If you live in Portland, there’s a good chance that you enjoy nature. Whether it’s a leisurely stroll through leafy neighborhoods, bird-watching in Portland’s miles of parks, biking around the 40-Mile Loop, or sitting on the blanket with a cold beer and watching squirrels be hilarious, Portland is tops for some good ol’ nature watching and outdoor activities. Nature is everywhere amongst the built environment here. It’s hard not to rub shoulders with something furry throughout the day.

Deer family along a highway on the evening commute? Check. Bald eagle soaring ahead on your lunch hour during the work week? Roger that. Geese crossing four lanes, holding up traffic on the highway? We got that. Turkey vultures circling above? Seen it. Coyote yip-yip-yapping during the night (and the neighbor’s cat mysteriously missing the next morning)? It happens.

In other words, it doesn’t take much to ramp up your nature experience in Portland – there are numerous small parks sprinkled throughout the city and surrounding environs, as well as acres of wetlands and paths that make you feel like you’re in a forest, not in the middle of a populated city. Elk Rock Island is a prime example of a nature experience in the urban landscape.

Elk Rock Island, just a hair over the Portland border in Milwaukie, is only accessible when the the river is low or by canoe across the Willamette. In winter and spring the river is higher, so you can’t get there by foot. It’s only when the river lever lows by summer that you can walk to it.

You need to park in a nearby neighborhood (which is increasingly becoming more difficult as the island has gained in popularity) and then walk down a dusty pathway to find it, and once you do, it’s easy to remember the location.

This Tom Sawyer-Island-At-Disneyland-like place is maintained by volunteers who lovingly rip out invasive weeds and plants, clean up after slobs that leave their beer cans behind, and work to restore the island to its native, natural habitat. There are pathways that wind round the inner ring, where during a recent spring walk we spied trilliums in bloom and small creatures such as snakes, butterflies and birds.  You can also climb a small hill – once part of a volcano millions of years ago – and look across the Willamette at Elk Rock itself, a sharp cliff where Native Americans long ago rushed elk over the cliffs, according to legend.

Also as part of its colorful history, the island had a nightclub and dance hall that, during prohibition, doubled as a speakeasy. Thirsty Portlanders enjoyed dancing, drinking and various shenanigans on the island until a fire destroyed the hall. The only surviving structure is a lonely, abandoned stone staircase that goes nowhere on the side of the island.

Nowadays, explorers can enjoy grasslands, hiking paths, rock climbing and an impressive view of the Willamette. We recommend that you walk the perimeter of the island along the river, climb up on the volcanic rock where you can see Elk Rock across the river. After enjoying the view, venture into the footpath that snakes into the island and go for your hike around the island. There are also flat, grassy areas where you can throw down a blanket and enjoy lunch.

Naturally, on any given day you will also undoubtedly see: a dude with a pit bull;  impressive homeless camp; used, dried condoms; empty beer cans, and groups of adult men racing their remote controlled off-road toys. Just a small reminder that the island is in an urban area and Elk Rock Island is for everyone to enjoy.

By car: McLoughlin Blvd. to River Road, hook a right at Sparrow and park in nearby neighborhood; TriMet: Take the Orange line to Milwaukie, cross McLoughlin, and walk behind the water waste treatment plant, down SE 19th. By bike, Springwater Trail, to SE 17th, to Trolley Trail detour behind treatment plant down SE 19th.

Originally appeared on Herb Lester in 2013 and has been (somewhat) updated.