Astoria · Coxcomb Hill · Historic column and viewpoint
Astoria Column
Climb 164 steps inside Astoria’s 1926 painted column for Columbia River views, then launch a balsa glider from the deck.
Opens the Friends of the Astoria Column’s Know Before You Go page. The climb is free; the $10 parking pass covers your vehicle for a year.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Historic monument
125-ft painted column in 30-acre Astor Park
Admission
Free to climb
$10 parking pass per vehicle, good for one year
Hours
Park daily 5 am–10 pm
Gift shop Oct–Mar 10–5; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Time needed
About 30 minutes
Wanderlog’s suggested time; allow more to linger
Parking
Hilltop lot, $10 pass
Large-vehicle parking is very limited
Steps
164
Spiral stairs to a deck about 110 ft up; no elevator
What you’ll see
Astoria from the top step
A short, steep climb inside a 1926 landmark gives one of the widest views on the north Oregon Coast.
Photo: Jennifer Deal on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start here
Climb to the observation deck
The Column rises 125 feet from the top of Coxcomb Hill, and 164 spiral steps lead to the observation deck, with a landing about every 20 steps for a breather. From the top you look out over Astoria and the Columbia River. There’s no elevator, and the Column itself isn’t wheelchair accessible, but the grounds, park and gift shop are.
RV tip: Leave the trailer or fifth-wheel at camp and drive up in the tow vehicle. The Friends of the Astoria Column say large-vehicle parking is very limited, and the lot sits at the end of residential streets.
More to see
- Launch a balsa gliderThe gift shop on the way up sells low-cost balsa-wood gliders, and flying one off the deck is a family tradition here. It’s a high, windy hill, so expect yours to travel.
- Read the painted friezeArtist Attilio Pusterla’s sgraffito frieze spirals up the shaft, from Captain Gray reaching the Columbia in 1792 through Lewis and Clark and early settlers to the railroad’s arrival in Astoria in 1893.
- Walk the Astor Park groundsThe Column stands in a 30-acre city park on Coxcomb Hill. The grounds and plaza are accessible, so anyone who skips the stairs can still enjoy the hilltop and the mural from the base.
- Mark the centennial yearThe Column was dedicated on July 22, 1926, before a crowd of about 8,000, which makes 2026 its 100th year. It was restored in 1995 and again in 2015 with monument-grade paints.
Why go
Why the Astoria Column is worth the climb
The Great Northern Railway and Vincent Astor, great-grandson of John Jacob Astor, paid for the Column, designed by architect Electus Litchfield and painted by Attilio Pusterla. It was dedicated in July 1926 on Coxcomb Hill, about 600 feet above the river, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The nonprofit Friends of the Astoria Column manages the site.
The Column sits on the hill just above downtown Astoria, where US 101 meets US 30 at the mouth of the Columbia. Signs on 14th and 16th Streets lead up to Coxcomb Drive. Because the hilltop lot has very limited room for big rigs, it’s an easy tow-vehicle outing: park the RV, drive up, climb, and be back in town for lunch.
Clear days give the longest views, so check the sky before heading up. The Friends suggest a jacket year-round: summer highs reach the upper 60s and winter lows dip into the upper 30s. Fall and winter visitors get shorter gift shop hours, 10 am to 5 pm.
Photo: Pete Forsyth on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Why it made our list
- Free to climb; one $10 pass covers a year of parking
- 164 steps to a deck about 110 feet up
- Hand-painted 1926 frieze of regional history
- Balsa gliders sold on site for launching
- Celebrating its 100th year in 2026
For RVers
Taking the rig to the Astoria Column
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Bring the tow vehicle, not the rig
The Friends of the Astoria Column say large-vehicle parking on the hilltop is very limited, and buses and groups are asked to call the gift shop at (503) 325-2963 before coming. We couldn’t find a posted length limit, so the simplest plan is to unhook at camp and drive up in your car or truck.
Follow the signs up the hill
From Marine Drive (US 30) in downtown Astoria, signs on 14th and 16th Streets point the way uphill. One well-used route is 16th Street to Jerome Avenue, right on 15th Street, then left onto Coxcomb Drive to the lot. These are residential streets, so take it slow.
Ask ahead about pets
Neither the Friends’ visitor pages nor the NPS listing spells out a pet policy for the park or the Column. If you’re bringing a dog, call the gift shop before you go, and plan on someone waiting below with the dog while others climb the narrow spiral stairs.
No camping or cooking
Camping and cooking aren’t allowed on the park grounds, so this is strictly a day visit. The park is open daily from 5 am to 10 pm, and the gift shop keeps 10 am–5 pm hours from October through March. It closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
What visitors say about Astoria Column
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 29, 2026.
Your visit to Astoria begins here.
Friends of the Astoria Column, describing the site · astoriacolumn.org
Before you go
Three things we’d bring
A balsa gliderLight jacketClear-day forecast
This is our own short list, not drawn from reviews. We couldn’t read review-site highlights for Astoria Column, so we don’t list review themes.
How high it stands
Column height from the Friends of the Astoria Column; the hilltop figure is its elevation above sea level, so the view from the deck starts about 700 feet up.
Good to know
Climbing the ColumnFree
Visiting Astor ParkFree
Parking pass$10 per vehicle good for one year
Balsa glidersLow cost, sold in the gift shop
Parking and admission details are from the Friends of the Astoria Column and the NPS Lewis and Clark Trail listing, checked October 29, 2026. The Daily Astorian reported in February 2026 that the pass rose from $5 to $10 and drops back to $5 in December and January.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Astoria Column
- Address1 Coxcomb Dr, Astoria, OR 97103
- HoursPark daily 5 am–10 pm
Gift shop Oct–Mar 10–5; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas - Phone(503) 325-2963
- FeesFree to climb; $10 parking pass per vehicle, good for a year
- Getting thereWhere US 101 reaches downtown Astoria, follow Marine Drive (US 30) and turn uphill at the Column signs on 14th or 16th Street, then follow Coxcomb Drive to the top of the hill.
- ParkingA hilltop lot sits beside the Column and gift shop. Large-vehicle space is very limited, so come in a car or tow vehicle; buses and groups should call ahead.
Check the Friends of the Astoria Column’s site or call the gift shop for current hours, fees and any closures before you drive up.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Astoria Column
The KOA near Fort Stevens is the only North Coast park we have written up so far, and it is an easy drive. The other two are farther south, for when you work your way down US-101.
Astoria / Warrenton / Seaside KOA Resort
Big full-hookup resort next to Fort Stevens State Park, with pools, a lodge and pull-thru sites for long rigs.
Sea & Sand RV Park
Terraced oceanfront full-hookup sites on a bluff above the beach near Depoe Bay.
Darlings Marina & RV Resort
Lakefront sites on Siltcoos Lake south of Florence, with a marina, boat rentals and a smokehouse.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Park daily 5 am–10 pm
Ready to climb the Column?
Unhook at camp, drive up Coxcomb Hill, grab a glider and take the 164 steps to the top.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: Jennifer Deal (column from the west; CC BY-SA 4.0), PortlandSaint (hilltop; CC BY 4.0), Bobjgalindo (base; CC BY-SA 4.0), Feebs369 (night lighting; CC BY-SA 4.0), Jennifer Deal (frieze; CC BY-SA 4.0) and Pete Forsyth (bridge view; CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons; the images were resized. Video: Sidetrack Adventures on YouTube (column visit). Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Astoria Column unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including published materials from Friends of the Astoria Column and other publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly at astoriacolumn.org or (503) 325-2963. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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