Sauvie Island, 15 km northwest of Portland on the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, is Portland's closest escape into genuine countryside. The southern part of the island is private farmland — pick-your-own pumpkins and strawberries in season, farm stands throughout summer — while the northern half is Sauvie Island Wildlife Area, with walking trails, seasonal bird watching (sandhill cranes and tundra swans in autumn), and several accessible beaches on the Columbia River.
Collins Beach on the north end of the island is Portland's main clothing-optional beach, and is well known locally. The Warrior Rock Lighthouse at the island's tip is a 5-mile round trip walk through cottonwood forest. A parking permit is required for the wildlife area (available from island shops). Access by car via the bridge off US 30 takes about 20 minutes from downtown Portland; there is no practical public transport.