Collins Beach near Portland is one of the two most popular nude beaches in the entire Pacific Northwest, sharing the top spot with Rooster Rock Beach, which is located 47 miles to the southeast. Both beaches are situated on the majestic Columbia River and both have official signage designating them as clothing optional. Collins Beach is often referred to simply by the land mass on which it is located, Sauvie Island, a river island formed by three waterways: the Columbia River, the Willamette River and the Multnomah Channel of the Willamette River. The northeast portion of the island is where you'll find Collins, which stretches along the Columbia and is backed by a band of forest. Collins Beach is crowded with several hundred visitors on warm weekends and draws considerable crowds on weekdays as well. Most visitors go naked.

Collins Beach is about one mile long, and there are six numbered access trails that are spaced at varying intervals (500 to 1,000 feet) along the southern two-thirds of the beach. All these accesses are short trails through the woods that connect the long parking area to the beach, so you will not have to do much walking from where you park. Trail #1 lands at the beach just south of the southern boundary of the clothing-optional zone, so if you take it you will have to turn left (facing the river) and walk just a few minutes to reach the start of the nude area. All the other trails go directly to the nude area. The most popular part of the beach is the stretch of about 1,000 feet between Trail #2 and Trail #3. This is a very social part of the beach where there are volleyballs courts, and most families with children who visit the beach tend to congregate in this vicinity. Parts of the beach accessed from Trails #4, #5 and #6 are less crowded, and many small boats dock just off the beach along this area. Beyond Trail #6, the clothing-optional zone extends northward another 1/3 mile, and the northern boundary is signed. The far northern end of the nude beach, beyond a jetty, is popular with gay men. (The jetty north of Trail #6 is one of two jetties along the nude beach. The other is between Trail #4 and Trail #5.)

Collins Beach differs from Rooster Rock—Portland's other nude beach—in three key ways. First of all, Collins has a very wide area of sand, whereas Rooster Rock has just a sliver. Thus, social activities like volleyball occur at Collins, and Collins has a more social atmosphere overall, especially in the area around Trails #2 and #3. Secondly, Collins tends to be warmer than Rooster Rock since it does not get the cold winds that frequently blow through the Columbia Gorge. Finally, Collins draws more of a mixed crowd (and more visitors overall), whereas Rooster Rock is mostly gay.

There are portable toilets in the parking area, but there are no garbage cans, so plan to pack out your trash. There is a 10 p.m. curfew. Make sure you purchase a parking permit and display it in your windshield (see the blue car placemark). Otherwise, you will be ticketed. Be aware that the road through the parking area continues to a few private residences that are beyond the nude beach. Although it is just a short trek through the trees from parking to the beach, resist any temptation to strip down at your car as this could generate complaints from those who pass through. In accordance with posted regulations, nudity should occur only on the beach.

Oregon Clothing-Optional Beach Alliance website

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GPS: 45.7845N, 122.7844W

city, county, state, country  Portland*, Columbia, Oregon, U.S.A.
    * nearest town is in a different county

classification  1 (freely nude)

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