Driving from Denver to Portland & Seattle
 

My husband and I will be driving from Denver, Colorado to Portland (and then Seattle) in late May and early June. This is our first time in this part of the country. We have two weeks. Does anyone have any suggestions for some not to miss spots? We love hiking and the outdoors and would love to stay at historic spots along the way.

Any thoughts are very appreciated!

Best regards,
Lindsey

Visit Bend, Oregon along the way! It's a jewel in the high desert surrounded by mountains and rivers. Great hiking, fishing, biking, skiing, river rafting, sightseeing. We have a vibrant arts community and incredibly good restaurants. Lots of cool lodging options in town or surrounding. There's always something going on here all year round. http://www.visitbend.com/

Don't miss the Columbia River Gorge - which is only about 30 minutes east of Portland off I-84 if you are coming in that way. (Not much of a backtrack from Portland if you don't feel like stopping there at the end of a very long drive.) The Gorge is full of waterfalls and breathtaking views down on the river.

A night or two out at the Oregon Coast (about 90 minutes west of Portland) is also a must see in my view if you have never been out there. Cannon Beach would be easy from Portland. The Coast scenery is amazing.

You'll be passing over the Cascades: Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier. A visit to at least one of those (you can see them all from Portland or Seattle) might be fun. Timberline Lodge near the top of Mt. Hood is only about an hour's drive from Portland.

There are plenty of tips about Portland and Seattle in general - search the forums for lots of past posts about them. If you are hear in early June, you'll be arriving during Portland's Rose Festival - two big parades and various events:

http://www.rosefestival.org/

Quickest route is probably north to I-80 at Cheyenne, picking up I-84 in Utah. But I'd be tempted to take I-80 further west, maybe detouring up to Lake Tahoe before heading through northern California into Oregon. Options from there would include redwoods, Crater Lake, Oregon coast, Shakespeare Festival in Ashland..... Then you get to Portland and can pick up some of the sights Andrew's suggesting.

Are you driving just the one-way?

Shortest way would be I-80 north if you want to see the Columbia Gorge. If you take that route, plan to stop at Baker City, OR to see the old Oregon Trail interpretive center. Also, go into the actual town where the storefronts have been ripped off the old stores, exposing the town's 1880's historic gold rush origins. Plus the valley between the Blue Mountains and the Wallowa Mountains is beautiful. It's fast freeway all the way to Portland then.

Er, it hasn't been "I-80 north" for a few decades now; it's been I-84 since 1980...

If you can, stop in at Yellowstone and do some hiking, see the new born bison and elk and moose, as well as the fantastic thermal features.

andrew, sorry, have been living out of state (in the past?)

my dad helped build part of that road in the 50's.

did you know Ike specified there had to be stretches long enough to land a jet. Ike knew we wouldn't have peace forever.

Start your trip using I-70. The Glenwood Springs portion is not to be missed.

I might add that I-80 between Cheyenne and Evanston is beyond boring. For a manufactured "thrill," stop at North Pole to visit the restaurant/gas station/gift shop (you can't miss it...there are signs along the side of the road every mile or so).

If you take 70, you will find it far more scenic and enjoyable. Jump off of I-70 at state highway 50, which takes you to I-15 up through Salt Lake City (great freeway ring roads to avoid the city itself); I-15 runs you into I-84 at Tremonton, and from that point on, other poster's recommendations about eastern Oregon are right on.

If you do decide to take I-70 before you head north don't miss Arches and Cnyonlands.

Hmmmmmmmph... Denver to Portland and Seattle: (having never seen any of it before)

(writing from Seattle here)

Wow, so many options... and so many good ones too!

First, I would take I-70 over the Rockies and stop and see Vail ("Aspen" too, if you're inclined - I'd vote "yes", but it's a side trip).

Then I'd pick a route to go to Salt Lake City, perhaps for a night. Next perhaps route #89 from Utah to Yellowstone NP, and you sure might want to allocate a couple of your nights there.

From there I think I'd backtrack a bit and use Hwy #20 and/or I-84 to Boise (Hwy #20 is the longest road in the country, FYI), then stay on Hwy #20 toward Bend, Oregon (you could cover somebody else's idea from above).

After that, I'd go south to see Crater Lake, Oregon before driving over to the Oregon Coast connecting somewhere south of Coos Bay... then north, perhaps as far as Astoria, before backtracking into Portland.

From there, perhaps a day trip east along the Columbia Gorge and to/near Mt. Hood. More time in Portland, I suppose, and then 170-ish miles north to Seattle.

Perhaps make time for Mt. Saint Helens along the way... and maybe Mt. Rainier too.


I'm going to let you plot actual nights to this trip... and I have no idea whether you're flying into Denver and home FROM Seattle or somewhere else.

I just want to offer my best sense of which path to take if you've never been to the northwestern USA at all, and want to cover some of the major attractions as if you won't be back anytime soon.

Good luck.

Crater Lake is open year round. However, it really is only open from July 1 thru Sept. This changes each year. But this past year, for instance, the boats didn't start running until after July 4th. The road isn't open most years until mid-June. We spent 2 weeks in Oregon this past summer and that didn't include driving. I really think you have to much on your plate. I would pick Oregon or Washington and go pretty much with that. There is a ton to see and do in both areas, don't miss half of it. If you could come later, I think it would be much much better.

If you will drive back to Denver from Seattle, you will spend 48 hours behind the wheel just to get there and back.

To maximize your sightseeing, approach Portland on I-84 through the Columbia River Gorge stopping at waterfalls along the way.

After touring Portland, drive to Yachats, and explore the Oregon coast driving south to north.

Next visit the Olympic National Park, staying at Lake Quinault Lodge and/or Lake Crescent Lodge.

From Port Angeles, consider a day trip to Victoria, BC. If you like B&B's, spend a night in Port Townsend.

From the ONP go to Seattle, and from Seattle visit Mt. Rainier on your way back to Denver.

HTTY

Wonderful! thank you for all of the wonderful suggestions. and yes, it will be a one-way drive! We'll fly back to NYC from Seattle.

Many thanks,
Lindsey