This trail provides many opportunities to hike segments rather than committing to the entire length, which is more than 10 miles round trip.
We hiked from the City of Vancouver's Marine Park to Wintler Park and back, a distance of 3 miles. This eastern end of the Columbia River Waterfront Renaissance Trail is less heavily used than the western and middle segments, so we only encountered a handful of other people on foot and a few bicyclists.
Marine Park and the walk past the Vancouver Water Resources Center provided lots of leafy, cool shade, but once the trail rounded the corner and traversed in front of the Tidewater Cove Condominiums, it was in full sun. After we passed the condominiums and approached Wintler Park, we regained the welcome shade of riparian cottonwood forest again.
On our return walk, the trail was nearly empty except for people walking around Marine Park. We took a short detour down onto the Tidewater Cove beach to check out the empty Columbia River shoreline.
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