Sandy River Delta: National Scenic Area 25 Minutes from Portland

Sandy River Delta Park is a perfect nature retreat that is close to town and a haven offering kids a way to enjoy the outdoors. It has an extensive trail system ideal for hiking and biking. Kids of all ages can enjoy this park. It serves as a wonderful nature getaway for older kids to practice riding their mountain bike, design their own hikes, explore the different types of plants and small wildlife while playing in the Sandy River. It’s also perfect for younger kids and babies in carriers to take a break from more stimulating activities and observe the shuddering leaves and the shadows they cast on the trail, the swaying grasses, tall shrubs and the twinkling water in the sun.

All trails except one (Confluence Trail) are available for well-behaved off-leash dogs, however this “leash only” rule for the Confluence trail is rarely followed. The trails vary in size and material, but in general they are either small-pebbled gravel or dirt and are wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side comfortably.

The trails offer a wonderful mix of shade through groves of trees, sunny grassy meadows and high shrubs. This is not the place to bring your fair-weathered stroller. If you must bring a stroller for your kiddos, use a durable stroller that can tolerate some bumps and stick to the larger trails. There are five official trails that are connected so multiple combinations of loops are available for all types of hikes. This is definitely a “choose-your-own-adventure” type of place, so get the kids involved in designing their own routes.

Several river access points along the trails allow for a break to play or swim in the Sandy River, which, as its name suggests, is amazingly soft and sandy in most areas. Bring an inflatable raft and gear to play with in the water and sand, just be prepared to hike about a mile in with it. There are some parts of the river that do have a small current so keep a close eye on the smaller children and those who are not yet strong swimmers. The water is generally shallow with a gradual decline to deeper areas but could quickly become too deep for smaller kids. 

Kids will enjoy listening to the many different types of bird songs and watching the dogs playing and swimming in the river. It’s a perfect place for parents to test out those backpacking kid carriers to make sure they’re going to work out for that upcoming backpacking trip!

The trails on the east end of the park are clearly marked with trail names; however, the west side of the park lacks trail names and signs. Despite the poor signage, the trails are obvious, heavily trafficked and lead to one of the largest and sandiest river access points. The signs that do exist in this area direct you to the river access, so don’t hesitate to explore this part of the park!

There is a generous parking lot with spaces available for vehicles with trailers. Be mindful not to park your car in one of these oversized spots because you will likely get a ticket! For overflow, there is parking along the access road that has a large dirt shoulder to safely park on.

There are two composting toilets on-site, but no running water or changing tables. Bring your hand sanitizer and travel diaper changing pads. Summer weekends can get busy but the park is so large that it’s still possible to have that nature getaway experience, especially in parts of the park that are not near the river.

Gates are open the following hours: 

• Oct 1 - Nov 2:  6 AM - 8PM
• Nov 3 - Mar 8: 6 AM - 6 PM
• Mar 9 - May 31: 6 AM -  8 PM
• Jun 1 - Sep 30: 6 AM - 10 PM