My wife and I want to drive south from Astoria on the coast route in three weeks when we are visiting Oregon. I prefer not to drive on roads with sheer drop offs, no guard rails and hair pin turns. Is this what I should expect? Will I slow up commercial traffic or other drivers if I cautiously observe the speed limit?

Hello -- I don't think you will have any difficulty. The coast route is quite well maintained and overall a smooth drive (not nearly as difficult as Highway 1 along the Big Sur area in Northern California).

The drive is beautiful, and one that my husband and I never tire of. Many of the small towns are quite charming and fun to see (though several are large and spread out, e.g., Lincoln City).

However, most of the route is rural and lovely, taking you through forested areas, lovely vistas, sea stacks along the coastline, pasture land, and picturesque bridges.

Have a wonderful trip -- it should be a lovely time to travel, now that the summer crowds are gone. Enjoy!

Sue

Like suelh said, no problems. Guardrails where they're needed, and nothing really white-knuckly. It's a beautiful drive, particularly from Newport to Florence, and Port Orford to Brookings. Enjoy.

Ha! I like that term " white knuckley"..we just had one of those drives when we went to the Pittock Mansion in Portland..sheer drop offs and no guard rails..but what views!
Iguazu, I hope you write back and tell us how the trip was, we will be doing that drive eventually and I am very interested..

Thank you all for your quick responses that have put me at ease. Being from Boston I have no scary rides with cliffs and no guard rails. We just have traffic! We fly into Portland in two weeks where we will spend 3 1/2 days. I then will drive to Astoria and begin traveling south. My total time in Oregon is 10 days and I have to end in Portland for my flight home. I am trying to properly allocate my days. If anyone has suggestions, i.e., how far south on the coast to drive, whether I'll have time to go to Crater Lake, if I should visit Eugene and Salem or anything else I should do, please write. We are 56 years old and healthy but not mountain climbers. Thanks for your help.

The problem with US 101 on much of the Oregon coast is that the road's been designed to handle speeds that one shouldn't use when traveling through scenic country, especially where people are wont to stop at a turnout (or re-enter the highway) on the spur of the moment.

Note too that (Chamber of Commerce propaganda notwithstanding) there are long stretches of the route that are flat out boring, or other stretches (e.g. Lincoln City) where the strip commercial schlunk never ends. There's only one road down the coast, so it must serve all needs, from tourists to log trucks to locals going to the store.

Without a particular reason or interest, I'd pass on Eugene and Salem.

How far to drive down the coast? How leisurely do you want to travel? My wife, daughter, and I recently did a six-night trip from our home here in Portland. The itinerary was Portland - Newport - down the coast to Crescent City - Ashland - Crater Lake - and back home. Along the way we spent one night in Yachats, two in the Gold Beach area, two in Ashland, and one at Crater Lake. With the time you've got, you could drive the entire coast, and see Crater Lake, especially if you kept moving, not spending more than one night at any stop. On the other hand, I talked with one couple at a roadside viewpoint who had only covered 75 miles of coastline in an entire day. The key will be whether or not you can resist the many state park signs, each one promising views more spectacular than the next.

Much of highway 101 is hit-and-miss as far as ocean views. I noted a few sections in my previous post that are much more hit than miss. Regardless of everything else, in my opinion, you should see Ecola State Park near Cannon Beach and the Oregon Dunes between Florence and Coos Bay. Other considerations high on my list would be the view from the Astoria Column, Three Capes Loop road starting near Tillamook, a short hike out Cascade Head, north of Lincoln City, and Haceta Head Lighthouse, south of Yachats. There are countless other worthy stops.

Now, back to white-knuckley.... If you do decide on Crater Lake, enter the park at the south entrance. From Rim Village, drive clock-wise to exit the park in the NW. I don't think I'd have made it traveling counterclock-wise.

Once again, thank you. Your responses have really helped me plan the trip. My schedule now is to arrive in Portland on a Saturday, spend the next 3 days there, drive to Astoria on Wednesday, drive down the coast stopping for a night here and there and then turn east for Crater Lake. We have heard so much about Cannon Beach that I thought we would spend our first night there. Regarding Crater Lake is it a place to stop overnight or just drive through? Another question, we want to see the Columbia Gorge and Mount Hood. Would you include this in the 3 days in Portland as a day trip or would you do it at the end after Crater Lake? If I can repay your kindness by telling you about Boston where I live or Washington, D.C. where I go frequently, please e-mail me. I also spend time in Buenos Aires so I can be a resource there, too.

