For those who'd like to directly support the restoration efforts on Elk Rock Island, we are offering a guided tour in the evening on a donation basis. We invite our tour guests to gear up for a short walk around the island while local stewards and volunteer ecologists speak about the island, its habitats, history and more. We will ferry tour guests from the dock at Milwaukie Bay Park to the western shores of Elk Rock Island; home to the islands original dock who's stairs are still there as a reminder of it's almost forgotten past. As the tour concludes we will ferry our guests back to the dock in Milwaukie Bay Park and invite you to enjoy the festivities in the park after. Plan for around 90 minutes from loading at the dock to when we expect to return you.
All proceeds from this tour and any additional donations go directly to the Milwaukie Parks Foundation and it's Elk Rock Island restoration and maintenance efforts. The Milwaukie Parks Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit and purchases and donations may be eligible for tax deductions.
Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear that can either get a little wet when off loading in the shallows or be removed until on land. The island is a natural resource and it's trails a work in progress. Please bring your spirit of adventure and appropriate clothing and footwear. There is native poison oak on the Island that your guide will show you and teach those unfamiliar how to identify. For those who have more severe reactions to poison oak we recommend planning and packing appropriately. As the island is a natural resource and protected, there are no restrooms on the island. We will have restrooms in Milwaukie Bay Park for use upon returning to the dock at Milwaukie Bay Park.
Elk Rock Island is a treasured natural resource, connected to Downtown Milwaukie, and home to many unique habitats and rich with a history of the communities that grew up around it. Milwaukie Bay Park is the most visited park in Clackamas County; it’s completion a focus of the community since the early 2000’s. The Little Float Milwaukie connects these two community resources by way of the scenic Willamette River. While a cherished natural resource, rich with the history of not only Milwaukie and the civilizations who inhabited before. With tight budgets and limited resources, the primary maintenance and restoration efforts on the island is all volunteer based. This is our first year raising moneys to support and expand these efforts and we look forward to many years to come of sharing this treasure and the collective knowledge about it.
Thanks to all of you who make our community and spaces so special. We look forward to seeing you all in the river and at the Park on August 2nd, 2025.