Broughton Beach Park — Attraction in Portland

Broughton Beach Park is a large, Metro owned property along the south shore of the Columbia River. It has a large boat ramp and lots of parking for casual users. There is a fee for parking (I use an annual pass so can't remember how much the daily fee is.) It can be pretty busy there on a nice day -- lots of people walking their dogs, letting them play in the water, and generally enjoying a beach experience. I usually wait until the weather is pretty inclement so I can have the place pretty much to myself. There is a nice path which goes from the parking lot towards the east and provides a nice walk along the river. It is near the flight path at the west end of the airport runway so low flying planes are part of the deal. All told, I like Broughton Beach -- it's near my home, it's well maintained, if I pick the right day it's not crowded, and there are usually some interesting birds to be seen...

Broughton Beach is a poorly managed by Metro. The beach east of the parking area is an important stopover for migrating birds, especially shorebirds, that are declining in numbers. There is no enforcement of leash laws in effect and I’ve witnessed dog owners throwing balls or sticks directly toward birds to displace them. Creating a safe stopover for birds breeding in the attic is just as important as maintaining land where they breed in the arctic.

There’s also trash everywhere; anything from leftover wrappers or soda cups from someone’s lounge day on the beach to large chunks of styrofoam, furniture, old tires and everything in between. The habitat here supports the vulnerable streaked Horned Lark, but I haven’t seen any or reports of any for a few years now.

I have called about other Metro areas and always get the run around. It is disappointing.

Bathrooms are locked, so they have...

I really enjoy running the Marine Drive trail. It's 12.5 miles (from I-205 intersection to Kelley Point Park) along the Columbia River with minimal automobile traffic crossing and fantastic views all the way! Not a lot of runners or cyclists either so it feels really open and meditative.

You can watching big birds taking off and landing at the airport, or boat houses near Hayden Island. Kelley Point park is an awesome place to have lunch (if you ride), or you can turn towards Kenton and the city at I-5 intersection.

Here are some photos from near the Broughton Beach Park! The airport looks rather idle during...