Location: West bank of river just south of Hawthorne Bridge. 

Access: Take transit, bike, or walk to grass bowl fronting the river. Smart Park at SW 1st and Jefferson is an easy place to park. 

Lowdown: This is where Waterfront Blues Festival and The Big Float beach party is held. It has a rocky bank with sand and gravel shoreline and an easy grade into the river. Tom McCall Bowl Beach is adjacent to downtown and the Better Naito Bike lane. It is within walking distance of all of downtown’s many shops, cafes and restaurants. This is a popular spot for dogs, many of which play fetch in the river. Please do always pick up after your pets.

HAP’s role: For years, HAP has held cleanup events here where volunteers gather to “unrock the beach”.

Safety: This beach has a fair amount of sharper angular rock below the water surface which can sometimes be hard to see. It is very important to always wear river shoes at all river sites but particularly at this beach.