Ideas for month-long CA/WA/OR road trip

Old May 24th, 2017, 03:04 PM
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Ideas for month-long CA/WA/OR road trip

If you had a month -- mid June to mid July -- to road trip it up California through the Pacific Northwest, with a focus on national and state parks and wilderness areas, how might you break down that time? Tent camping, day hiking, eating mostly from grocery stores and cooking ourselves. And we've never been to Yosemite or seen the redwoods, so they are the top priority. I know the time of year is crazy-busy but work and school require that time of year for us. this is not for next year, but beginning to sketch out some ideas for 2019.
Would particularly love: a) don't-miss spots b) best routes between these and c) where to spend the most time.
Driving a van, so no RV requirements. Don't like harrowing roads.
thanks for ideas!
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Old May 24th, 2017, 03:38 PM
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In Crater Lake NP, try for a camping spot in the Pinnacles road area which is in the SE quadrant.
Going toward Bend take the Cascade Lake Highway which has many good campgrounds. Go north from the Crescent Cutoff road to get on the south end of the Cascade Lakes Hwy.
There is no guarantee that there will be a lot of snow on Mt. Bachelor next year or the year after but this year (2017) there will be skiing on July 2, 3 and 4. The chair lifts will be running.
There are a few camping spots in Oregon in the Columbia Gorge area.
In Washington try for a spot in the La WisWis campground east of Packwood. Be sure to see Mt. Rainier.
Take the coastal route southbound.
There are some nice State Park campgrounds in coastal Oregon.
Some of them have yurts.
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Old May 24th, 2017, 03:41 PM
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Have been all over the three states.

My favorite place in California is gold country. Look up california cavern, Columbia historic park, natural bridge swimming hole.

In general, California has some really cool history. SF would be a priority. The California missions would be a priority. I love the foriestere underground garden in Fresno and I'd probably go to one or more ghost towns. Kayaking Channel Islands NP sea caves- don't miss that.

I know you said camp, but there are two hostels in California that are old lighthouse properties. I'd make that a priority.

Redwoods deserve at least 4 days, probably 2 camping locations.


This of course there's the obvious Disney and other theme parks. Good chance for a mindless day or two. I know you're mostly into nature, but don't neglect the cities. LA is a cultural icon.

Ashland, Oregon has a famous Shakespeare festival, and it's not just Shakespeare- also musicals. I'd make that a priority. The Oregon coast is glorious and I'd want to do some extensive exploring there. The gorge and the coast are two of the best scenic drives in the west.

Washington- get out on the ferries certainly. Also visit the ONP, Chihuly glass, neah bay museum.

Are you flying? Or driving? Because if you are flying, you'll see a lot more if you fly open jaw into San Diego and out of Seattle. I think a lot of people don't realize how big these states are. I've done a one month trip through California. And there's a lot I missed. Buy some guide books, get a sense of what you want to see.

In terms of camping, the most important thing is that you need to book your sites as soon as they open for booking. So for summer 2019, you need to have a solid plan ready to roll with in early January. I cannot emphasize that enough. You WON'T get consecutive nights you want in coastal state parks if you try to book in March. You won't get weekends if you book in Feb. it goes fast. There are some really cool state owned properties that get snapped up the minute the become available. Yosemite campsites are even harder to snag.

Come back after you do some more research so we can give you better advice based on your family and route.
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Old May 24th, 2017, 04:03 PM
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It would be useful to know if the van is your own and if you'll be driving here from outside the state. It would give us, if you haven't already decided, a starting point. And if you could just as well go north to south, etc.
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Old May 24th, 2017, 04:32 PM
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Thanks so much for the advice so far! I know this will probably sound nuts, but it's our own van and we'd be coming from NC, probably across I-40. We've seen GCNP and some in Utah so were going to make this adventure about CA and north. So we'd be coming from the south. We can make it to CA in four very long days (again, I am sure that sounds nuts, but we have done that before). The route home will be circuitous and I'm not including that in the month. I appreciate the advice so far. It's two adults, two middle school kids who are into hiking, ranger walks, camping, etc. I would like to experience some of the natural history along the Pacific, however, and learn more about that ecosystem, at least in one location. I knew this forum would have folks familiar with the lesser-known places, and state parks, etc.

Again, thank you for making the time to share your expertise!
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Old May 25th, 2017, 05:25 AM
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Some general comments to factor into your plans...

