Battery Russell was one of the most fascinating stops we made while exploring the Oregon Coast. If…read moreyou enjoy history, old military sites, or simply exploring places that feel a little mysterious, this is definitely worth visiting. The massive concrete structures are incredibly interesting to walk through. You can explore the old rooms, passageways, stairs, and gun emplacements while imagining what this place must have been like when soldiers were stationed here protecting the mouth of the Columbia River. What made the experience especially memorable for us was learning about Battery Russell's connection to World War II. In June 1942, a Japanese submarine surfaced offshore and fired shells toward Fort Stevens. Knowing that history while standing among these old military structures gave our visit an entirely different perspective. I also appreciated being able to explore at our own pace. There are plenty of opportunities for photos, and the weathered concrete and surrounding forest make the area incredibly atmospheric. Battery Russell is a great addition to a visit to Fort Stevens State Park, especially if you're already road-tripping along the northern Oregon Coast. I highly recommend taking some time to stop, walk around, read about the history, and explore. It's an unusual and memorable piece of Oregon history that I'm really glad we didn't skip!

Clean park with great hiking trails. Fairly clean restrooms. Drove down to the beach and took the…read moredogs to see the Peter irondale. This camping trip they had a free concert on the lawn by the battery. I love that the golf carts drive by to bring you firewood for a standard $7 fee. Terrible reception and cellular in the park. Overall great trip with lots of sunshine.

This is a fun playground on the oregon coast. Lots of play structure to run about on. Featuring…read morebalance beams, monkey bars, and slides. My kids had a lot of fun, the problem came when they had to go the bathroom... It looks like the bathrooms at the park are closed for vandalism so that was inconvenient for us.

Was visiting Astoria for a day and my toddler needed to burn off some energy. Lo and behold, we…read morefound this park with an AMAZING play structure. Hands down one of the better ones we've seen. There's a separate areas for very young kids and another area for bigger kids. Also has convenient bathrooms. Our 2 year old had so much fun. We had no trouble finding parking right on the street. Will definitely come back here again.

Beautiful beach! Love watching the birds and hearing the sound of the waves. Not too crowded on the…read moreholiday weekend either.

Loved this pretty little beach. Easy access, I drove on in my 4W drive Tacoma. Be aware of…read moretides. If you dont know what tides are maybe you shouldnt drive onto the beach. I love flying kites down here. Not alot of car traffic. This is a good razor clam beach as well when clamming is open.

A spacious, wooded park holding a community hall, trails, a grass area, a small play structure, and…read morepicnic shelters. Astoria Parks dept will reserve space for picnics in the shelters at the top or even weddings. Since we live a short distance away we have a lovely trail that runs up to the park. If you're coming from the shelter or pavement look for a well used trail running downhill. If you go about .2mi down this you'll find the power line grassy knoll with lovely views of the river and the high school football field. Walking around you'll realize this park was something substantial, with concrete stairways having crumbled and taken over by large trees. A fascinating history can be found here: https://www.discoverourcoast.com/coast-weekend/coastal-life/the-faded-glory-of-shively-park-once-home-to-an-impressive-12-acre-centennial-park/article_a103216c-c757-57b1-bce8-bda85aa7bee4.html Anyway, this is generally a quiet little park, joggers and dog walkers frequent it. The top knoll looks like a lovely place to stage an inexpensive wedding. Maybe i'll see you there :)

Pretty neat spot. The forest is so beautiful. At first I wasn't going to go on the trail because I…read moreget nervous about hiking alone but I met a woman who was going the same way so that made me feel more comfortable about doing it alone and then I went a few mins later. It was a beautiful trail. It felt like I was in a magical forest. Short hike with a beautiful view of the river. So glad I did it.

This is an incredible stop. The view is breathtaking…read more One warning: the building is pitch black. The images I took were with three people's flashlights on. I walked in first ( in flip flops) and was submerged nearly to my ankle in shrek sludge! That water is deeper than it looks.

It was unfortunately raining pretty hard when we visited, so we were only able to briefly explore…read morethe batteries. Anyways, Fort Columbia State Park is considered one of the most intact historic coastal defense sites in the U.S, and it's built like a tank. Many of the structures are still intact. I'll have to come back as we visited during the off season, and so The Interpretive Center was closed as was were the other buildings. There are also two vacation houses for rent on park property, so if you're a history buff, definitely check it out and stay a night!

We are from out of town. The directions on Yelp were not correct. Name is the Eben H Carruthers…read moreMemorial Dog Park. Small dog park mostly grass. Large dog park mostly sandy in the middle. Grass on the sides. Grass could use a trimming. Hard to find balls. Plenty of room for chasing ball And playing. There is even restroom next to dog park.

