Familiarity with tides, weather patterns, and other paddling conditions can help make your trip uneventful. The Columbia River is tidal all the way up to the Bonneville Dam, so tides can pose hazards and logistical challenges on any trip on the water trail. The twice daily rise and fall of the tide can create strong upstream and downstream currents, eddies, waves, whirlpools, and tidal rapids. Ebb tides can expose sandbars and strand paddlers on mud flats. Flood tides can swamp camps and carry off boats not secured at their landings. Both can pose obstacles to and confuse navigation.

Tide tables provide important information on times and height of tides. The strongest currents are generally mid-way between high and low tides. The difference between high and low tides can sometimes be drastic. The greatest differences occur near the full and new moons, while the least differences are near the quarter moons. Rising tides move from north to south, and tidal effects continue longer upstream.

Tide Resoureces:  At this point we think the best resource for Columbia River tide information is the Tidespay Web Site.