When I was on a drive along the Oregon Coast I discovered a hotel in Oceanside,I think the name was The House on the Hill.Beautiful Ocean views of large rock formations in the sea.I will never forget it nor will you.Oceanside is just a speck on the map in the northern part of the coast.Bon Voyage

In May we vacationed in Portland, spent a day on the Columbia Gorge Loop, to Mt. Hood (an all day trip is ,I think quite good). Driving along the coast was no problem. No hairpin curves, or cliffs without guard rails- just miles of gorgeous scenery, views and impromptu stops. Beachbums advice is great- just wanted to add to stop at Newport, a kitchy town, with seals basking on floats at the pier, and fun shops- Florence, the old town, close to the Oregon Dunes, and a great place to stay called The River House, walking distance to good restaurants and the town- Ecola very much worthwhile, as is the tour of the Hecata Head Lighthouse, stop at the lighthouse and beach at Bandon, we enjoyed the old town very much, and have dinner at the Wild Rose in Bandon- just wonderful and quite resonable. Enjoy the trip!!

If you can get a room at Crater Lake lodge, I would definitely stay there.

I would say that certain parts of the coast road, and the road around Crater Lake will seem challenging to drivers not used to mountains.

Regarding an overnight at Crater Lake - give the Lodge a call, but since it's the only place to stay on the lake, reservations are often made a year in advance. If you can't get in, don't sweat it. If you give yourself a couple hours in the Lodge area, and stop at a couple spots as you drive around to the NW exit, you won't feel as if you've missed something by not spending the night. The drive from the lake back to Portland is about 4.5 hours.

Have a great trip. Wish I could say I had a reason to accept your offer of advice for travel to your part of the country.

It is entirely possible Crater lake will have snow on the ground by the end of September. Just something to keep in mind.

I agree with pdxgirl. With the weather we had this past weekend in the Willamette Valley, I wouldn't be surprised if they already had a little snow up there. The Lodge typically closes for the winter in mid-October.

Also wanted to add that, if Mount Mazama's in the clouds on the day you plan to see the lake, there's a good chance you won't see much. Hope for a clear blue sky.

The last couple of answers bring me back to my original concern of driving on roads with sheer dropoffs and no guard rails (this was when I was on the coast). Now I should add snow on the roads that causes skidding over the sheer drop offs and past the non existent guard rails. I should add that I drive very well in snow because we have snow in Boston from December through March. However, I do not experience the dangerous, high altitude roads. I never thought of snow in late September, early October. Should I skip Crater Lake for this reason?

Don't miss Crater Lake - it is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen,and we saw it under snow! (And I've seen Iguazu!) When we went, all the roads were closed except I think the southern entrance, which was snow-plowed even as we drove along. The contrast of the deep blue water and white circular banks was breathtaking. Coming from Australia, we loved it! We are going back next March, and driving along the Oregon Coast as you will be, so I'm enjoying all the letters and advice too. We are spending three days in Portland and six in Seattle, out of our four week "road trip".

I guess the best advice would be to play it by ear if you're concerned, Iguazu. It's not unusual for it to have snowed up at the lake by the end of September, but I think it's unusual for there to be any on the ground. The average high at the lake that time of year is around 70, but the average low is close to freezing. If it's a nice sunny day, head on up.

Thank you for your responses. Crater Lake definitely made the cut. I'll pack mittens for evening temperatures.

The Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood Loop are definitely doable as a day trip from Portland. However, I would recommend doing it on a weekday to avoid the weekend crowds.
another daytrip to consider is Mount St. Helens' which we found fascinating.

We returned to Boston from our trip to Oregon. I brought all the recommendations with me but alas, our plans changed. Prior to the Oregon coast we spent four days in Portland. That was perfect. Sunny, 73 degree days. We loved the city. On the fifth day we headed for the coast... in fog. The fog was heavy in spots but when we arrived in Astoria, it lifted somewhat. We first went to the maritime museum which I would highly recommend. It was educational and interesting. From there I climbed to the top of Astoria Tower. The fog was in and out so I am certain my views could have been better. It was still fun. From there we drove to the recommended Ecola State Park. The fog was so thick that standing on the beach, I could not see the water. It was spooky. The fog lifted briefly about 5 pm but we had already left the state park. However, we saw Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock. We spent the night in a B&B just south of there and it was perfection. The next morning was not quite so perfect.... fog and now rain. At that point I packed away all the advice that had been given to me. The long term forecast was for more of the same. We turned the car around and drove to Seattle where we could enjoy the city rain or shine. Four days there, an afternoon in Tacoma at the Glass Museum and a day at the Columbia Gorge finished our vacation. We plan on returning to the elusive Oregon coast in a season more conducive to sunshine. Thanks to all for your advice. I'll see the coast and Crater Lake next year well informed thanks to all you contributors.