Government Island

When Lewis and Clark camped here on their way to the Pacific in November 1805, there were actually three islands separated by narrow channels. They named the largest Diamond Island for its shape. The Columbia River is constantly at work, reshaping the landscape through which it flows, and by the time the U.S. government took over the island to graze cattle it in 1850, there were only two islands. The renamed Government Island had taken its current form as one island when the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey mapped it in 1902. It is perhaps only a matter of time until it merges yet again with nearby McGuire and Lemon Islands. Government Island was formerly owned by the Port of Portland and Metro Regional Parks and Greenspaces. The Port intended to build another runway for nearby Portland International Airport when it acquired the island in 1969. The plan was shelved and the island is now maintained as open space. As it was in Lewis and Clark’s time, the island is popular with geese, ducks, and other waterfowl. The island is also popular with boaters. Under lease from the Port, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department maintains recreation facilities, including two docks, a floating tie-up, and a free, primitive campground. Fifteen miles of accessible shoreline are inviting to paddlers, but entry to the interior of the island is restricted.