Astoria Travel Information
Astoria has gained notoriety as the historical city on Oregon's coast. The first US settlement west of the Mississippi, Astoria is a city graced with recently renovated Victorian mansions and views of the Colombia River. Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1805-6 at nearby Fort Clatsop after following the river to its terminus in the Pacific. They commented then on the rain in Fort Clatsop, never unexpected on the coast, as well as the shortage of food and drinking water. There is no shortage of places to sample sea-fare or find a drink in the area today, though most visitors come for a taste of history too. Take a tour through one of the historical houses in down-town Astoria, a trip through the Colombia River Maritime Museum and then climb the 164 stairs of Astoria Column for a view of the Colombia, the Pacific and on a clear day, Mt. St. Helens. While at altitude, keep your binoculars handy for some bird spotting. The Astoria area is home to over 200 types of bird. Six miles south of Astoria is Fort Clatsop National Memorial. There, replicas of the buildings that Lewis and Clark spent their soggy winter in have been reproduced based on drawings from their journals. When you've had your fill of canoe-building or candle-making demonstrations, pitch a tent or enjoy your picnic at Fort Stevens State Park. Bring a bike along and explore nine miles of trails or walk a mile from the campsite and explore the abandoned gun batteries at Fort Stevens Military Reservation. There are miles of sand accessible from Fort Stevens State Park, and if the weather cooperates, wash off the salt and sand in Coffenbury Lake. Astoria is 72 miles northwest of Portland International Airport and just over 60 miles north of Tillamook on Highway 101. To learn more about the area, please select a topic of interest from the navigation bar on the left.
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