Location: 4536 NE Marine Drive on south bank of Columbia River near PDX airport.

Access: Bike or drive to large parking lot on Marine Drive, just east of the Sextant Bar along the Columbia River.  Broughton beach can be accessed by bike from the Marine drive Trail (40 Mile Loop Trail)

Lowdown: Across from Portland International Airport, Broughton Beach provides a clean, safe place to access the Columbia River. You can swim, sunbathe, picnic, and walk this wide beach for over a mile (wear river shoes when swimming or walking the beach). There’s not much current and it’s a gradual entry into the river. A bike path extends along the beach for miles and on clear days you get a terrific view of Mt. Hood.

With jets flying overhead, it’s not exactly a quiet place, but it has more beach area than any other site around. Columbia Riverkeeper volunteers monitor habitat and conditions at this site from June-September. Ample parking is available at a cost of $5 per vehicle per day. There is only one entrance to the parking lot. Look for the M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp sign.

Safety: The Columbia River here is relatively calm with not much current. Easy for all ages to enter the river and play, with great visibility all along the river. But don’t get too far out. Watch for boats and debris.