The Astoria Column is one of the most recognizable symbols of Astoria, Oregon. It sits atop the hill that Astoria is built on and around. It has an amazing 360 degree view of the Astoria area, and on a clear day you can easily see all the way to the Pacific Ocean and down the coast. Even if it is raining, as it so likes to do in Astoria, you still get a fantastic view of the town and Columbia River to the west and north, and Youngs River and the countryside to the south and east. You don't need to climb the 164 stairs to the top of the column to enjoy this view as the view from the
parking lot is just as amazing, but if you are up to it then it is worth the climb. There are resting platforms so don't worry about blocking the stairs for faster climbers.* There are many different routes to get to the column, but I will detail the easiest and most travelled. Where Marine drive and Commercial Blvd connect turn up the hill on 16th street. You are going to go almost all the way to the top of the hill and you will see a large grey building on the left at Jerome Ave. Take a right on Jerome Ave and be sure to honk your horn at this point as it will really annoy my parents who live right there. Go one block on Jerome Ave and make a left on 15th Street. Go two blocks up 15th Street then make a left on Coxcomb. Simply follow the winding Coxcomb up the hill and it will put you in the parking lot of the Astoria Column. Coxcomb Hill has a well maintained road but take it slow as there are a lot of sharp curves.*The stairs are currently closed for repairs and their planned reopening is Memorial Day 2009.
Jeremy's Insider Tips-
If you have binoculars bring them, as well as a camera. A light jacket never hurts anywhere you go in Astoria. If you plan to climb the Astoria Column bring some decent shoes as sandals might get caught on the stairs and trip you, and aren't especially good climbing items anyway. There are picnic tables if you want to spend more than a few minutes up there, and a gift shop, supporting the Astoria Column, is located in the parking lot.
If you enjoyed this website you might also enjoy some of my other websites about the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Just click on one of the links below, and thank you for visiting my website!
An Insider's Astoria, Oregon Area Recommended Dining Guide
http://guidetoastoriaoregondining.blogspot.com/
An Insider's Astoria, Oregon Area Recommended Visitor's Guide
http://guidetoastoriaoregon.blogspot.com/
An Insider's Astoria, Oregon Area Recommended Hidden Spots Guide
http://hiddenlocationsguideastoriaoregon.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment