Mouth of the Willamette at Kelley Point (bobcat)

Walking the dog, Kelley Point (bobcat)

Cormorants and gulls, Kelley Point (bobcat)

Port terminal on the Willamette, seen from Kelley Point Park (bobcat)

The loop around Hayden Bay to Lotus Isle (bobcat)

• Start point: Jantzen Street Trailhead
• End point: Lotus Isle Park
• Trail Log:
• Hike Type: Loop
• Distance: 2.5 miles
• Elevation gain: 10 feet
• High Point: 25 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Seasons: All
• Family Friendly: Yes
• Backpackable: No
• Crowded: No

Hike Description

On a warm, sunny day, doing this riverfront stroll, you might think you are in Florida or the Riviera. The outing takes you on a series of private paths, open to the public with some restrictions, that skirt the condos and marinas of East Hayden and Tomahawk Islands on the Columbia River’s Friendly Reach. Looping back, you’ll take leafy Tomahawk Drive and mull a piece of Portland’s Great Depression history, the ill-fated Lotus Isle Amusement Park, the largest in the city, but trashed by mismanagement, fire, and the rampages of the legendary Tusko, the “meanest” of all circus elephants.

From your parking spot on Jantzen Street, cross Hayden Island Drive to the Red Lion Hotel and walk around its east wing to pick up a paved path at the waterfront. Take in the views back to the Interstate Bridge and across the Friendly Reach to Vancouver. Larch Mountain and Mount Hood loom straight ahead as you gaze east. Willows line the riprap barrier below. You will pass along the front of the fancy Waterside Condos and then see a boat moorage to your left. You will pass a couple more condo complexes before heading in along the yacht harbor in Hayden Bay, the home to the Columbia Point Yacht Club. Look for the resident Canada geese here. Pass a small pool and the Hayden Bay Condominiums. Keep on the trail as it circles around the marina, passing a tie trail that leads out to Tomahawk Island Drive.

Finally, the trail heads in to a cul-de-sac on Lotus Beach Drive. Walk down this quiet drive behind some of the waterfront condos and turn right to reach Tomahawk Island Drive. Go right on Tomahawk and keep to the shaded sidewalk. Soon, you need to cross the street to the sidewalk on the other side. Pass the gated parking area for the floating homes on North Portland Harbor and reach Lotus Isle Park.

There’s a play area here and a paved path that leads out on a small peninsula shaded by pines and cottonwoods. From, here you can get vistas to the floating homes of North Portland Harbor. The remains of a trestle can be seen from the east side of the promontory. The trestle once supported the street car line to Lotus Isle, once Portland’s largest amusement park. The street car came to the entrance of the park, where the floating home parking lot now is. East of here on Tomahawk Island was the glittering attraction of Lotus Isle, with its 100-foot neon Eiffel Tower, a “scenic” mountain railroad, the oriental-style Peacock Ballroom, a bulldog-themed bumper car structure, a wooden roller coaster, and a bath house. This gaudy attraction, which had competition from another amusement park across the way in Jantzen Beach, only lasted from 1930 – 32 and the final nail in the coffin was when Tusko, the park’s large and ornery bull elephant got buzzed by a stunt plane, broke his chains, and ran amok, destroying several buildings (This only added to Tusko’s criminal record as he had previously stampeded through Sedro Woolley, Washington, on another rampage).

After reflecting on this important chapter of Portland’s history, keeping head west on Tomahawk until you get to Hayden Island Fire Station #17. Cross Tomahawk here and walk up Jantzen Beach Avenue, passing the Oxford Suites, turn left on Hayden Island Drive, and in one block, reach Jantzen Street and your car.

Fees, Regulations, etc.

• Pets on leash; pick up after your dog
• Open sunrise to sunset
• No bicycles or skateboards

Maps

Trip Reports

• Search Trip Reports for Hayden Bay Loop Hike

Related Discussions / Q&A

• Search Trail Q&A for Hayden Bay Loop Hike

Guidebooks that cover this hike

• Peaceful Places: Portland by Paul Gerald

More Links

• Lotus Isle Park (Portland Parks & Recreation)
• Tomahawk Island, Oregon (The Columbia River: A Photographic Journey)
• Lotus Isle (PdxHistory.com)
• Lotus Isle, Oregon’s most surreal amusement park, was a shakedown gone wrong (McKenzie River Reflections)
• Tusko the elephant rampages through Sedro-Woolley on May 15, 1922 (HistoryLink)

Contributors

• bobcat (creator)