Warrior Rock Lighthouse

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About The Site

Warrior Rock sketch

In 1792, Lt. W. R. Broughton encountered a group of Native Americans at the northernmost tip of what is now Sauvie Island. The natives were dressed for combat when they approached Broughton's small boat. Although no conflict occurred, the tip of the island was named Warrior Point.

The point was critical to navigating the Columbia River, so two small red lanterns were placed there by the Lighthouse Service in 1877. In 1889, a lighthouse, designed by Carl Leick, was built at the point. A similar design was used at Browns Point in Washington. It had a stone base with a wooden housing for a bell and lens. The bell, forged in Philadelphia in 1855, previously served at Cape Disappointment in 1856 and later at West Point in 1881. The keeper's residence was a nearby bungalow. The keepers had a small boat for reaching the nearby town of St. Helens, and for reaching the tower when flooding covered the rock itself.

Keeper Frank DeRoy served at the lighthouse from 1925-1935 after transferring from Heceta Head so his son could visit an orthodontist in Portland. At the start of his tenure, the light was still powered by an oil lamp and the bell still run by a hand-cranked striking mechanism. During his tenure, the wooden tower was replaced by the current cement tower, and the light was electrified.

Today, only the automated light stands at the point. Large freighters still pass the point. The bungalow burned down in the early 1990's. The fog bell was removed and is on display in front of the St. Helens courthouse. A half-size replica of the original lighthouse is behind the old courthouse in St. Helens, in Columbia View Park.

References (see links)

Lighthouses Northwest - the Designs of Carl Leick, Aliberti p. 17
Umbrella Guide to Oregon Lighthouses, Nelson pp. 87-89

Select an image to enlarge

At the Point

Original Tower Replica

From the Beach

North Side

Original Tower Bell

Freighter in the Channel

Wreck on the Beach

Passing the Point

Directions: Warrior Rock is located on the northern tip of Sauvie island east of the town of St. Helens. The lighthouse is on the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area. The light cannot be seen directly from the town - it must be viewed by boat or via a roughly 7-mile round-trip hike to the lighthouse. (Note: The Sauvie Island Wildlife Area is open from mid-April to September. The rest of the year a hunting permit is required.)

To get to the lighthouse from Portland, exit Interstate 405 at exit 3 (St. Helens/Yeon) and go northwest on US 30 (St. Helens Road). After approximately nine miles, turn east onto the Sauvie Island Bridge. The bridge is at the south end of the island - you will need to travel the length of the island to get to the lighthouse. Travel northwest on NW Sauvie Island Road. You will need to stop at Sam's Grocery Store near the bridge to pick up a parking permit for the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area ($3 as of July 2003). Continue for approximately two miles and turn right on NW Reeder Road. Go approximately 13 miles on NW Reeder Road, passing the town of Sauvies on the way. The road turns into gravel and eventually ends at a parking area.

From the parking area, there is a trail that will take you north. You will quickly arrive at a beach on the Columbia River side of the island. The lighthouse is visible from a distance on the beach. You can hike to the lighthouse all the way on the beach. (There is a road above the beach according to some descriptions and at least one map - you can apparently get back up to the road when the beach narrows. However, we hiked the entire way on the beach.)

The tower replica and bell are in the town of St. Helens. To get to St. Helens, continue north on US 30 from Portland. Turn west onto Columbia Road. After roughly a mile, turn right (south) onto 1st Street. After about one block, you will come to a plaza. The courthouse is by the river. The tower replica is in the park immediately behind the courthouse in Columbia View Park. The St. Helens Historical Museum is housed in the old courthouse. The bell is in front of the courthouse building. There was no apparent interpretation information along with the bell - look for "Philada 1855" on the bell. (September 2006)