Doetsch Day Use Area & the River

The Doetsch Day Use Area is the riverside part of Beacon Rock State Park, built around a flat, paved 1.2-mile walking path through the old Doetsch family ranch pasture beside the Columbia River. It is the park's ADA-accessible trail, open to walkers and bicycles, with benches and panels on the area's history back to the Ice Age floods. The park's boat launch ($7 a day) and moorage dock, with power and a sewage pump-out, are on the same stretch of river.

Doetsch Walking Path

• Distance: a 1.2-mile loop, nearly flat, with no elevation gain.
• Surface: paved. Washington State Parks lists it as an ADA-accessible interpretive trail.
• Who can use it: walkers and bicycles.
• What you'll see: views of the Columbia River Gorge and the Doetsch Ranch property, with chances for bird watching. Interpretive panels cover natural and human history from the Ice Age floods onward.
• Hours: 8 a.m. to dusk.

The state bought the Doetsch farm in 1987. The purchase included the site of the Indigenous village that Lewis and Clark described in their journals, about a mile downstream from Beacon Rock. Read more on the history page.

River to Rock Connection

The River to Rock Trail links this side of the park to the Beacon Rock Trailhead: 1.5 miles round trip from Moorage Road, past Riddell Lake. See hikes.

Boat Launch and Moorage

• Watercraft launch: $7 for the day, on top of a Discover Pass. Registered campers in the park don't pay it. The launch stays open in winter in the 2026–27 schedule.
• Moorage dock: open, with power and a sewage pump-out. $1 per foot of vessel length (statewide minimum $23), collected from 1 p.m. to 8 a.m.
• Moorage rules: first come, first served; self-register and pay on arrival; up to three consecutive nights.
• Leaving a car overnight at the launch: $10 a night unattended vehicle fee.

Kayaking, Paddleboarding and Windsurfing

Washington State Parks lists kayaking, paddleboarding and windsurfing among the park's activities, and its Portland-area guide suggests paddling out from the Doetsch Day Use Area. This is the main Columbia River, not a lake: check wind and current before you launch, and wear a life jacket.

Fishing

The park page says fishing for sturgeon, salmon, steelhead, bass and walleye is prohibited on the lower Columbia River below Bonneville Dam. Rules on this stretch change often, so read the current Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations before you fish.

Picnicking

The park has reservable kitchen shelters and first-come picnic tables. Weddings above a certain size, company picnics and events with tents, amplified sound or paid vendors need a Special Activity Permit. See plan your visit.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

Good for: strollers and wheelchairs, an easy walk with river views, bike riding with kids, launching a boat or kayak. Maybe skip if you want height and views from above: climb the Beacon Rock Trail or Hamilton Mountain.