20 minutes from the Sou’wester
A Day Trip to Astoria, Oregon
Across the four-mile bridge: a maritime museum, a column you can climb, and more places to eat than the whole peninsula.
Astoria is twenty minutes south of us, across the Astoria-Megler Bridge. It is the oldest American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains, a working river port, and the easiest answer to “we have a whole day, what should we do”.
The bridge itself is over four miles long and worth the drive on its own. It is a toll-free crossing and takes about five minutes end to end.
What to do
Columbia River Maritime Museum
Genuinely good, and the best explanation anywhere of why the river bar is so dangerous. Allow two hours. The lightship moored outside is part of the visit.
The Astoria Column
125 feet tall with 164 steps to the top, and a view over the river mouth, the bridge and the Coast Range. Buy a balsa glider at the bottom and throw it from the top. Everyone does.
The Riverwalk
A flat path along the whole waterfront, with a restored trolley running part of it in season. Sea lions haul out on the docks at the east end and are loud about it.
Eating & drinking
Astoria has more choice than we do on the peninsula: breweries, coffee roasters and restaurants along Commercial Street and the waterfront. If you want a night out during your stay, this is where to have it. Our dining guide covers both sides of the river.
If you have longer
Fort Stevens State Park
Fifteen minutes past Astoria near Warrenton, and worth pairing with the town if you have a full day.
The wreck of the Peter Iredale has been in the sand there since 1906 and is the most photographed thing on this coast. There are also gun batteries, a freshwater lake and miles of bike paths.
Practical notes
- Astoria is in Oregon, so there is no sales tax, which is worth knowing if you are buying anything.
- The bridge can close in extreme wind, rarely, and it is the only crossing. Check before you set out in a storm.
- Parking downtown is straightforward outside summer weekends.
Where to stay
Plenty of people stay in Astoria. Staying on the Washington side puts you twenty minutes from all of the above and on the beach, which Astoria is not.
We are in Seaview, ten minutes from Cape Disappointment and five from the beach. You can stay in a restored vintage travel trailer, a 1950s cabin, a suite in the historic 1892 lodge, or bring a tent or RV to one of our camping and RV spaces.
More in our guide to things to do on the Long Beach Peninsula.
The Astoria-Megler Bridge crossing the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon — Photo: Oregon Department of Transportation (CC BY 2.0). Via Wikimedia Commons.