Astoria Riverwalk Hike

Overview

Using the Burlington Northern right-of-way and spanning the entire Columbia River waterfront of the historic City of Astoria, the first American settlement on the West Coast, this trail takes you from the busy port area, underneath the four-mile Astoria-Megler Bridge, past shops and pubs, a marina and a converted cannery, to a final, quieter stretch as the old rail line crosses the mouth of Alderbrook Lagoon and approaches Tongue Point. An exotic way to do this hike is to make the return trip using the Astoria Trolley, picking it up at the last stop, the East Mooring Basin (Memorial Day to Labor Day; $1 fare). The stretch of track began as the Astoria & Columbia River Railroad in 1898 but soon came under the ownership of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railroad. It was operated primarily as a logging operation-to-port line until the 1990s, when the city decided to invest in the tourist potential of the old waterfront area. From the trailhead parking, you can walk left along the trail a little way. There are views of the mouth of Youngs Bay, the Youngs Bay Bridge, and operations at the Port of Astoria. Then one heads back with the bay to the right. The trail makes a 90-degree turn to the left with a Best Western looming above. It crosses Hamburg Street and Portway Street, passing the Astoria Trolley garage. From this point, the trolley line parallels the trail. To the left are Port of Astoria facilities and three piers. The path passes the West Mooring Basin, fronted by the Astoria Riverwalk Inn, and then the causeway out to the Cannery Pier Hotel. In front of the hotel, there's a covered exhibit of a gillnet boat. From here, one crosses under the Astoria-Megler Bridge, passing a small memorial park. Looking to the right, one can see the buildings of the historic Uniontown-Alameda District. An interpretive sign here gives information about the 14th Street Ferry, which preceded the bridge. There are views across the Columbia to the low hills on the Washington side, four miles away. The trail crosses a trestl

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