Location: East side of the Willamette River, just south of Hawthorne Bridge along the Eastbank Esplanade.  

Access: Bike or walk along east esplanade to the Audrey McCall Beach cove. Ample free street parking on SE Madison and nearby streets. A paid lot is adjacent to the Eastbank Esplanade at the Station 21 Fire House. Bike parking is available at the top of the riverbank on the north side of the Hawthorne Bridge. TriMet Hawthorne Bus 14 has a stop on the Hawthorne Bridge for an easy walk to the beach. 

Lowdown: Audrey McCall Beach is a cove with a semi-rocky beach that has easy gradual access into the river. This beach features great views of downtown and is a good spot for sunset viewing. The Central Eastside District is within walking distance with many shops, cafes and restaurants. OMSI is adjacent to Audrey McCall Beach. 

You can also enter the water from the Holman Dock (slated to be replaced in 2023) where kayakers, canoes, and standup paddleboards often launch. Note, the water depth from the dock is 20+ feet deep and is only suitable for advanced level swimmers who feel very comfortable in the water.  

Please be respectful of the Dragon Boaters if you swim and hang out on the dock. Don’t use their anchored boats as storage for your personal belongings (or trash) and stay out of the way of any crew teams carrying their boats. Let’s all be courteous as we share this space. 

HAP’s role: Over several years of work, HAP removed over 200 tons of concrete, cables, and debris from the area, slowly but surely revealing a nice beach. HAP successfully advocated for $300,000 of funding for a plan to create a public beach at the site. Audrey McCall Beach (named for the wife of Governor Tom McCall) officially opened July 5, 2019. HAP is actively working with a number of stakeholders to improve access to Audrey McCall Beach and add sand - stay tuned!

Safety: Beach suitable for intermediate swimmers and children with close supervision. Minimal current, with gradual slope that goes down to 10-15 ft. deep around 50 feet from shore. Because of the depth of water at the adjacent dock, the dock is only recommended for advanced swimmers.