Along the Cathedral Tree Trail, find markers with the approximate age of many old-growth trees.

Just above the hilltop streets of Astoria lies a watchful treasure, an urban forest of salal, trilliums and tall hemlock trees, with abundant natural history.

Set out from the Richard Fencsak Memorial Cathedral Tree Trailhead on a path that houses a more than 300-year-old Sitka spruce, leading up to the Astoria Column. The trail is named for Fencsak, a longtime North Coast resident, runner, cyclist and outdoor enthusiast. It begins near 28th and Irving streets and follows a wide path on a gradual incline.

Allot about an hour for a round trip along the route, taking time to admire the Cathedral Tree, a sentinel of Astoria’s once plentiful old growth forests, over 8 feet in diameter with a hollow cathedral space in its trunk.

The remainder of the trail leads up wooden stairs, over walkways, quaint bridges and along forest duff-lined trails. Be careful of mud, large puddles and slick wood pieces on days after heavy rains.

Once reaching the Astoria Column, a 125-foot-tall monument built in 1926, with 64 stairs to reach the observation deck, rest in the Andorak chairs and enjoy the view of the Columbia River or climb or get a glider in the gift shop and fly it off the top. Besides the epic sweeping view, the top of Coxcomb Hill also serves as a practical stop, with restrooms and a gift shop on hand.

For those whose chosen activity is hiking rather than a visit to the Column, there is a network of connecting trails as well as random benches for resting or sack lunch.