dreamchaser

Hi! We're planning a road trip from Seattle to San Francisco in July. We have already booked 2 nights in Seattle, 4 nights in San Francisco and 2 nights in Fort Bragg.

We will be booking 1 night in Portland, then we have 3 nights left to spend between Portland and Fort Bragg along the coast and near the redwoods.

I've been researching the Hood River area and it looks amazing, I really want to do the Oneonta Gorge hike and Multnomah Falls. I'm not sure now if we have enough time. I'm hoping to get to Oneonta for around 12pm. Is there enough time to do both in one day?

We could spend the morning there before driving to the coast, but then we won't see much of Portland city at all! There's so much I want to see and so little time!

tomfuller

Spend your night in Hood River. Take the I-205 turnoff from I-5 and a little south of PDX take I-84 east.
There is a left exit to a parking area for Multnomah Falls.
There is a paved path and steps up to the top of Multnomah Falls (Oregon's tallest).
Spend the night in Hood River and do the Oneonta and maybe one other waterfall on the way back on the Old Columbia Gorge Highway to Portland the next morning.
How much time to spend in Portland is up to you before you head for the coast.
Use US 26 to go to the coast instead of US 30. US 30 west of Portland is not scenic, dangerous and has too much traffic.
Where do you want to spend a night (or 2) on the Oregon Coast?

Gardyloo

Apples and oranges. Multnomah Falls is super easy to see, but especially on weekends it can be something of a madhouse - lots of people, lots of cars...

As for the Oneonta gorge and falls, a couple of considerations: You have to walk in the water for most of the way, and some years there's a big logjam that you need to climb over (slippery, possibly dangerous) to get into the canyon. Second, this has been a very snowy winter in the mountains and everything is happening two to three weeks later than in most years. That means that the river you're walking through might be deeper than usual, and more importantly the water will be freezing cold.

I'm sure doing both in one day is perfectly feasible, but you'll need to plot the logistics pretty carefully (dry clothes and shoes etc.)

My own view (and I admit a really strong bias on this) is that the Gorge + Hood River Valley + Mt. Hood offers such incredible scenery, diversity, you name it, that I would happily exchange nights on the coast for more time in that area.

We don't know your route after the Portland area, so this may be totally inappropriate or might involve unacceptable options, but here goes. What if you swapped your nights in Fort Bragg for more time farther north?

Let me explain at the risk of more bias showing. The Oregon coast, pretty much all the way but especially the southernmost 60 or 70 miles before the California line, is a national treasure. The redwoods, from Crescent City down to the Avenue of the Giants and Garberville, are a world treasure. That you've got the best of both in something like 150 road miles is remarkable.

By comparison, the coastline along CA 1 from Fort Bragg down to Mendocino and on to Bodega Bay etc. is beautiful but IMO not in the same league as the southern Oregon coast, nor the Big Sur coast south of Monterey. That's not to say it isn't beautiful - it is, of course, but the question comes down to priorities and tough choices.

To me, the Gorge (on the larger scale that includes the Hood River Valley, Mount Hood, the White Salmon/Trout Lake area, and the Maryhill/Stonehenge area to the east) is phenomenal in the variety of sights and activities on offer; its scenery, wine, beer, food and outdoor activities options are hard to match in the western US. It's an onion waiting to be peeled, tourism-wise.

So there you have it. I know all these places pretty intimately, and my choice would be to spend more time in the Gorge area and less on the California coast. But of course as in all things, YMMV.

dreamchaser

Thanks for your reply! I think I would prefer Hood River to Portland.

I was looking at taking the 99W and HWY 18 route out of Portland to reach the coast further down above Lincoln City, but thats just from looking at Google maps. We'll miss out on the northern part of the coast that way but it means we can spend more time in each place.

My partner wants to book when we're there so we can stop near whichever towns we like, but I'm thinking maybe Yachats to see Cape Perpetua and somewhere near Crescent City for the redwoods.

dreamchaser

Gardyloo I could possibly cancel one night at Fort Bragg, but I wanted a full day there on my birthday to explore Mendocino and the botanical gardens. I originally wanted to stay in Mendocino but it was very expensive so Fort Bragg was a compromise.

I have read that it's possible to see the gorge and turn back if the log jam is too much for us. I definitely want to at least try!

