Astoria - Riverfront and Hills

Astoria on a sunny day - there is no place in Oregon that can surpass the beauty, both natural and crafted by humanity, to be found in this small city. Unfortunately the sunny days are infrequent in a rainy, cloudy, coastal town, but it is worthy of a visit even when the weather isn't perfect. Astoria is the oldest European-American settlement in Oregon, and it boasts a proud, tempestuous history which is reflected in its stunning architectural heritage. This 3.8 mile walk will take you along the reclaimed waterfront and up into the hills above. There will be some ups and downs along the way, but the views from the heights are worth the effort.

This walk begins at the Maritime Memorial Park, located behind Suomi Hall almost under (slightly to the left of) the Astoria-Megler Bridge. There is a small parking area, fountain, and picnic table. The history of the Memorial itself, consecrated in 1993, can be found here. A broken archway leads to a plaza over the water with plaques commemorating the departed, in a beautiful site overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River.



As mentioned above, the Maritime Memorial is located behind Suomi Hall. "Suomi" is the word for "Finland" in the Finnish language. Suomi Hall was the home of the Finnish Brotherhood, a fraternal socialist organization serving the needs of the immigrant residents of this part of Astoria, known as Uniontown, and sometimes "Finntown." When originally constructed farther up the hill in 1886 (and later dragged downhill to its current site) it was the home of the Finnish Temperance Society. This article tells some of the story of the Finnish influence on Astoria.


Turn right along the Astoria Riverwalk, which parallels a set of train tracks used by a vintage trolley, and proceed under the Astoria-Megler bridge. At 4.1 miles long, this truss bridge is the longest in the world. Before its completion in 1966, a ferry took cars and passengers from Astoria to Washington State across the mouth of the Columbia River. The Riverwalk itself is described here. The next 1.5 miles of the walk will be along this scenic walkway. Keep an eye out for the trolley when crossing the narrow portion of the walkway in this picture, but don't worry, the trolley runs VERY slowly!


At the foot of 6th Street, this viewing platform provides a shaded perch for viewing the river. The cover is good not only for sunny days, but also as a shelter if you are taking this walk in rainy weather. And Astoria does have its share of rainy weather!

Continuing along the Riverwalk, between 7th and 8th Streets, you will come to the first of three microbreweries in Astoria - and this walk will take you by all three of them! This brewery,, Buoy Beer, is the newest, having opened to the public in February, 2014. The building itself was a cannery originally constructed in 1924. The restaurant inside has spectacular river views for both diners and beer drinkers.

Continuing along the Riverwalk, at the intersection of 11th Street is the Wet Dog Café and Astoria Brewery. The café has been in this location since 1995, and the microbrewery began operation in 1997. The dining views are almost as good as Buoy Brewery (only the trolley occasionally gets in the way!) and as for the beer, you'll have to be the judge of that yourself.

Speaking of the trolley, it has been running on former freight railway tracks since 1999.  A portable diesel generator in front of the car provides motive power. The trolley operates May through September, daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day in the afternoon and early evening. If you are interested in riding check the website for current schedules. A ticket to board is $1 - an all-day pass is $2.

Next along the Riverwalk is the 14th Street dock, home to the pilot station. Go out to the end of the dock, and perhaps you will see a pilot boat heading from the station out to a large ocean-going vessel. Bar Pilots are essential to the successful passage of the Columbia River Bar, a very treacherous and dangerous meeting place of mighty river and turbulent ocean. Since 1999 piloting has been a joint boat-helicopter exercise.

Continue along the riverfront to the foot of 17th Street. The imposing Columbia River Maritime Museum has its own dock, and also houses some interesting maritime collections. On the dock are two boats, the Lightship Columbia, and the Pilot Ship Peacock, both now decommissioned. The lightship can be boarded with a ticket to the Maritime Museum. During its working days the ship would go out to the Columbia Bar, anchor, turn the lights on, and then sit there for a long while.

Looking up from the riverfront, the Astoria Column towers above the tallest hill. This monumental civic undertaking was completed in 1926, and is worth a visit and climb to the top. Unfortunately the road to the column has no sidewalk or pathway, so a drive to the top is recommended.

