• About Us
  • US Maps
  • US Camping
    • CAMPING MAP
    • MT
    • AL
    • NC
    • AZ
    • ND
    • CA
    • NE
    • CO
    • NJ
    • FL
    • NM
    • GA
    • NV
    • IA
    • NY
    • ID
    • OR
    • IL
    • PA
    • KY
    • SC
    • LA
    • SD
    • MA
    • TN
    • MD
    • TX
    • ME
    • UT
    • MI
    • VA
    • MN
    • WA
    • MO
    • WY
  • US Travel Tales
    • Travel Map
    • MO
    • AL
    • NC
    • AZ
    • ND
    • CA
    • NE
    • CO
    • NM
    • FL
    • NV
    • GA
    • NY
    • IA
    • OR
    • ID
    • PA
    • IL
    • SC
    • KY
    • SD
    • LA
    • TN
    • MA
    • TX
    • MD
    • UT
    • ME
    • VA
    • MI
    • WA
    • MN
    • WY
  • Boondocking
    • Boondocking How To
    • Boondocking Sites
  • US RVing Tips
    • Overview (All Topics)
    • RVing With Pets
    • RV Lifestyle Tips
    • Volunteering & Hosting
    • Solar Power
    • Health Care
    • RV Mods & Upgrades
    • US Blog Links & Resources

Wheeling It: Tales From a Nomadic Life

On the Road Since 2010, Traveling Across USA & Europe With Pets

  • Europe Tips
  • Europe Travel Maps
  • Europe Travel Tales
    • Denmark
    • Spain
    • France
    • Sweden
    • Germany
    • UK
    • Portugal
  • Europe Blog Links & Resources
  • Privacy Policy

City RV Park Review – Pier 38 RV Park, Astoria, OR

July 29, 2015 by libertatemamo 35 Comments

Looking across from our RV park at the Rogue Brewery
Looking across from our RV park at the Rogue Brewery

Pre-Post Note/ According to latest info from blog readers (see comments) this RV PARK HAS SHUT DOWN As of SEPT 1st, 2016. So, unfortunately this is no longer an option for RVers visiting Astoria. See “Other Camping” section (below) for other places to camp in the area.

A very basic “no frills”, but excellently-located city-owned park on the waterfront in Astoria, NW OR

Link to park here (Facebook Page): Pier 38 RV Park
Link to map location here: Pier 38 RV Park

  1. Site quality = 2/5
    Site quality here is best described as very basic. The park is simply several rows of parking area (dirt/grass) with areas approximately divided into sites. There are a range of hookups available from dry to full (50Amp/water/sewer) and sites are mostly level, but not entirely so (we had to use levelers). No picnic table, “sitting area” or privacy between sites and the road getting in has a few bumps/holes. The upside? Most sites do have slices of water views of the Columbia River.
  2. Facilities = 1/5
    Not really anything in terms of facilities here. No toilet, showers, laundry, WiFi or other.
  3. Location = 5/5
    Location is the ENTIRE reason to stay here, and honestly it couldn’t be much better. You are right on the waterfront in Astoria, opposite Pier 39 (with the most excellent Rogue Brewery & Coffee Girl) and next to the riverwalk trail (a lovely ~1 mile walk/bike to downtown) and the historic trolley (you can catch the trolley RIGHT by the park). We biked everywhere and didn’t use our car once the entire time we stayed here.
  4. Pet friendliness = 5/5
    Very dog-friendly spot. The park is right next to a large field and the wonderful riverwalk trail. Lots of space to walk doggie. Extra bonus? Rogue Brewery & Coffee Girl (both just across the way over the wooden plank bridge) are both establishments with outdoor dog-friendly seating.

Overall rating = 3.25
BONUS ALERT = Camp right on the riverwalk trail in Astoria, OR!

Summary: I’ll be the first to say that is not a park for everyone, but I have to admit we (personally) enjoyed it. We chose to stay here on a heavily-booked week-end where almost everything else (incl. the 2 state parks) in the area was booked solid (this park is first-come-first-serve), and ended up staying a full 5 days. This park is right off the main road (Hwy 30) and has ~30 or so sites, only ~10 or so of which are open at any one time. On the surface this park is best described as “run down”. Sites are really nothing more than open spots to park on dirt/grass and there is no landscaping, separation, privacy or any of the facilities or amenities that you’d usually expect in a regular RV park. There are a range of hookups from dry to full, but otherwise zero other site extras, plus you will hear some road noise from Hwy 30. This is a basic NO FRILLS park, folks and you have to take it as-is. Also, many of the sites are taken up by permanents in older rigs so if this bothers you, you won’t like the place at all. If however, you’re like us and you don’t care at all what the park or the neighbors rigs look like then you’ll find yourself in a friendly place and most excellent location to explore wonderful Astoria. This park is the only “in city” park in town and it’s right on the Columbia River waterfront (several sites have water views or slices of water views), next to the wonderful riverwalk trail (only ~1 mile into downtown) and the historic trolley (there’s a stop right at the park), within walking distance of Safeway and just across the way (over the wooden plank bridge) from the most excellent (and dog-friendly) establishments of Rogue Brewery and Coffee Girl. While we were here we met several of our neighbors (all were nice), biked into town daily and enjoyed the location most thoroughly. Like I said, not for everyone, but if we need a place to stay in Astoria we’ll definitely be back.

