Nearby Stevenson, WA 32 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
The wind
locals call it easterly
Direction
Character
synoptic
Typical strength
Winter wind can average 25-40 mph. Average speeds over 40 mph are not unheard of, and gusts over 60 mph have been reported.
Thermal or synoptic
synoptic Gorge easterly pressure-gradient wind
Direction to shore
The bank at the wind-sport launch runs about WSW-ENE with the river on its north side, so the easterly comes in side-shore with roughly twenty degrees of offshore lean. It blows down the river, away from the beach, and the current runs the same way. The light summer westerly is the mirror image, side-shore with a slight onshore lean.These angles are read off the mapped water edge at the launch, not from a local rider's label.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month35
- Feb, riders' month19
- Mar, riders' month3
- Apr5
- May0
- Jun0
- Jul0
- Aug5
- Sep, riders' month5
- Oct, riders' month15
- Nov, riders' month17
- Dec, riders' month37
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
- 35%Jan
- 19%Feb
- 3%Mar
- 5%Apr
- 0%May
- 0%Jun
- 0%Jul
- 5%Aug
- 5%Sep
- 15%Oct
- 17%Nov
- 37%Dec
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35% | 61% | 56% | 12.1 kt | ENE | 13:00 | 5.1°C | 62 |
| Feb | 19% | 42% | 30% | 9.8 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 5.4°C | 57 |
| Mar | 3% | 27% | 23% | 9.4 kt | SW | 13:00 | 7.3°C | 62 |
| Apr | 5% | 25% | 10% | 8.4 kt | SW | 16:00 | 8.9°C | 60 |
| May | 0% | 10% | 2% | 7.1 kt | NW | 16:00 | 13.4°C | 62 |
| Jun | 0% | 3% | 2% | 7 kt | NW | 16:00 | 16.7°C | 60 |
| Jul | 0% | 0% | 0% | 6.5 kt | NW | 16:00 | 21.5°C | 62 |
| Aug | 5% | 10% | 6% | 7.1 kt | NW | 15:00 | 21.9°C | 62 |
| Sep | 5% | 12% | 5% | 7.2 kt | NW | 15:00 | 18.4°C | 60 |
| Oct | 15% | 24% | 21% | 8.2 kt | E | 13:00 | 14.1°C | 62 |
| Nov | 17% | 43% | 33% | 10 kt | E | 12:00 | 7.2°C | 60 |
| Dec | 37% | 68% | 58% | 12.4 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 5.9°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
river
Standing depth
A large sandbar sits off the launch and the water drops off sharply at its edge, near the big tripod. At higher river levels the bar is submerged and easy to catch on the way in or in a turn.Depth follows the river level rather than any fixed profile, so the walk out changes between autumn low water and spring.
Tides
The ocean tide still reaches this far up the Columbia, and this is the last sailing site upriver that feels it: the level can move by around 2 ft in a day. Seasonal river flow matters more. It sets the length of the sand walk, the width of the beach and how hard the current runs.
Temperature
21°C summer · 4°C winter
Wetsuit
October and November are the best months for water temperature, above the 50s F. December runs in the 40s F and January in the high 30s F, so winter sessions need serious cold-water protection.
Currents
Moderate to strong, running downriver in the same direction as the easterly, and hardest in spring and around the sandbar. You have to keep pointing the kite to hold position instead of drifting.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: grassy rigging plus broad sand, strongly affected by river level
Somewhere else
Stevenson, WA, 32 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Rig on the grass at the Rooster Rock and Iwash wind-sport launch, then walk the sand to the Columbia River. At low river levels that walk can be a couple hundred yards or more.
Space
grassy rigging plus broad sand, strongly affected by river level
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Check the river level as well as the wind before you drive: it changes both the walk and the current.
- Do not underestimate the water in winter: 40s F in December, high 30s F in January.
- Treat a big easterly forecast as advanced or expert-only.
- Find the downwind pilings and your exit before you launch.
- Rig at the wind-sport launch; the clothing-optional beach is farther east.
- Do not size off the same numbers you would use in a west wind. Here the current runs with the easterly, so you need more power to hold your ground upwind.
- Weight your gear down in the lot. Gusts here have been strong enough to lift boards off car roofs.
Getting there
Airport
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Route
I-84 east from Portland to the Rooster Rock State Park exit, exit 25. The park sits about 22 miles east of Portland.
Transfer
25 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Portland, Troutdale, Corbett, Cascade Locks or Hood River, depending on where the wider Gorge forecast sends you. Rooster Rock itself is day-use.
No-wind days
Rooster Rock State Park beach and picnic areas · Columbia River Gorge hikes · Multnomah Falls · disc golf · Portland day trips
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Rooster Rock?
Late summer through spring, with January-March and September-December highlighted, especially when easterly wind is strong but water is not yet at its coldest.
Is it suitable for beginners?
No. It is intermediate-plus and becomes expert-only when the easterly is very strong; summer west winds are light and beginner-only.
What is the wind like?
Strong Columbia Gorge pressure-gradient easterlies that can average 25-40 mph in winter, with gusts over 60 mph reported.
Are there rules or fees?
As of 2026, Oregon State Parks day-use permits are required, priced at $10 (resident) or $12 (non-resident) daily, or $60/$75 for 12 months.
Last updated: August 2026