Windance | West Coast Guide | Sailing

Roosevelt
On Washington side, about 33 miles east of Maryhill on SR 14.
Back to Gorge Sailing Sites

Skill Level: 5-10	Amenities: Grass rigging, picnicking, camping, washrooms, kids swing sets, small store at exit, boat ramp and dock. Dogs are allowed.
Sailing conditions:	Moderate to strong winds, best in spring, small chop and rollers, the inside on the Oregon side has stronger winds and good waves.	pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppphoto by Jim Haun
Rigging area:	Grassy area.	photo by Steve Hamman
Launch:	Sandy cove, light inside (might have to swim out to the wind)	photo by Steve Hamman
Parking:	Paved lot (fills up quickly), sandy parking & free camping
Extras:
Warnings and hazards:	Standard Safety Tips \| Gorge Safety Tips Site specific: Watch out for unseen rocks to the right of the cove.
Directions to get there:	Take I-84 to Biggs exit and cross to Washington go straight to Hwy 14 at the top of the hill & stop sign turn right driving east for @ 35 miles to Roosevelt turn right down to Roosevelt park.
Site owner:	U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Site liaison:	Randy Brich, Mr.rb@worldnet.att.net
Events planned for this site:
Comments and news about this site:	Roosevelt Park is the one of the most popular sailing site in the eastern part of the Columbia Gorge. The shady park setting is on the Washington side of the river just west of the town of Roosevelt, Washington. Drive about 135 miles east of Portland, Oregon, or about 75 miles southwest of Tri-Cities, Washington in the summer and you will find the green park in the midst of a brown desert setting. Or if you are doing a down winder from the Pacific Ocean, the park is located at River Mile 242. The sailing conditions here are varied with fairly flat water on the Washington side and nice eastern Gorge swell on the Oregon side with intermediate chop in between. Recent History of Roosevelt Park: The park is owned by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). In recent years volunteer care-taking has played a major role in maintaining the park. 1988-1991 - The Sundale Orchard Volunteer Fire Department kept the sprinklers going and maintained the lawn. 1992 - The Sundale Orchards were sold. The impact of that sale was felt when the park sprinkler system was not maintained. In the winter the system froze and developed several leaks. When the summer heat started to build the park was rapidly reverting back to a desert. Tim Montgomery of Montgomery Construction Sprinkler Systems, Richland, Washington kept the park from blowing away by replacing the control box and several valves, heads, and other equipment. The cost of some of the materials for the sprinkler repair were picked up by Steve Schmidt of Spokane. 1993-1995 - Volunteer help from local Roosevelt townspeople and Tri-City area sailors continued to support the park. Forrest Stewart and Randy Brich hauled in railroad ties and replaced the front row bumpers of the parking lot. Tim Montgomery continued to provide major support to the park by additional sprinkler repair, informal beach and park cleanup, tree trimming, and gazebo repair and painting. 1996 - Further major improvements to the park took place. The USACE, under the leadership of Park Ranger Larry South, was able to get the sewer line fixed, which allowed the bathrooms to be reopened. The concrete-encased PVC sewer line had melted during a grass fire in the late 1980's. The first Roosevelt Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association (CGWA) work party was organized by Randy Brich of Richland. Together with Fred Noble and Chuck Langley, windsurfers from the Hood River, The Dalles, and Portland join those from the eastern Gorge to tackle park improvements. CGWA volunteers performed heroic feats above and beyond the call of duty by cleaning out the bathrooms and showers with a power spray unit hauled in from The Dalles. The park now has a functioning restroom facility. Another significant event was the arrival of Fred Bauer, who lives at the park as a full-time caretaker. Fred works for Coyote Irrigation, and his presence makes a big difference at the park by keeping things maintained on a daily basis. 1997 Activities at Roosevelt Park - Larry South and the USACE continue to do a fine job maintaining the park. Fred Bauer of Coyote Irrigation continues to live at the park and maintain a daily presence. He also does routine maintenance such as painting the bathroom facility. On June 7th, Randy Brich organized another volunteer work party that was a smashing success. Sixty-five people showed up from all over the Northwest. There was a tremendous amount of work done with all those strong backs. Volunteers: dug holes and set dozens of railroad ties north of the parking lot, cleared a large patch of brush from the east end of the park, picked the existing beach clean of weeds, sanded and painted the tables in the gazebos, dug a trench and laid down 500 feet of sprinkler pipe west of the parking lot, and planted 150 Poplar trees along the pipe. Tim Montgomery of Montgomery Construction Irrigation Systems, Richland, Washington was again a major contributor to the effort by donating the materials for the sprinkler addition. Dan Spanner organized the hybrid Poplar tree planting sponsored by CGWA while Forrest Stewart donated the paint for the gazebo tables and chairs. Mercer Ranch, Alderdale, Washington also donated repair material for the leaky 4-inch main irrigation line, which was repaired by Matt and Larry Skrdla while on vacation from Kearney, Nebraska. Fred Noble of CGWA Access also did his normal great job of representing CGWA, providing coffee and donuts from Taco Time, handing out free Cliff Bars, holding a raffle, keeping track of who was there, offering money for more park improvement, etc, etc. Not only was the work party a success, but the pot luck lunch featuring delicious Weber smoked turkey, arranged by Jeff and Maggie Johnson, culminated the organized event. Finally, the wind gods smiled on everyone with a solid 4.0 west wind arriving in mid-afternoon, giving everyone a chance to stretch their tired working muscles on the water. Future Plans for Roosevelt Park The USACE Portland District Office is in the design stage for the In Lieu Treaty Fishing Access Site (ILTFAS) that will be located between the existing park and old ferry landing. Construction of the ILTFAS is anticipated in 1998. Once completed, a fence will delineate the boundaries of the ILTFAS and access will be controlled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal governments. That means that sometime in the near future (the next year or two) we will probably lose the overflow parking that now exists to the west of the park. Construction of the additional overflow parking, located east of the existing lot, is scheduled to begin in early to mid-September. If you have any news about this sailing site, or corrections or additions for this page, please email us at windance@windance.com.

Windance 108 Hwy. 35, Hood River, OR 97031
800: 1-800-574-4020
Direct: 541-386-2131

Email Us