Note/ A few “quirks” of this park which you should know if you come here -> sites are first-come-first-serve (at least I know of no official way to book them) and the main office is usually closed, so if you come here your best bet is simply to park in an open spot and search out the manager in his trailer (he is in site 26 on the left-hand row towards the river). Also, site pricing depends on what hookups you chose and doesn’t appear to be completely fixed (?).  I believe the “official” price is $40/night for full hookups, but if you ask for less hookups, you’ll likely get a discount (we paid $25/night for electric only).

Extra Info: Excellent Verizon & ATT signal (4-5 bars of LTE ). No on-site amenities, but there is a cheap laundry inside Pier 39 across the plank bridge (2 machines located inside the building).

Extra Info – OTHER CAMPING? There are plenty of other parks available in this area including two State Parks (Fort Stevens & Cape Disappointment, both of which we have stayed at and enjoyed), as well as a very well-rated private RV park which many rave about (Lewis & Clark Golf & RV). No legal boondocking that I know of.

View of entry into park from main road
View of entry into park from main road (Hwy 30)
Front view of our site. When I took this pic the 2 sites next to us were empty.
Front view of our site. When I took this pic the sites on each side of us were empty. Hwy 30 is behind us, one row back.
View down the park road towards our site.
Front view of our site. Here the sites on either side of us are empty.
Back view of our site
Back view of our site. Here the site on the left is empty, the site on the right is taken. Our site had full hookups, but we only used electric.
View of the park from the side. Notice the big green field in front of the sites.
View of the park from the side. Notice the big green field in front of the sites.
View from our RV down the main park "road". Just a few sites on the left and right here, most of which are taken by permanents.
View from our RV down the main park “road”. Just a few sites on the left and right here, most of which are taken by permanents. The red thing at the end of the road is a cargo ship on the Columbia River.
One of water-view sites. Notice how close we are to the water & riverfront trail.
One of water-view sites. Notice how close we are to the water & riverfront trail.
View of main office. This is often closed. The park manager is usually in his trailer site 26.
View of main office. This is often closed. The park manager is usually in his trailer in site 26.
Walking Polly along the riverfront trail right next to our park
Walking Polly along the riverfront trail right next to our park. That’s Rogue Brewery on the left. The rails on the right are the historic trolley that goes into town.

Share this:

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

« Back To Lighthouse Hosting – Cape Disappointment, WA
Drool-Worthy Announcement(s) »

We LOooVE Comments, So Please Do

  1. heyduke says

    July 30, 2015 at 4:04 am

    I was totally unaware of that park… we have no problem staying at sub par parks if the location more than makes up for it. That is typically true the closer one wishes to stay near a metropolitan area…

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      July 30, 2015 at 8:14 am

      Yup, that exactly describes the place here. In fact I’ve heard folks describe this particular park in even more “harsh” terms. I know many who would never chose to stay here which suits me just fine. More space for us 🙂

      Nina

      Reply
  2. Suzanne says

    July 30, 2015 at 7:02 am

    Loved reading this review, as I have such fond memories of my time there. Parked on a grassy lot was perfect for me, because there were so many cool things in Astoria to do, I only slept there….after a tasty Stout at the Rogue Brewery, of course. 😉 That bike trail goes quite a good ways in the opposite direction also, across some railroad trestles, and through some pretty marshlands. Just a great place, and I hope they keep it scruffy looking so I can have a space next time I go back. 😉

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      July 30, 2015 at 8:15 am

      Your post on Astoria (and your time in this park) was definitely inspirational for us choosing to stay here. I hope it stays scruffy too.

      Nina

      Reply
  3. George says

    July 30, 2015 at 7:25 am

    Great article, great pics! Always a learning experience here! Thanks…George

    Reply
  4. Jodee Gravel says

    July 30, 2015 at 8:10 am

    How is the access from the road? Astoria is pretty tight and taking a wrong turn can get a rig in trouble. I would love this place and wish I’d remembered it when we reserved for Astoria – just for the great access to town 🙂 Lewis and Clark was very nice (loved having the lawn around the rig for Tessa), but no where to walk from the park and not close to anything. We’re off to Quilete this morning :-))))

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      July 30, 2015 at 8:17 am

      Access from the road is super easy. It is literally right off Hwy 30. In fact the first pic at the bottom of the blog (the pic of the park sign and entrance) was taken standing on Hwy 30.