At this point, backtrack along the Riverfront Trail to 14th Street, for two reasons. First, by going this way you will see more of downtown Astoria, built on fill in the 1920's after the previous downtown area, much of it on pilings over the water, burned down. Second, there's a signal light to cross the busy Highway 30 couplet that runs through downtown. From the Riverfront Trail turn left on 14th Street and proceed two blocks to Duane Street.

On the left side of 14th Street, between Commercial and Duane Streets, is the John Jacob Astor Hotel, on the National Register of Historic Places. The eight story structure was completed in 1924. After a few years as the top spot in town the hotel began suffering various problems, starting with the depression, then earning an unsavory enough reputation to be declared off limits to military personnel by the Army and Navy. In 1949 the Sunset Highway to Seaside (State Highway 26) took away more business. By 1968, the hotel was shut down for numerous fire safety code violations and failure to pay back taxes. At some point during its troubles the entire building was painted pink!  After almost 20 years of derelict vacancy the hotel was converted into 66 subsidized apartments on the upper floors and commercial space on the two lower floors, and seems to be surviving, perhaps even prospering. And, thankfully, it was also repainted. Another historic first for the John Jacob Astor Hotel - it was the site of the world's first cable television system, served by an antenna on the roof starting in 1948.

At Duane Street turn left. Going along the block, on the right side, is Astoria's third micro-brewery, the Fort George Brewery. Fort George started up in 2007, and the restaurant/tasting room is open for sampling the stock.

Turn right on 15th Street and go up one block to Exchange Street. On your right is the site of Fort Astoria. The complicated early 19th century history of the Fort at this site, which was known to the British as Fort George (hence the name of the brewery below this site to the north), is recounted here. The block house is a reconstruction - nothing of the original fort remains on the site.

Turn left on Exchange Street. On your left, filling the entire block, is this large Art Deco building from 1931 that was originally St. Mary's Hospital. In 1970 St. Mary's was merged into Columbia Hospital and this building was renamed the Owens-Adair Apartments. It has 46 rent-subsidized senior housing units.

Continue on Exchange Street. On the next block, to the left, is another grand old building, the Clatsop County Historical Society Heritage Museum. However it was originally constructed in 1904 as Astoria's City Hall. After the city moved its offices to a newer building in 1939 this building served various users, including the Columbia River Maritime Museum before the museum moved to its new waterfront facility in 1982. This building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

At 17th Street turn right and proceed two blocks up the hill. Before you reach Grand Avenue, on the left, you will see the Martin Foard House, a Victorian home built in 1891 and also on the National Register of Historic Places. The Victorian house immediately down hill from the Foard House isn't as restored and is not on the National Register, but it was built in 1890. Both houses have panoramic views of the mouth of the Columbia River.

At Grand Avenue turn right, go one block and then turn right again on 16th Street and head back down the hill. On your right is this imposing brick building, constructed in 1927 as Columbia Hospital. In the 1970's the hospital combined with St. Mary's Hospital and moved to a new site five blocks to the east. This building was repurposed as the Clatsop Care Center, a non-profit community-owned long-term care facility for the elderly.

At the northeast corner of 16th and Franklin Streets is this building, which houses the Clatsop Community College Performing Arts Center. If you're thinking this building looks more like an old church than a performing arts center your hunch would be correct - until 1975 this building was home to the Trinity Lutheran Church. In 1961 the then-church hosted the first graduation ceremony for the Community College.

Turn left on Franklin. Immediately on the right is this stately Masonic Temple, built in 1924 in a Greek Revival style. Not much appears to be going on within the building these days, and the ranks of U.S. Freemasonry are less than 1/3 of the totals at their height in the 1950's. The building is rented out to a church group on Sundays, and is also available for weddings and other social gatherings.

Across the street on Franklin, to the left, is Grace Episcopal Church. This building, constructed in 1885, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Continue on Franklin to 15th Street, then turn left. On the southwest corner of Franklin and 15th, to your left is this tarnished 1901 mansion, the George Conrad Flavel house, in a Queen Anne/Colonial Revival style. A branch of the Flavel family lived in the home until 1990, but were recluses from 1947. Their story is recounted here. In 2011 ownership of the house was assumed by the City of Astoria, but clearly no one has stepped forward to refurbish the home.