It has been about two years since my first review. And am It is a really great dog park. My husband…read moreand I have just learned to ignore the woman that's not very nice.

Fort Clatsop was one of the most memorable historical sites we visited on our Oregon Coast road…read moretrip. Even if you're not a huge history buff, this place does an incredible job of bringing the Lewis and Clark Expedition to life. Walking through the reconstructed fort made it easy to imagine what life was like for the Corps of Discovery as they spent the winter of 1805-1806 preparing for the long journey home. The visitor center is well done, with informative exhibits, friendly park rangers, and plenty of historical information that adds context before you explore the fort. The reconstruction itself is impressive, and the surrounding forest helps create an authentic atmosphere. It's amazing to think that after traveling more than 4,000 miles, Lewis and Clark and their team called this place home for 106 days. The walking trails around the fort are peaceful and beautifully maintained, making it easy to spend a couple of hours exploring the area. We appreciated how clean the park was and how passionate the staff were about sharing the site's history. Whether you're interested in American history, the Oregon Coast, or simply looking for a unique stop near Astoria, Fort Clatsop is well worth visiting. It's educational without feeling overwhelming, family-friendly, and offers a deeper appreciation for one of the greatest expeditions in American history. I would absolutely recommend adding it to your itinerary. Check out our video on our socials @reessroots

Fort Clatsop is part of this area. The museum and movies were excellent. I did not realize how…read morelittle I really knew about the Lewis and Clark expedition until I saw all the history in the exhibits. If you have your National Park pass make sure to take it for free admission.

This is a really cool park to explore. It has a nice view of the water and lots of benches and…read moregrass to sit on. We got some lunch across the street and enjoyed it here. This park tells the history of the area and and has a bunch of trolls throughout the park to find. Each one has their own story. There is also a section with flags from all the Nordic countries. It was a really nice place to spend the afternoon. They also had a brand new, very clean bathroom that looked like it had just been put in, so that was nice too. The whole park felt clean and safe and I learned a lot.

August 1, 2025 - Astoria…read more This small park pays tribute to the contributions of Scandinavian immigrants from the late 1800s and early 1900s through fun and engaging displays. The steps leading up the path are inscribed with the names of the countries the immigrants came from. And the trolls--so cute and photogenic! The decorative arch adorned with national flags, the steamer trunks, and the photos of actual immigrants (the profession stones) make this a must-see while in Astoria." Note: The website for Astoria Nordic Park has stories to go along with each of the trolls. If you have kids (or even if you don't), it might be fun to check it out before you visit the park. From the website: "The six trolls in the Nordic Park are assumed to be immigrants. Viktor brought his grandfather's pipe to remind him of his grandfather. Margit needed new friends in a new country so she found Fat Cat. Olle (pronounced Oh-luh) could only bring one toy but sometimes visitors to the park bring him new ones. Sven brought his accordion and remembers the old tunes so people in Astoria can dance them too. Annette (pronounced Annettah) is outgoing and likes to sing with the sea lions. Come at night and maybe you'll hear her. Leif (pronounced lafe) is very shy because he grew up in a cave so he hides under a leaf." Check out the website for their full stories! (And audio playlists!)

I have mixed feelings how eligible some state parks are in Washington. Some are absolutely stellar,…read moreout of this world, highly memorable and beautiful and some that are simply underwhelming or disappointing even. Well that's not the case at all with Cape Disappointment State Park. It is truly an amazing place. You get to see two lighthouses, beautiful views, the ocean and if you're lucky maybe even a whale. Which is exactly what we did see. We saw a Gray Whale lazing about in the water with it's fin treading water before quietly disappearing into the water. Of course taking in nature walks and hikes are a good option here too if it suits your fancy. I can definitely recommend very highly in regards to visiting this lovely park. It's truly a great one for the state!

This is a must! It is so beautiful, well maintained. Weather wasn't the best but could drive around…read moremost of the park. Took the wrong road and didn't get to the ocean side. Dog didn't enjoy the road on the bay side, to many turns and up and down.

I enjoyed our visit back in June 2018…read more I was looking at some photos from that trip and just realized I never wrote a review. We didn't wander around near the ship for long but I have good memories of the beach walk and love that it's likely to look different each visit (and in each photo you see) due to the sand and tides.

After lunch we took a drive to see the shipwreck. It was a BEAUTIFUL sunny afternoon and was high…read moretide. Been here years ago and it was as just as stunning as it was then. Will return at low tide.