      Nina

      Reply
  5. Robyn D says

    July 30, 2015 at 5:50 pm

    We skipped Astoria this trip, too crowded. Had a great time at Fort Stevens. May have to check out that park next time.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      July 31, 2015 at 8:26 am

      We’ve always enjoyed Fort Stevens although it can get crazy busy there in summer. The beach is just gorgeous.

      Nina

      Reply
  6. Margie Halsell says

    July 30, 2015 at 11:09 pm

    Thanks so much for sharing this information. Sounds heavenly to me. The view of the river, the waterfront walk and simplicity looks great.
    I am so deeply sorry for the loss of your loved one.
    Margie

    Reply
  7. Sandybee says

    July 31, 2015 at 12:39 am

    There is another little known RV park at Hammond Marina, just north of Fort Stevens. $25/night full hookups last year. It has showers and laundry. We were there on the 4th of July and were able to walk to a nearby park and watch the fireworks up and down the Washington side of the Columbia as well as Astoria. We would stay there again.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      July 31, 2015 at 8:25 am

      Nice tip! I know exactly where that park is and have driven past it several times, but gave never stayed. The price and location are right.

      Nina

      Reply
  8. John says

    July 31, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    I really enjoy your reviews. I have a 45 motorhome. I was wondering if you know if there are length limitations at the campsites you visit? It would be really nice if your could include that info in your reviews.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      July 31, 2015 at 1:46 pm

      No limitations at this particular spot. Although I don’t list specific size limits in my reviews, I’ll always mention if the campground is not suited for big rigs, or if 40-foot is the max.

      Nina

      Reply
      • John says

        July 31, 2015 at 1:47 pm

        Excellent. Thank you.

        Reply
  9. Shannon says

    July 31, 2015 at 1:43 pm

    Sometimes location makes everything worth it. Thanks for the review.

    Reply
  10. Neil&Linda says

    August 1, 2015 at 8:22 am

    We love all of your posts! I feel like I’m going to school because as soon as our home is sold we are moving full time into our RV and we are learning so much from all the posts that comes with your sites. We’re following faithfully in the steps of my parents. They traveled all over the USA. We hope to be leaving Florida by Thanksgiving. We won’t be able to go very far because of the winter season. But we are still leaving. We both will be 70 by then and our children tell us we are the new 60. We are so happy that we found your blog site as your experiences and knowledge is very important to us. Thank you for any advice you can give to us as we begin the next chapter in our life. God bless you and all who participate in putting out good information.

    Neil&Linda

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 1, 2015 at 4:20 pm

      Well thanks for following along on our journey and a HUGE congrats on your upcoming adventures! I hope the road turns out to be everything you dreamed of!!

      Nina

      Reply
  11. Paula says

    August 1, 2015 at 9:16 am

    Thank you for another super helpful post. Location is key for us so this park recommendation will come in handy as we head up to the PNW this springs/summer.

    One question – we are newbie fulltimers (just started in March) and like you have a 40′ beast. I assume your rig has auto-levelers so when you say, “sites are mostly level, but not entirely so (we had to use levelers).” are you referring to your auto-levelers or jack pads/tire levelers? If it’s external levelers how do those work with the auto-levelers? I’ve tried to research this but haven’t come up with anything that discusses this combination in detail. We could use a little more leveling at our current site! Thanks, Paula

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 1, 2015 at 4:23 pm

      Yes, our rig has auto-leveling, but we don’t like to push them too far (I’m very insistent on all wheels being down at all times). So we often use Lynx Leveling blocks under the wheels to get the rig closer to level and just use the auto-leveling to do final adjustments. If we use blocks under the wheels we’ll also use blocks under the jack pads (so they don’t over-extend).

      You can see what our entire leveling scheme looks like here:
      https://www.wheelingit.us/2010/10/25/supporting-leveling-the-rv/

      Hope that helps to explain it!

      Nina

      Reply
      • Paula says

        August 1, 2015 at 8:02 pm

        Thanks, that’s extremely helpful! We’ve seen some crazy leveling since we started (my favorite was the one with the front tires a foot and a half off the ground!) so glad to know the correct way to do it! We used those Lynx levelers with our 22′ RV but just assumed our 40’er would smash them. Should have thought to search your site first. The next rainy day I need to have a Nina marathon and read all of your posts!

        Reply
        • libertatemamo says

          August 1, 2015 at 8:05 pm

          Glad it helped! We’ve had the same Lynx Levelers for 5 years now and only one piece has cracked. I never thought they’d be able to handle our “beastly” weight, but they seem to hold up just fine. We love them!

          Nina

          Reply
  12. Melinda says

    August 12, 2015 at 6:51 am

    Love your post. We stayed at the Lewis & Clark campground the end of June, 2015.

