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Rowena Overview
Rowena State Park is a very popular family orientated sailing area offering a number of friendly ammenities. Several good-sized parking areas have been creatively combined to allow an excellent loading and unloading zone leaving a short walk to the water. Since this is a State Park, it requires a $3 daily parking fee which is well worth it when you factor in all of the benefits of an attractively designed windsurfing park. Rowena also receives very strong westerly winds from May until September and usually provides small to medium, fairly closely spaced but quite steep ramps especially on the north side of the river. The launch area can be tricky as slippery rock shelves drop dramatically into deep water. A number of fins have been quickly sheared off as sailors fail to get off their boards while planing into the beach. Beginners and intermediates will find calmer, shallower water just east of the main launch in the cove on the Oregon side.
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Regional Directory
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Shops,
Schools,
Clubs,
Events,
Food,
Lodging,
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| Season: |
Best: May-Sept. |
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| Water: |
sm-med swells, psycho chop |
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| Ability Level: |
advanced/jumps |
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| Familiness: |
restrooms, nice grassy beach, shelter, payphone |
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| Parking: |
small parking area |
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| Launch: |
rocky, easy |
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Maps & Directions
From the Portland/Seattle area, drive east on I-84 through Hood River and proceed out past Mayer State Park to Rowena exit # 75. Turn left back under the freeway at the end of the exit ramp and go straight across the railroad tracks. At the next stop sign, turn right onto Rowena River Rd. and drive approx. 1.5 miles to the entrance of the park. You will see a paybooth which is sometimes manned on weekends.
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Sensor Notes
During the spring of 2013, we relocated the Rowena sensor to reduce the impact of nearby trees and the persistent wind shadow along the Rowena shore. The new location is about 1/2 mile west of Rowena park. WNW to NW readings on the Rowena sensor generally reflect close to mid-river wind speeds and indicate more filled in conditions at Rowena. However, West to SW winds tend to rotor down over the Rowena Bluffs and continue rolling up river often causing variable winds and leaving large dead-zones on the Oregon side which tend to diminish at and upwind of Rowena park. For WNW, W and SW wind headings, averaging the readings from the Doug’s 57A and Rowena sensors can be a good indicator of wind speeds for the north half of the river and off of Rowena park.
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