After one block on 15th turn right onto Grand Street. On your left is St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church. The church has been on this site since 1874, although this building was completed in 1925. The building next to the church on 14th and Grand used to house a Catholic school, but closed in 2011.

At 14th Street turn right and go one block back to Franklin Street. At the corner of Franklin and 14th, on the left, is the Charles Stevens House, a fairly modest home (compared to some of the grand Victorian mansions elsewhere in Astoria). It was built in 1867, and it is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Turn left onto Franklin, and then after one long block turn left again onto Twelfth Street. Now you will be going back up the hill again. After one block Twelfth ends at the side of a hill. On your left is the Astoria Church of Christ, and on your right at the corner of Twelfth and Grand is this beautiful old home, the Ferdinand Fisher House, constructed in 1883. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Turn right onto Grand and go west one block. At the intersection of Grand and Eleventh Streets, on the left, is the First Presbyterian Church of Astoria. This beautiful old building has been located here since 1903, and the congregation is currently in the midst of a restoration project. The church also hosts the Astoria Music Conservatory and the Clatsop County Food Bank.

Continue west on Grand Street to Ninth Street, then turn right. The street is too steep for cars, but a stairway along the right side will take pedestrians down the hill on Ninth. Once again, enjoy the glorious views of the Columbia River (at least on a sunny day). After two blocks on Ninth turn left on Exchange Street and go west.

After crossing Eighth Street the Flavel House Museum will be on your right. This house, built by a different branch of the Flavel family from the occupants of the "haunted house" earlier on the walk, is now the home of the Clatsop County Historical Society Flavel House Museum. The Society runs two museums - one here and one back at the old Astoria City Hall building earlier on the walk. The home was built in 1886 in a Queen Anne style. This museum also encompasses a carriage house on the corner of Exchange and Seventh Streets.

After viewing the carriage house turn right on Seventh Street. After one block you will come across these two buildings on your right. The smaller building on the corner houses the Oregon Film Museum, dedicated to celebrating movies made in Oregon. The building itself served from 1914 to 1976 as the Clatsop County Jail. The larger building behind the old jail in this picture is the Clatsop County Courthouse, constructed in 1908.

Continue one block further on Seventh Street to its intersection with Commercial Street. Next to the County Courthouse, on the right, is this shelter underneath which is a piece of an awfully big former tree. The log is from a Douglas fir cut in 1937, estimated to be 624 years old at the time. The Oregon Coast Range, which runs south from Astoria, is one the most prolific timber producing temperate forests in the world.

Turn left onto Commercial Street. On the first block, to the left, is the First Baptist Church of Astoria, in this attractive red brick building.

Continue two blocks on Commercial Street and then turn right onto Fifth Street. One block later turn left onto Bond Street. Soon on your left is the Hobson House, constructed in 1863, and also on the National Register of Historic Places.

Continue west on Bond Street, with the massive Astoria-Megler bridge straight ahead. On a clear day there will be more panoramic views of the river and hills beyond. On the right are a mixture of old houses and apartments, but on the left is an empty hillside. It wasn't always empty - this is the site of two major landslides, the first in 1953, the second in 2007. Alarmingly, much of Astoria is susceptible to landslides, which makes sense, given the city's hilly topography and very wet weather.

Continue on Bond Street as it heads downhill and the bridge looms closer. On your left is this nondescript building which is home to the Astor Street Opry Company. For the past 25 years the non-profit organization has put on a summer show entitled "Shanghaied in Astoria."

Continue on Bond Street until it terminates into busy Marine Drive/State Highway 30. Go left, crossing Columbia Avenue, and in the triangular space on the left side of the street is the Astoria Victory Monument, also known as the "Soldier's Monument" or "Doughboy Monument." It was erected in 1926 to honor the Unites States soldiers who served in World War I. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The builders thoughtfully put a public restroom in the base of the monument - however, I would not recommend using it, as it appears to be even more poorly maintained than a well-used porta-potty.

Use the signalized intersection to cross Highway 30 to the water side of the street. Go one block to the left (west), and you will be back at your starting point, behind Suomi Hall. This plaque on the trail leading from Highway 30 to the Maritime Memorial Park indicates that you are in the midst of the Uniontown-Alameda Historic District, yet another of Astoria's historical treasures, and perhaps worthy of another walk in this beautiful small city!