artpat

i plan to spend 13 days, can someone give me ideas of an itinerary

spirobulldog

We spent 12 days this past July in Oregon(side trip to Redwoods) and it was great. We did take an entire day for a wild waterfall expedition.

Flew into Portland: allow 2-4 days
we arrived about noon and headed straight for Papa Hadyns for desert. This place is fantastic
Saw International Test Rose Garden and Japanese Garden across the Street. See Powell Bookstore( my wife spent a lot of time here- it is fantastic if you like to read-travel section was huge). Be sure and have Coffee @ Stumptown Roasters. We ate at several super good places and tried a couple of other coffee places that were also good. Voodoo Doughnuts is an interesting place. We also did Chinese Gardens. We did a daytrip and saw Mount St. Helens.

We then drove to the Columbia River Gorge: see Multnomah Falls, maybe have a meal there. See Horsetail Falls. Tons of great hikes to waterfalls is in this area. A super easy hike (it is just long, it isn't strenuous anywhere) is the 12 mile hike called Eagle Creek Trail. You pass by 7 0r 8 waterfalls(punchbowl and tunnel falls are the two awesome ones). Tunnel Falls you actually walk behind it-very powerful! From there we drove the "fruit loop" and spent the night @ Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood. The Gorge and Hood are just as impressive as most National Parks.

The morning from Timberline took the ski lift to the top of the mountain and hiked down it. Also hiked around Trillium Lake at the bottom of Mount Hood.

Then we were on to Crater Lake. This reminds me of the Grand Canyon. Wow Factor is way up there. We did take the boat to Wizard Island and hiked up to see the cone at the top. Had a picnic there and then I jumped in the 38 degree water. The blueness of the water is hard to describe. After I jumped in, 10 other people followed. A couple of guys stripped down to there underwear and jumped in.

From there we went to Grants Pass and did a Jet Boat Ride, then on to Oregon Caves National Monument and spent the night there at Oregon Caves Chateau.

The next day we saw the Redwoods-drive the dirt road and see the Stout Grove. We then took two days and drove the coast stopping many times along the way. I would pick just Oregon or just Washington (Rainier, Olympic, Northern Cascades, San Juan Islands). I wouldn't combo Glacier with either of these. I would keep Glacier a trip all to itself.

Here is a link to our photos:
http://www.photoworks.com/slideshow/...6?source=pw980

here is a link to our waterfall/hiking/rappelling-unbelievable
http://www.photoworks.com/slideshow/...F?source=pw980

artpat

is craterlake doable in late may

spirobulldog

No, the main road doesn't open up until July 1 in most years. Could open mid-june, and sometimes not until mid-july. The park is open year-round, but really it is only open about 3 months (July, Aug, Sept).

All the Northwest Parks are somewhat doable that you mention, but a lot of the main roads and hiking trails are closed that early. I wouldn't consider Glacier at all until July 1(mid-July would be better).

Redwoods, Oregon Coast, Columbia Gorge would be ok, but that would be about it. Not sure about St Helens or Hood. You could ski on Hood at that time. Matter of fact, you can ski there in July. But the hiking would probably still have a lot of snow.

I would guess that about half of Olympic would be open. Probably would be muddy/snowy and cold hiking on the trails that were open on the high elevations. The coast area and rainforest area of Olympic would probably be good. San Juan Islands would probably be ok, not sure when things open for Northern Cascades. Rainier is a year-round place, just depends on what you want to do. Here again, I think the trails might have a lot of snow on them still.

happytrailstoyou

I haven't read the other responses, but there is plenty in Washington and Oregon to fill thirteen days, and I cannot think of a reasonable itinerary that would also include Glacier National Park.

Washington highlights include Seattle, Mt. Rainier, Olympic National Park, and the North Cascade Loop.

The Pacific Coast, the Columbia River Gorge, and Crater Lake are some of the scenic wonders of Oregon.

boom_boom

It is a LONG drive from Seattle to Glacier. I think I skip Glacier and make a loop from Seattle north via Whudbey Island to Bellingham (also the southern end of the Alaska Ferry System) and then the North Casades (wihthrop & Twisp) then Lake Chelan, on to Wenatchee and maybe a side trip from there to Leaventworth. Now to Ellensburg, south to Yakamia (good wine tasting in the Yakamia Valley) and into Mt. Rainer via White Pass. A a couple of days in the park and then south to Mt. St. Helens for a day or so thence back to Seattle. OR, you could return to Seattle via a longish drive up US 101 from Tacoma and Hoodports to Quilecne and then to Bremerton or Bainbridge Island for the fery back to Seattle.