A couple of weeks ago, it was such a nice sunny day Perrie and I abandoned the backup of housework and homework and headed out to Sauvie Island for walk and some geocaching. It was a pretty arbitrary choice, but it turned out to be perfect. After driving to the very end of the road at the north end of the island—about 15 miles from the bridge—we parked and set out on the 3-mile walk to the north-most tip of the island. (More people choose to boat to the island from St. Helens.)

It was a great walk along a mostly flat and well-cleared trail through the trees alongside the Columbia River. Lots of birds to see, and not too many other people. At the end of the island, sure enough, there was the lighthouse! From there you can also see the marina in St. Helens, Sand Island, and where the Lewis River flows into the Columbia, not to mention dozens of fishermen enjoying a nice afternoon on the river.

The original lighthouse at Warrior Point was built in 1889. It was replaced in 1930 and electrified around the same time. Just 28 feet tall, it is the smallest lighthouse in Oregon and apparently one of just two not on the Pacific Coast (anyone know what the other one is?). The keeper’s house burned down sometime in the 1990s; just the basement, fireplace and chimney remain, although there appears to be some recent construction started on the site.