June is NOT summer in much of the Pacific NW, especially in the mountains. Here it is almost Memorial Day weekend and there's still 12 feet of snow on the ground at the main visitor center on Mt. Rainier. The rim road around Crater Lake isn't usually fully open until well into June or July, and they're still skiing at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. In the lowlands, the saying in Seattle is that summer starts on the 5th of July; often the fireworks the previous night result in bright clouds.

On the California coast the "June gloom" phenomenon is possible all the way from the redwoods LA - overcast days with the only sunshine, if any, right at the end of the day. Inland in California it can be heating up quickly; the desert areas can easily be hitting 100F by the end of June.

All of which is to suggest (duh) that planning needs to take local conditions into account. Generally speaking, in June-July a south-to-north itinerary is the best bet. In June you'll get the best waterfall experiences in Yosemite and the Columbia Gorge; the gold rush country in California, the Napa, Willamette and Hood River valleys will be at their best. In July interior California will be heating up, conditions in the redwoods and Olympic National Park will be a little drier and more visitor-friendly, and you'll have more options for hikes and visits in alpine areas - from the Sierras to the Cascades, the Wallowas and Olympics.

Crowds and high costs will be a factor everywhere, but especially in national parks (particularly Yosemite) and in the major cities. Seattle and Vancouver, where the Alaska cruise industry draws many thousands of visitors daily, can be breathtakingly expensive in the summer.

So plan ahead and don't be bashful about making accommodation bookings way, way in advance, particularly in places like Yosemite or around Olympic National Park. Be mindful that some places are not very visitor-friendly in the summer; they don't call it Death Valley for nothing, y'know.

And look for some out-of-the-way options. I mentioned the gold rush country; add to that list Joseph and the Wallowa mountains, Hood River and the Hood River Valley in Oregon, the Pend Oreille country in NW Washington up to the (amazing) Kootenays in British Columbia, and on and on.

Happy planning!
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Old May 25th, 2017, 06:03 AM
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thank you! this is all so useful and I appreciate it!
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Old May 25th, 2017, 11:30 AM
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Sounds like a nice trip overall (well, except for the camping, not my thing - be aware that the water in the Pacific Ocean is cold, many people are surprised by this.
I'd start south, either in LA or San Diego, and drive north via Highway 1 and also include Yosemite. Gold country is really worthwhile along with visiting one or two of our missions which someone else mentioned. The missions in Carmel and Santa Barbara are two of the prettiest, also I like San Luis Rey near Oceanside.
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Old Jun 7th, 2017, 11:38 AM
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The Redwoods are amazing and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is a great campground, but you will need to reserve way in advance. There are a couple great hikes close to the campground, but you do have to drive 4-5 miles on a narrow bumpy road. It is so worth it though. The hikes are called Stout Grove, and the Boy Scout Trail. They are both on the same road and considered 2 of the top hikes in the redwoods. http://www.redwoodhikes.com/JedSmith/BoyScout.html
Heading up the coast into Oregon check out Samuel Boardman Scenic Corridor You'll never forget it! In the corridor make sure not to miss Natural Bridges. It's easy to drive right by, so look for the small pull outs right on HWY 101. Keep the kids with you, as there are cliffs and you will want to stay on the trail. One of our favorite campgrounds near Port Orford is Humbug Mountain State Park. You will love it! The drive up the Oregon Coast is really spectacular! Get some more tips, and ideas on the Oregon Coast here...http://oregoncoastexplored.com/
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Old Jun 8th, 2017, 12:13 AM
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Tent camping reservations--

In Oregon, Bend in particular can be tough. If the two state parks (Cove Palisades and LaPine) are full, the private Thousand Trails in Sunriver is particularly a good one. More woodsy like a state park and a nice pool.

We have camped in the Wallowas and the state park on Wallowa Lake is nice. It's also really popular as people come down from Idaho too. We and our friends booked two of the last four tent spots nearly 3 months ahead.

With your longer trip, I'd suggest you go through the John Day National Monument, perhaps on your way to the Wallowas Gardyloo mentioned. There are three sections to it, you won't have time for them all but check them out online and see what you like.

As an alternative if you cannot get camping in Crater Lake Park, about 40 miles from the entrance is a state park called Joseph H. Stewart State Recreation Area. Be SURE you pick the right one from the website.There is a similarly named Stub Stewart state park in the Northwest corner of the state.

Jamie is right--the missions are beautiful. I have also been to Carmel. There is a poster here named maitaitom who wrote excellent writeups on many of them.
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Old Jun 8th, 2017, 05:51 AM
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On July 2,3,4 there will be skiing at Mt. Bachelor outside Bend Oregon. The chair lifts will be operating. There are some campgrounds along the Cascade Lakes Highway SW of Bend.
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