A gray, drizzly day in Astoria, Oregon: sea lions, the Megler Bridge and The Goonies

Astoria-Megler Bridge

November 10, 2025

Astoria sits right where the Columbia River meets the Pacific, and it's a nice place to stop when you're driving between Tacoma and the Oregon Coast. It's also where most of The Goonies was filmed, which is reason enough on its own. Euri and I spent a day there on November 10, 2025. It was gray and drizzly the whole time, which is very Astoria.

We didn't have much of a plan. We walked around a lot, browsed the shops, and spent a good chunk of time watching the sea lions.

The sea lions

The highlight was the sea lions. A big pile of them was hauled out on a dock under the waterfront, sleeping on top of each other, yawning, grumbling, and generally not caring who was watching. California sea lions gather on Astoria's docks after feeding on salmon in the Columbia.

A pile of sea lions sleeping on a dock beneath the waterfront

Sea lions piled on a dock, one with its mouth open mid-yawn

The Astoria-Megler Bridge

The other highlight was the bridge. The Astoria-Megler Bridge runs about four miles across the mouth of the Columbia River to Washington, and it's the longest continuous truss bridge in North America. It opened in 1966. Standing underneath it, with the green steel disappearing into the mist, it's pretty magnificent.

Near the bridge, there's an arch dedicated to Rae Goforth, the "Mayor of Uniontown," who pushed for improvements in that part of town and for the park itself.

Jereme with a coffee in front of the arch dedicated to Rae Goforth

Walking the waterfront

Astoria's waterfront is lined with old pilings, the leftovers of canneries and docks that used to cover the river. Some of the old machinery is still out there, rusting in place. We spotted a great blue heron tucked into an old boiler sitting on top of a concrete pier.

Rows of old pilings in the river, with the red Cannery Pier Hotel in the distance

A rusting old boiler on a moss-covered concrete pier, with a great blue heron sheltering beneath it

Down by the Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Lightship Columbia is moored on the waterfront, with a huge anchor out front. We didn't go into the museum this time, but I did climb up on the anchor.

Jereme standing inside a giant anchor, with the red Lightship Columbia behind him

Jereme and Euri taking a selfie in front of the anchor and the Lightship Columbia

It was a good stop. Bring a rain jacket, say hi to the sea lions, and take a minute to stand under the bridge. For more around the Northwest, see my Washington travel posts.