I wish we had more time because everything sounds so amazing but we already have a month in the US. We're going to Yosemite, Vegas and L.A. after San Francisco. ��

tomfuller

I suggested US 26 because it brings you to US 101 just north of Cannon Beach. Even if you don't stay in Cannon Beach, stop to see Haystack Rock which is one of the most photographed spots in Oregon. If you happen to get there at low tide, you can actually walk out to the rock.
Farther south, stop at the temporary visitor center for the Tillamook Cheese factory for some great ice cream and cheese.
You might also want to visit Cape Meares near Tillamook.
Just south of the big bridge at the south end of Newport, you might want to see the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

Fodorite018

We live in the Portland area and I agree with Gardyloo that the gorge is much more interesting than Portland itself.

A bit of correction re Multnomah Falls. The steps only go up to the little bridge. Most people stop there to see the falls, but if you keep going the path is paved most of the way, but not all. The views from the very top are limited, so with your time constraint I would do Oneonta and then just view MF from the bridge.

As for taking 99 from Portland, NO!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I am screaming If you are on I-5 and take that exit for 99 in Tigard, you will be in stop light hell for miles. Instead, if you are coming from the gorge, take 205 south (or if you do I-5 the same directions apply). Anyway, take the south Wilsonville exit (#283) and head over to Newberg and catch up with 99 there. That will take you through part of Newberg, Dundee, and then the cutoff for 18 is just south of that. This will save you a lot of time and frustration.

dreamchaser

Thanks for the tip, it's useful to have info that the maps don't tell you! I'm not desperate to see Portland, I'll see what my partner thinks about avoiding it altogether and seeing more of the gorge.

It would be nice to see more of the coast, but if we leave early afternoon with an aim to get as far south as Yachats I don't think it'll leave us much time to explore. Though it does seem to only add 1hr 15 to the drive time.

tomfuller

If you skip Portland and stay in Hood River, drive up Rt. 35 on the east side of Mt. Hood to US 26. Stay on US 26 all the way to US 101.
I agree that 99 or 99W are traffic nightmares at least twice a day even on weekends.

Gardyloo

...I wanted a full day there on my birthday to explore Mendocino and the botanical gardens. I originally wanted to stay in Mendocino but it was very expensive so Fort Bragg was a compromise...

IMO you could spend the morning and early afternoon at the gardens and in Mendocino, then drive to SF comfortably provided you don't follow the coast, but cut through the hills to US 101. Or stop someplace along the way and reduce your nights in SF by one. If you stay someplace in Marin or Sonoma counties you'd still have a full day in SF, plus the cost of accommodations outside the city will probably be less than those inside.

Matter of fact, have a look at the little town of Occidental, in the Sonoma County hills. Occidental is famous for its family-style Italian dinners; look at the Union Hotel for example. Not a bad place for a birthday. There are affordable accommodations in the town or nearby.

Doing this might free up a day you could use somewhere else.

dreamchaser

Thanks for your help everyone! I think we'll definitely stay in Hood River and bypass Portland.

We'll probably see how we feel when we get there, if we really fall in love with the gorge I'll cancel a night in Fort Bragg.

dreamchaser

Sorry folks, I have another question. On Google maps the historic Columbia River Highway is showing as closed. The only info I can find about closures is due to landslides in March. Is this back open now?

How much time will this route add on from Hood River towards Portland compared to HWY 30? I can't get Google to show me because of the closure.

It would be nice to do the whole route, but if it takes a lot of extra time we could just drive to see the Vista point.

Gardyloo

The State's road condition website doesn't show any closures at this time - https://www.tripcheck.com/TextPages/...sp?curRegion=2

Get off I-84 at Exit 35 and pick up the old road there - it will take you to the waterfalls and eventually up to Vista House and the Portland Women's Forum viewpoint. You can get back down to I-84 at Corbett, or just stay on the historic road to Troutdale. Here's the westbound turnoff - https://goo.gl/maps/LypWYZM8wMu

Note "US30" is still sometimes used when referring to the old road; the historic highway used to be US 30 before the freeway was built.

How much time does it add? Hard to say; it's not a fast road by any means, but it's not that long, so I'd guesstimate it adds maybe 20 min. wheels turning between Cascade Locks and Troutdale, not counting stops, but of course you're taking it because of the stops.

dreamchaser

That's good news, thanks! I thought it would add an hour or so without stops. We'll have the whole day to get to the coast so we should have enough time for a few stops along the way, including Multnomah if we run out of time the day before.