Eighteenmile Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Eighteenmile Island from an observation point on the Oregon side | |
 Interactive map of Eighteenmile Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Wasco County, near Mosier, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°41′23″N 121°25′17″W / 45.68972°N 121.42139°W |
| Area | 9.89 acres (4.00 ha) |
| Administration | |
United States | |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Wasco |
Eighteenmile Island is a 9.89 acre (4 ha) island on the Oregon side of the Columbia River at river mile 174 in Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The official name derives from its location 18 nautical miles west of Big Eddy and the historic narrows now covered by The Dalles Dam.[1] It is about a half mile (0.8 km) downstream of Mosier, Oregon and four miles (6.4 km) upstream of Hood River. It can be seen from Interstate 84, which runs along the Oregon side of the Columbia River, and from the Historic Columbia River Highway. A small rocky "island" downstream of Eighteenmile Island houses a navigational light. The island is mentioned in the journal of Meriwether Lewis, from the Lewis and Clark Expedition.[2]
The small island is located in the Columbia River Gorge region. It was mostly barren as of 2007[update], but features several large pine trees and willows, a basalt cliff, wildflowers, wild cherry trees, blackberry thickets, and a sandy beach.[3] It is closer to the Oregon side of the river, and only a few hundred feet from its shoreline.
The island's only structure is a private residence, a three-story wood-frame house built in 1969. A line from the mainland supplies electricity to the island; drinking water is filtered from the Columbia. The island can only be accessed by boat.[3]