fort stevens state park

Driving to Seaside, we were advised to stop here by staff at Flavel Museum in Astoria. Well worth it...great views of beaches, oceans and Columbia River. Saw an old shipwreck on the beach, as well as WWII gun turrets. Nice visit.

We saw the land itself, where the beach meets the Pacific Ocean on the west side of the Park, the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale, and the mouth of the Colombia River on the northeast side of the Park . It was all beautiful! We saw some of the old fort, but not all as the main part of the fort was closed at 4 pm and we ran out of time. Still a worthwhile visit and I would go again to explore more on another trip.

We accidentally happened onto Fort Stevens. It's really sad to see that this monument to brave soldiers is so poorly kept. It is my understanding that is has improved over the last couple of years but it needs help from the Government to be brought back to life. What buildings are still their have dilapidated roofs and are falling apart. If you are reading this please reach out to the state and ask that they invest in restoring this fort.

Upon arrival at Fort Stevens, we immediately started exploring the museum. We were greeted by a very kind man who was volunteering in the museum, and he shared very valuable tips for exploring the park. He also provided us with a map of Fort Stevens and a book containing all of Oregon's national parks. The fort itself was immaculately maintained, and we learned a lot about it's history, the wildlife and landscape from the very friendly and helpful volunteers. Fort Stevens definitely makes for a great day trip!

While waiting for tent camping season to begin for us, we stayed at Fort Stevens State Park in one of their excellent cabins. Our cabin had a main room, bedroom, and a bathroom with shower, toilet, and sink. The cabin included a kitchen area with a sink, microwave, and refrigerator. The refrigerator, while not gigantic, was much larger than a dorm fridge. The cabin also had a DVD player so when the sun went down and we stopped playing outside, we could watch a movie.The beds are what you would expect, passable but not extremely comfortable. It was quite a luxury having a bathroom right in the cabin so we really enjoyed that. (Although we just brought out tent camping kit and our largest towel was a hand towel. You really have to work at drying yourself off with just that.) I really like the shower! The shower head is on a bar so you can raise or lower it. I am less than 5 feet tall and I find most hotel rooms now have their shower heads mounted too high for me to reach. This works for both short and tall people.The cabin has heaters with thermostats in each room with the main room having two heating units on one thermostat. Nice to individually control each room. One of the heating units in the main room was not working but the other unit kept the room warm so it wasn't missed.This is our second trip to the park. The first trip we hiked the trails. This time we brought our bikes and rode the trails. They were very well maintained and a joy to ride. My husband saw a cow elk cross the trail just in front of us plus we saw numerous elk when we drove our car to the tip of the spit. During most of our bike rides, we were the only cyclists on the trail but this was February and a week day. Probably on the weekends and in the summer it would more crowded.About tent camping: We like to tent camp but I would not do so here. This park has only five or six tent sites in the entire park and they are located in the cabin loop. There are no restrooms in the loop which seems odd since, of all the camping types, tent campers are most in need of them. (The loops with full utilities for RVs do have restrooms but most RVs don't need them. Odd.)

If in the Astoria area - highly recommend spending some time in Fort Stevens State Park. Lots of things to do here - but we thought the coolest was the skeleton of a shipwreck. In addition to seeing this, we went to the military museum, which was interesting. Could have spent a lot more time in the park itself if we had more time in the Astoria area. Note: For those people that aren't familiar with the coast of the Pacific Northwest - that the beaches here are not like those on the Atlantic coast in the summer - we visited Fort Stevens State Park in mid July, while beautiful, it was windy and cold - had to wear jackets and pants and still were cold. But found it hauntingly beautiful with the jagged rocks and fog.

Oregonians are lucky to own this wonderful park. I have camped here many times; rode my bike here; hiked here. In the summer (particularly August) it can be a zoo - so if you don't like crowds, then you should go elsewhere. If you are visiting and just want to explore some of Oregon's coast, you can walk or ride for miles and miles here.

I visited here on Tuesday. This is a huge park and I was able to visit the area near the military museum. At this time it is only a self tour (spring has guided tours) it was amazing to see all the remains of this area.. The buildings are mostly closed off but to walk thru here you get the sense of another time. Also visited the shipwreck farther down the coast.

A great expanse of sandy space with a shipwreck is ruined by the fact that you have to watch your children closely lest they get run over by the many many cars on the road. There are too many other great beaches in Oregon to put this one on the must-see list.

Ft. Stevens provides a clear picture of American military defense before the advent of aerial warfare. The huge twelve-inch 'disappearing' coastal defense rifles made a sea-borne assault difficult if not impossible, but B-17s changed all that. Now all that is left are the redoubts and armory chambers. Great campground during non-tourist season. BTW, it is not IN Astoria; it is located across Young's Bay in Hammond/Warrenton. TIP: An entry fee here will be good for all the parks down the coast, beginning with Ecola.

This park is known for the rain and it definitely lived up to its reputation during the Pineapple Express. Saw lots of tree frogs and one rust colored salamander as we hiked the trails. The military history here is intriguing and makes for some fun climbs. Be very careful with young ones as there are holes that one can fall into.

Very cool ship to see. Great beach to walk too. It's a family and pet friendly beach. We watched a few kids get soaked when the tide rolled back in..

This is a must-stop destination whenever we are in Astoria (6-7 times a year). This former Army fort, built during WWII, is rich with history that spans two centuries. Fort Stevens also holds the dubious honor of being one of two locations on the west coast to be attacked by Japanese submarines during WWII (Gaviota Beach, north of Santa Barbara, CA, being the other.) A walk through the gun emplacements, batteries, or along hiking trails or the beach, is a great way to spend a day for the whole family. The park features a nice military museum with great exhibits -- my teenage son and 8-year old grandson can't wait to share everything they learn each time we visit. Although we stay with family in Astoria, there are terrific campsites and yurts available for anyone who wants to stay on site. The park hosts many fun family events -- historic reenactments are a favorite of our family. Whether you spend one hour, a full day, or multi-day camping trip -- this is a fun stop for everyone.

The drive from portland to Fort stevens is too good. The woods on both sides of the highway is good. Carry your meals with you as there are no restaurants around the place

Fort Stevens was a great day trip during our visit to Astoria. The hiking trails, available camp and yurt sites, and rich history of the park was well worth the visit.If travelling in colder seasons, be sure to pack and wear appropriate cold weather and wind clothing.