    Reply
  13. Bob says

    August 18, 2015 at 5:55 pm

    Great review Nina! Close to Coffee and a brewery, how can you go wrong! Did you ever see this park fill up to capacity? I am planning on visiting Astoria in a month and arriving on a Friday. Do you need to show up in the middle of the week to get a spot? Your blog is invaluable in researching our travels, Thank You!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 18, 2015 at 6:44 pm

      We didn’t see it fill the whole time we were there, and we arrived on a Friday too. Hopefully there will be space when you get here. Enjoy!!

      Nina

      Reply
  14. Diane says

    August 21, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    We are sitting in this park as I post this. You also get seal serenading. Loving it. Thanks for the info. We aren’t able to check into cape disappointment until Sunday so great hold over spot. Just left behind a heavenly 3 week stay at Grayland Beach. Highly recommended this area as well. Great weather right now. Lovely beach.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 21, 2015 at 5:37 pm

      Awesome!! Highly recommend checking out the Astoria farmers market on Sunday morning before you make your way over here. We’ll be in the lighthouse AM shift (10:00-13:30) Wed-Sat next week if you decide to drop by.

      Nina

      Reply
      • Diane and Casey says

        August 24, 2015 at 12:56 pm

        Thanks for the suggestion. One of the best farmers market I’ve been to. May have to go back next Sunday. We may check out the light house if so we’ll try to make that time frame and say hello. Enjoy your final days here. It’s so gorgeous.

        Reply
        • libertatemamo says

          August 24, 2015 at 5:40 pm

          Excellent! We go every Sunday to that Astoria market. It’s one of our favs on the coast. There’s a smaller, but still quite nice market in Ilwaco on Saturdays so you can check that out when you’re on this side.

          Nina

          Reply
  15. Harry Salit says

    August 10, 2016 at 9:48 am

    Update, website says it closed, not true, but it is closing Sept 1 according to the temporary manager.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 10, 2016 at 12:44 pm

      Bummer!! Do you know if the closure is permanent?

      Nina

      Reply
    • Harry says

      August 10, 2016 at 5:32 pm

      The temp mngr sounded like it was, said to call the visitors center to get the latest. We were very dissapointed to read on web that it was closed so made arrangements to stay elsewhere. While in Astoria decided to drive by and were shocked to see over dozen rvs
      The temp said the previous manager was upset over being let go so he posted the closure on the web!!!!! They don’t know how to correct the post.

      I very much enjoy your blog and stayed at many cg’s that you recommended.

      But did not think much of Quinalt casino, maybe the shrubs have grown up but we could not see the ocean!!! Sites not level & now they charge $10/day on weekends!!!

      Then Kalaloch was very nice in the right site. South Beach also good with ocean views from almost all sites.

      Reply
      • libertatemamo says

        August 10, 2016 at 5:46 pm

        Interesting little drama. Cheers for the extra info. I’ll try to keep an eye on it and see where this goes.

        Nina

        Reply
        • Suzanne says

          August 16, 2016 at 12:54 pm

          Hi, Nina — I am trying to head there this weekend, but all phone numbers lead to Chad, the former manager, who I believe may have been ousted. There is no phone number, no way to make a reservation, and no one seems to have a contact. I may get brave enough to try it anyway. Just a little leery since it’s the weekend, but if I get in, I’ll try to find out the scoop.

          Suzanne

          Reply
  16. Harry says

    August 16, 2016 at 2:13 pm

    The temp manager said to call the Visitors Center for latest about Pier 38. They will close sept 1

    Reply

A Comment For Your Thoughts? Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Where Are We Today?

Home Base, SW France

About Us

Europe Travel Maps

Top Blog Posts

  • Moving To Europe V - Pet Transport Options (By Sea, By Air, Pet Carriers & More)
  • 8 Tips For Visiting & Photographing Niagara Falls
  • The Splendor Of Scenic Highway 395
  • Château Living Part II – Interior Details
  • SP Campground Review - Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Jupiter, FL

Archives

Subscribe Via Email

Disclosure Notice: WheelingIt is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Wheelingit US Camping Map

Reviews of every place we camped 2010-2018. Click to explore and enjoy!

Connect With Us

Want more Wheelingit? Connect with us by subscribing to one of our feeds!
 
Twitter Instagram
RSS YouTube

Tip The Beer Fund

Feeling the love? Share it with a contribution towards the Wheelingit beer fund (or rum fund, depending on weather & other random factors). We'll be sure to raise a glass to your health!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
COPYRIGHT INFO © 2024 Wheeling It. Share and enjoy, but please don't swipe it. All material, text and pictures in this blog are copyrighted. Should you be interested in using them please feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to talk about it!

© 2025 · Wheelingit · Built on the Genesis Framework

This website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience Got It!
To find out more, or learn how to change your cookie settings, click here Read more
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d