiest access is up ahead, just before the trail turns back toward the south. This stretch of the trail has tons of blackberry bushes. Look for ripe berries around mid-summer.

White flowering plant in front of waterway — *The Narrows at the north end of the Oak Island Loop*

The trail becomes narrow and overgrown at the far end of the loop. Walking through the tall grass made me paranoid about ticks after a childhood spent in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes and infinite ticks. I didn’t find any here.

Grassy trail through the trees — *Oak Island Nature Trail*

Just before the trail turns to head back, you’ll reach the easiest lake access on the hike. A path connects to a thin strip of sand along the Narrows.

Path through greenery ends at lake — *Best lake access*

On a clear day, look for Mount St Helens, Mount Hood, and the tippy top of Mount Adams across the water. If you hike at the end of April or late September, you might see sandhill cranes. Otherwise, watch for ducks, Canadian geese, swans, and herons.

Mount St Helens behind Sturgeon Lake — *Mount St Helens*

The rest of the loop runs parallel to Sturgeon Lake on the east side of Oak Island. It ends at a gate that marks the completion of the loop. Walk through the gate and head left to return to the parking lot.

Getting there

To reach the Oak Island Trailhead from Portland, take US-30 W to the Wapato Bridge and turn right. Follow NW Sauvie Island Rd for 2.2 miles, then turn right onto NW Reeder Rd. In 1.2 miles, continue straight onto NW Oak Island Rd. Drive 4 miles and park in the lot at the end of the road. The last mile is unpaved. It’s bumpy but doable in a low-clearance vehicle. The drive from Portland takes about 35 minutes.

Enjoy your hike at Oak Island!

With love,

Emma