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Sand Island St. Helens Campground is located just 25 minutes from Portland, Oregon and Longview, Washington. This 31.7 acre offshore overnight camping experience offers docks, nature trails, beaches, picnic tables, campsites, restrooms, kayak connections, water adventure rides and more. This brand new camping facility is fun for the entire family and sure to become a frequent camping destination.
Upon arrival for overnight stays first check in at the St. Helens Marina. Our courtesy shuttle will unload your gear and take you to the parking lot for your vehicle and bring you back to the marina.
Once you arrive on the island via our boat shuttle our staff on the island will take you to your campsite and even take your gear to your campsite with our speedy people mover. Each overnight camping group is offered this free shuttle to and from the St. Helens, Marina daily. Overnight guests can receive a phone number for late night check in if you plan to arrive after 5 p.m. Please ask for this in your booking description area online. Bathrooms are on the island, showers are a 3 minute shuttle ride to the main land.
The island offers spectacular views of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State and Mt. Hood in Oregon State plus stunning river views. Huge commercial ships will take your breath away as they grace the river on the east side of the island. The sandy beach point is a wonderful place to take it all in. Horseshoes, corn hole, and other games are available to check out and enjoy. Pets in your control are welcome as long as you clean up after them and do not disrupt other guests.
A dog that barks at strangers or just because…will be politely asked to go home. A peaceful experience is our goal for all guests. Additionally, the island is just a shuttle ride away to the City of St. Helens river front district complete with lovely dining experiences, fun shopping, buying souvenirs at local gift shops or at the famous 2 C’s Vendor Mall. You can even take in a movie at the historic Columbia Theater or savor a wonderful cocktail or craft beer if the mood hits you.
35 minutes out of downtown Portland. West on hwy 30, to the first stop light in St Helens, which is Gable road. (Walmart on your right!). Turn right on Gable and go 2 and a half miles all the way down to the river. Go thru the stop sign, and take a left on River St, and the marina and launching ramp are at the end of river st.. Go to the launching ramp to unload your gear, and then we will help you park your car, and get your gear to the island, and then to your campsite. St Helens Marina is 134 N River St.
It's a lovely island with beautiful views. You can get the shuttle across between 8am and 8pm. Access all hours if you have a boat.
I’m not much of a camper and it had been about 5 years since my last camping trip. Got invited to camp with friends recently and was intrigued by the fact that it was on an island, so I agreed to go.
Was really impressed with the layout of the campsites. Grounds were clean and it was nice to have firewood delivered straight to your site. The transport was quick and easy. Andrew was extremely accommodating and was very responsive whenever we needed to get back and forth. Looking forward to returning at least one more time this summer.
Great concept but not very well executed. Went here for the camping experience. You get a few minutes of a shuttle boat to get to the island, and then you get assisted with all your stuff to your campground. I stayed with the family at the end of the island, there were only a couple of people staying so that was great or so we thought. Although the people who ran the campsite were nice, the place is poorly run. The bathroom was very dirty, and garbage had not been picked up for a while. We were warned beforehand that there was wildlife on the island, which is no problem, especially if you camped plenty of times before. The experience was completely ruined when we all went to bed. The campsite was completely overwhelmed with raccoons. They destroyed the entire camp. As much as we tried to secure things and even put extra things in the tents, they ate through pretty much everything we had outside, keeping in mind there was nowhere else to put anything since your vehicle is on the mainland. We woke up to the entire camp trashed out. It was a very difficult experience, especially since we had kids and the raccoon were fairly persistent and very loud. I personally will never go back, I recommend checking other campsites nearby beforehand. This place has a good score, but I don't understand how since it's very understaffed and dirty. Go at your own risk.
What a fun place to hang out! Great island, well setup for campers and boaters alike. Shuttle runs back and forth from the mainland.
