mdma2

We are planning our trip for the first 2 weeks in June. We would like assistance in planning the itinerary for the highlights of the Oregon Coast and the National Parks listed. Are 2 weeks ample time and where would be the best place to fly into? We will be renting a car.

janisj

>>Are 2 weeks ample time

tomfuller

16-18 days would be better but you can manage with 2 weeks.
My plan: Fly to Portland (PDX). Rent a car. Take US 26 over to US 101 on the coast. Stay 2 nights in Cannon Beach. Enjoy Haystack Rock.
Head south and see the many wonderful sights on the Oregon coast including the Oregon Coast Aquarium south of Newport.
End the southward journey on 101 near Crescent City California and Redwood NP which is several tracts of land with big Coast Redwoods.
Take US 199 back to I-5 just south of Grants Pass. Go south on I-5 to the Gold Hill exit and take Rt. 234 over to Rt. 61.
Find lodging either in Prospect, Crater Lake Lodge or Diamond Lake Resort. See Crater lake at least for a few hours.
Return to Portland via Bend, Madras, Hood River and the waterfalls of the Columbia Gorge.
Spend a day in Portland if you like. Get on the Amtrak Coast Starlight to Sacramento. The train arrives early in the morning in Sacramento. Get a good breakfast and then go rent a car in downtown Sacramento. Drive to Yosemite.
There are actually 3 groves of Sequoias within Yosemite.
If you don't find the big Sequoias you are looking for in Yosemite then go to Sequoia/Kings Canyon.
Return the car to Sacramento and fly home from there.
There is a good bus service from downtown Sacramento out to the Sacramento airport (SMF).

michelhuebeli

I would start with Yosemite, the head to the coast and go north, the reason being that you can accelerate along the coast if the end of the trip gets to be tight, but you can't really do that once you're in Yosemite at the end of the trip.

Fly into RNO or SMF or OAK or SJC or even SFO, and fly home from MFR or PDX.

For a brilliant spot on the coast I recommend www.innatottercrest.com - a three-hour drive from Portland airport,it would make a great last night or two before heading home.

janisj

>>I would start with Yosemite,

janisj

And no -- you do not have time for Crater Lake . . .

MmePerdu

" That will be your biggest issue - finding a place to sleep in Yosemite."

I live about 3 hours drive from Yosemite and, thinking about taking my granddaughters this summer, had a look on Airbnb for cabins. I found a number within about an hour drive of the park and the highway 140 entrance, the route most likely to be open.

janisj

If I was going to rent a condo/cabin/house . . . it would ONLY be in Yosemite West. These are very close and very convenient. Anyplace saying it is 'an hour out' is really much slower/longer than that in summer due to the traffic.

MmePerdu

No "place" said it was an hour. I said "within an hour". It varied. I'd rather be an hour away than not go, if those are the choices.

mdma2

Thank you all. We might skip Sequoia this time and concentrate on the Oregon coast, Redwood and Yosemite. Since we'll have more time in Oregon, can you suggest highlights other than I previously mentioned?

Gardyloo

I would save money on the car rental and do a round trip rather than a one-way trip, beginning and ending in San Francisco.

I'd do a big counterclockwise loop - SF to Yosemite, north to the gold rush towns and Calaveras Big Trees park so you can see some sequoias (and a number of marvelous historic towns at the same time.)

Then I'd hustle north, maybe with a night in Ashland to see a play at the Shakespeare festival, then eventually out to the coast at Bandon. Then head south along the Oregon coast and through the redwoods, finally heading south on CA 1 back to the Golden Gate. Rough map - https://goo.gl/maps/THdif1G3pJA2

You want to hold off on the coast until the end to allow enough time for the weather to improve a little. Like southern California, instances of "June gloom" are not uncommon farther north - overcast days along the coast. The later you visit the coast the better.

This will still be a very full two weeks and may need some editing. As stated already, accommodations around Yosemite are your biggest challenge.

mdma2

I booked reservations at Yosemite for 2 nights...thanks for the suggestion to book there first...it wasn't easy finding them. We will be driving from Reno to Yosemite. Any suggestions for scenic routes from Reno to Yosemite?

tomfuller

If Tioga Pass is open (maybe not), go south on US 395 to the small town of Lee Vining and then west on 120 to get to the west side of Yosemite. The elevation at the top of Tioga Pass is 9945' above sea level.
The pass to use if Tioga Pass is closed is Rt. 108 (Sonora Pass) That one is still over 9000 feet.

MmePerdu

Failing Tioga Pass being open, I'd use I-80 west from Reno, then at Auburn turn south on 49 and go through the historic Gold Country towns on the way to Yosemite, about 5 hours. All of it is scenic, including I-80.

janisj

It is very likely Tioga Pass won't be open . . . So don't make any decisions just yet. Start watching the Yosemite national park website from about mid May. They always post current updates on the road clearing and give estimates of the opening date- updated every day or so.

Once you get an idea whether the road will be open or not . . . THEN decide on your route.