Astoria
Astoria DSCF0972 by Kim Taylor
Photo by OCVA
North Jetty, Chetco River
Photo by Brookings Harbor Chamber of Commerce
Almost in Astoria
Photo by Bolt of Blue
Astoria Bridge from Red Lion Inn Astoria
Photo by Don Nunn
Chef Chris - Baked Alaska - 1
Photo by OCVA
Astoria is that little town that could, a city of 10,000 people on the Columbia River, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. Founded 200 years ago at the beginning of Oregon’s North Coast, Astoria has been through boom and bust times more than once, weathering the collapse of both the Columbia River fishery and Oregon timber industry. It has risen once again as a cultural haven, often referred to as “little San Francisco.” Astoria is an old place that is newly hip. Here, Victorian mansions and maritime relics live in harmony with chef-driven restaurants and tattoo parlors.
Astoria is gritty, and likes it that way. But that rustic exterior is just a cover for the many enchanting dichotomies you’ll find waiting around the next corner. Here, fisherman are poets, loggers drink espresso, and Main Street welcomes both nouveau gallery and five n’ dime. For Astoria, it’s about character, and it’s also about characters: the people who call this place home with a passion that borders on evangelical. The skipper who challenges the same mighty river his great grandfather once fished. The artist who migrated here in search of a new palette. The hotelier who resurrected a once-bustling pier.
Once you come here and learn these stories, you’ll want to share them with others, and hope they’ll tell others, too. And, it’s a place to which you’ll want to return, to see what other stories you might have missed.
Featured activities
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Columbia River Maritime Museum
Six galleries, the Great Hall, and the Lightship Columbia interpret the Pacific Northwest's rich maritime history. Visitors of all ages can experience what it's like to pilot a tugboat, participate in a Coast Guard rescue on the Columbia River Bar, and live in Astoria during the height of salmon fishing. Explore marine transportation from the days of dugout canoes, through the age of sail, to the present. Watch a dramatic 12-minute film introducing the history of life and commerce on the Columbia River, including the dangerous work of the Bar and River Pilots. Walk the bridge of a World War II warship, marvel at the 44-foot motor lifeboat plowing through a wave in a rescue mission. Participate in interactive and hands-on exhibits. You can board the Lightship Columbia, a National Historic Landmark, that once guided ships to safety at the mouth of the Columbia River.
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High Life Adventures
Enjoy a tour of 8 zip lines in a beautiful setting! Join two tour guides on an exhilarating zip line experience around and over a seven-acre lake. A mile of zipping, sure to create lasting memories for the whole family! We also offer customized Team Building Programs to challenge your group while bringing them together as a team. Take your team to the next level! Please visit our website at highlife-adventures.com for more information or call us today at (503) 861-9875.
Featured accommodations
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Comfort Suites Columbia River
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Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa
The Cannery Pier Hotel is Astoria\'s newest luxury boutique hotel, built on the site of the former Union Fish Cannery 600 feet into the River. The Hotel offers guests unparalleled views of a real working river, as well as views out to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and nearby Washington.
For more info
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Astoria Chamber of Commerce
111 West Marine Drive
Astoria, Oregon 97103
503-325-6311 or 800-875-6807
Email: visitors@oldoregon.com
website: www.oldoregon.com