Arlington & Threemile Canyon

ArlingtonThreemile Canyon

1. Arlington

   waves · cross

   Arlington is an eastern-Gorge swell launch on the Oregon bank of the Columbia, at the small port town of the same name.

   advancedtight rigging room

   In seasonMar to May, Sep to Nov

   1. JanJ10
   2. FebF25
   3. Mar, riders' monthM31
   4. Apr, riders' monthA33
   5. May, riders' monthM39
   6. JunJ35
   7. JulJ39
   8. AugA26
   9. Sep, riders' monthS28
   10. Oct, riders' monthO11
   11. Nov, riders' monthN15
   12. DecD6

   modelled: days with three hours in a row at 12 kt or more, between 06:00 and 19:00 local

   Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov.

   Arlington: the long version, the launch and the rules

   More on Arlington

   It works when the weather west of The Dalles is cool and grey with rain in it, which usually means spring and autumn rather than midsummer. The westerly blows against a moderate to strong current and stands up long glassy swell rated large to extra-large; this is a swell-riding and jumping spot, not a place to cruise. The launch is rock straight into that swell, and for kiting it is experts-only; when the waves break into the main entry there is a back way in. Getting out again has three options, the safest being behind the breakwater into the sheltered boat launch. The Arlington sensor reads noticeably higher than the western Gorge stations, so calibrate before you drive: 30 mph at Swell City is closer to 35-37 here. Access and parking are free, there are flush toilets, and the port runs an RV park. Roosevelt, straight across the river on the Washington side, is the friendlier launch on the same wind.

   Getting on the water

   Rocky launch on the Arlington waterfront next to the port marina, dropping straight into the swell. When it is windy enough that the swell is breaking into the main launch there is a back way in. Parking is free and there are flush toilets and RV camping at the port.

   If it goes wrong

   Nothing organised. Three ways out of the water: behind the breakwater into the sheltered boat launch is the safe one, a cove the windsurfers use when the swell is running is the second, and the third is a scramble up rocks past the grain silos. The 9-mile downwinder in from Blalock Canyon has no road access between launch and takeout, so a breakdown means a long walk out along the railroad tracks. Carry self-rescue gear and be able to swim.

   Rules and access

   2026: the Arlington launch and its parking are free and no kite-specific restriction has been found. Camping at the Port of Arlington RV Park costs $50 a night for a full hook-up and $20 for a tent or dry site, $200 a week or $650 a month by reservation only, paid in cash or by cheque into the envelope box at the pay station east of the port office within 30 minutes of setting up. The office answers Monday to Friday 08:00-17:00, closed 12:00-13:00, on (541) 705-2004. Dogs are allowed on a lead and must not be left tied outside an unattended camp. Transient moorage in 2026 is $20 a day for boats up to 30 ft and $30 a day above that.

   Everything on Arlington

2. Threemile Canyon

   mixed · cross

   Threemile Canyon is a Corps of Engineers park on the Oregon bank of the Columbia, a mile off I-84 and roughly halfway between Arlington and Boardman, at the far eastern end of the Gorge wind corridor.

   intermediateadvancedok rigging room

   In seasonMay to Sep

   1. JanJ11
   2. FebF25
   3. MarM26
   4. AprA32
   5. May, riders' monthM37
   6. Jun, riders' monthJ33
   7. Jul, riders' monthJ40
   8. Aug, riders' monthA26
   9. Sep, riders' monthS27
   10. OctO11
   11. NovN13
   12. DecD8

   modelled: days with three hours in a row at 12 kt or more, between 06:00 and 19:00 local

   Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.

   Threemile Canyon: the long version, the launch and the rules

   More on Threemile Canyon

   Thermal westerlies blow up the river almost every day from May to September against a moderate-to-strong downstream current, and the result is swell: small to medium on the Oregon side, much bigger on the Washington side, biggest and steepest about half a mile upwind. That swell is the entire reason to come. The kite launch is sketchy and the site is rated intermediate to expert; the shoreline is boulders and sagebrush, not sand. It also works as a downwind takeout run from Blalock or Arlington, and picking that takeout out from the water is hard, because it is rock-strewn and easy to overshoot. Camping in the gravel lot is free, there is a vault toilet and a hand pump, and in warm weather the gnats and mosquitoes swarm. Nobody is coming to get you, since no road reaches the river between Blalock and Arlington.

   Getting on the water

   Threemile Canyon Park, an Army Corps of Engineers site a mile off I-84 down an easy gravel road, roughly halfway between Arlington and Boardman. A large gravel lot runs along the water with a boat ramp and dock; there is no groomed beach, just sagebrush, gravel and rocky shoreline. The kite launch itself is sketchy. The park doubles as a downwind takeout, and that takeout is full of boulders and hard to pick out from the water, so mark a landmark before you commit.

   If it goes wrong

   None. There are no road access points along the river between Blalock and Arlington, and beyond Arlington it stays isolated. Self-rescue skills are assumed here, not optional.

   Rules and access

   Free to use and free to camp (2025). Corps of Engineers land: pack in and pack out, no bins, no campfires, and the posted season runs 1 April to 31 October although the site is reachable year-round. The maximum stay is given as 7 days in some 2025 documentation and 14 days in other 2025 documentation, so treat the shorter figure as binding until a sign says otherwise. A treaty fishing access site of the same name exists on this stretch of the Columbia, reserved for the exclusive use of fishers from the CRITFC member tribes; check on the ground which lot and ramp you are on before rigging.

   Everything on Threemile Canyon

Kite bag rules for your airline

Type the carrier you are flying: what it charges for a kite bag, and the year of the policy that says so.

Known for USA:Southwest AirlinesDelta / American / United

Every carrier, with limits and what riders report at the counter →

1. Threemile gets more rider love than Arlington for kiting, but the launch still scares people: solo launches, sagebrush, snakes, and current are the repeated cautions.

   consensus×5 riders

2. Arlington is treated like a big-air, big-swell Gorge launch for people who already know what they are doing, not a casual stop for average kiters.

   consensus×4 riders

3. The reward is real when it is on: riders talk about flat water in the lagoon, big smooth swell outside, and long reaches rather than a crowded social beach.

   majority×4 riders

4. Camping and access are basic but cheap; that is part of the draw, and also why people mention bathrooms, remote services, and late-night campground behavior rather than resort comfort.

   majority×3 riders

What we could not settle. Ride here? These are the gaps worth filling.

• Is 'Arlington & Threemile Canyon' the name riders actually use for this area?