Astoria Oregon is a fantastic place! Even on our tight schedule, we were able to explore a lot of the area. The Astoria Column was our main reason for going there, and it was well worth it!
The day we went to the Ape Caves, we drove on through and went to Horsetail Falls, Multnomah Falls, Portland and then stayed the night at the L.L. Stubb State Park. This is west of Portland, OR. It is a great campground with showers and hookups. I wish we could have spent more time at this campground.
Stop at Camp 18 for Breakfast
We got an early start and headed west back towards the 101. On our way there we stopped at Camp 18 Restaurant for breakfast. They have delicious HUGE cinnamon rolls and the museum and grounds are really something. If you are passing by this place, you have to stop!
Then we headed over to Seaside and unhooked our trailer at the campground we were staying at before heading up to Astoria to start our day.
Things to do and see in Astoria
We stopped by the famous Bowpicker Fish and Chips but the line was really long so we didn’t wait. Next time we go through here – we will definitely wait it out and try some of their acclaimed food.
We walked around the outside of the Columbia River Maritime Museum. You can go out on the docks and watch the boats going up and down the Columbia River, enjoy the beautiful bridges and take pictures with all of the cool statues and sights.
The Astoria Column
After the museum, we headed up to the Astoria Column (or Tangleds tower as my 8-year-old said, lol). There is a small fee to get into the Astoria Column, but it is totally worth it and you only have to pay it once a year.
Be sure to go into the gift shop BEFORE going up into the tower, and get the fun wooden glider to throw off of the top of the tower. We didn’t do this and I was so sad – of course we didn’t want to climb back up to the top and so we decided we would do it next time we came.
Also be sure to grab a jacket or sweater since it is a little chilly at the top, especially with the breeze/wind.
The climb to the top is 125-feet high, with 164 steps to climb to the observation deck. There are platforms about every 10-15 steps so it is not straight stairs. I liked leaning over at the top and seeing all the way down or looking up at the bottom. It is crazy. The stairs go in a spiral.
The Astoria Column is simply amazing! The views from the top are breathtaking and we spent a lot of time up there looking at everything and taking pictures and videos.
If you are going in the evening, they do a nightly light show. We didn’t see this since we went early in the morning, but it looks really cool.
Learn more about the Astoria Column here.
We didn’t do the Cathedral Tree Hike since it was wet and we were worried about mud and a hard hike, but it is on our list of things to do when we go back.
I hope you enjoy your visit to the Astoria Column and Astoria, Oregon as much as we did! Please let us know if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them!
Happy Travels.
Be sure to check out our other stops on our trip from Utah into Washington and down Highway 101 :
- Top 5 Favorite Things to Do at the Thunderbird RV & Camping Resort
- Thunderbird RV & Camping Resort Review
- Lodgepole Campground in Washington
- Grove of the Patriarchs
- Narada Falls in Mt. Rainier National Park
- How to spend 1 day at Mt. Rainier
- Salt Creek Recreation Area
- Cape Flattery Trail Hike
- Shi Shi Beach Trail Hike
- Klahowya Campground in Port Angeles, WA
- Ruby Beach in Forks, WA
- Kalaloch Beach (Tree of Life)
- Quinault Rain Forest in Washington
- Ape Caves Washington (Lava Tubes)
- Multnomah Falls in Oregon
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