The oldest Anglo settlement west of the Rockies is being discovered again.

Astoria is experiencing a record number of visitors at various attractions, including the multiple museums and parks.

Locals say the obvious reasons for the uptick in tourism is due to the mild weather this past winter and even the large number of sea lions drawing visitors to the waterfront.

Columbia River Maritime Museum Executive Director Sam Johnson agrees the weather has played a role in bringing people to the North Coast. Poor snowfall in the Cascades this winter brought people, who ordinarily would have been skiing, he said.

“That is possible, but I also think Astoria is becoming a ‘go to’ place,” Johnson said. “It is reasonably close to Portland and is just a nice place to be. With good restaurants, brew pubs, interesting shops, etc., and spectacular views, we are a good choice for a day or weekend trip.”

The visitation trend in Astoria has been increasing over the past few years.

Since 2012, the Maritime Museum increased from about 88,000 visitors annually to more than 105,000 in 2014, which is one of the best years in the museum’s history.

“For us, some of this is due to a determined effort to market the museum on the coast and in the Portland metro area, along with new exhibits and the 3-D films that now draw many to the museum,” Johnson said. “But obviously there is more going on outside the museum that is affecting the entire North Coast.”

The Clatsop County Historical Society, which oversees the Flavel House Museum, Oregon Film Museum and Heritage Museum, is seeing a similar spike in attendance.

McAndrew Burns, executive director of the Historical Society, said it has been an extraordinary two years of growth for the nonprofit.

In 2013, the Heritage Museum had 31 percent growth in visitation, followed by a 63 percent rise in 2014.

The Oregon Film Museum, which opened in 2010, steadily increased from about 9,000 visitors the first year to more than 25,000 in 2014.

“It’s incredible when you look at the size of the building, and we have done very little advertising,” Burns said of the film museum. “It’s kind of amazing it’s grown so quickly.”

The Flavel House Museum had its best year ever in 2014 with a 20 percent increase in attendance, after increasing 12 percent in 2013.

Overall, more than 63,000 visitors came to the Historical Society’s museums in 2014.

“I think we have been a little known gem for quite some time that people are finally discovering,” Burns said.

Burns credits part of the increased attendance to a discounted joint ticket to all the museums. The joint ticket program started about two years ago and allows visitors to visit all three museums with the same ticket. The joint tickets have increased foot traffic from one museum to another, Burns said.

In addition, the Historical Society partnered with the Riverwalk Inn and the American Empress steamship to attract more visitors.

Guests at the Riverwalk Inn are offered joint tickets to the museums with their stay.

Passengers on the American Empress steamship can show their boarding passes, which act as tickets to the museums.

“We all like to say in the tourism business that Astoria, the coast and Clatsop County have been discovered,” Burns said. “A lot of that discovery is self-made.”

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park welcomed its 9 millionth visitor earlier this year dating back to the park’s formation in 1961. Since its inaugural year, the national park has seen annual attendance grow from 69,000 to nearly 245,000 last year.

Park Superintendent Scott Tucker said his park is reaching the same attendance levels it had during the Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebration a decade ago.

Since 2011, the national park increased attendance 25 percent.

Many of the visitors are locals, Tucker said. The national park has attracted locals by adding 15 miles of hiking trails, kayak tours and other recreational opportunities. An extended outreach to local schools is another factor, according to Tucker.

“The public is looking for outdoor experiences and looking for ways to get families out into nature,” he said.

At Fort Stevens State Park, the campsites are filling up more than ever. Campsites occupied in March increased by 1,753 or 64 percent compared to March 2014.

Mike Stein, North Coast district manager for Fort Stevens State Park, said cheaper gas prices and a steady economy have encouraged people to take more trips to the state park.

“The coastal economy is humming. I think that is good for us,” Stein said. “Even today, we see our occupancy this coming weekend looks really good.”

Skip Hauke, executive director of the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce, said he has seen the Astoria area change for the better in the past decade since he joined the chamber.

“We kept the character,” Hauke said. “Yes, we are a tourist destination, but we are not a touristy town. We have a lot of shops downtown, and they are unique shops.”

Along with the efforts made by the museums and parks, Hauke is impressed with the work local businesses have done to attract visitors.

“People are happy to come here. They are getting good service, good products, good food,” Hauke said. “People won’t come back if they are not happy.”