Scale the Astoria Column

Don’t pass this landmark by if you’re visiting Astoria…

One of the seaside town’s most iconic and popular landmarks, the Astoria Column was dedicated in 1926 and has drawn visitors ever since.

The column is situated in Coxcomb Hill, which offers summit 360-views of Astoria and the adjacent landscape. The tower is at the top of Coxcomb Hill and rises an additional 125 feet. From here you can catch sight of Fort Stevens State Park, Youngs Bay, Tillamook Head, Saddle Mountain and the Pacific Ocean.

The Astoria Column was actually the last of 12 historic markers erected on the orders of Ralph Budd, then-president of the Great Northern Railroad Company. The notion was to acknowledge early settlers in Astoria, and how they contributed to the expansion of the U.S. to the West Coast. The column was designed by Electus Litchfield and Attilo Pusterla, an Italian immigrant painter, created the wrap-around mural at the tower base.

Trip tip: To make this adventure more than a sightseeing trip, take the Cathedral Tree-Coxcomb Hill Hike up to the tower, and enjoy some foliage on the way up.