Los Angeles to Seattle 2 – A great route along the coastline of western USA (from north to south) that is off the beaten path in its second half. This route includes a trip to the states of Washington, Oregon and California, as well as the cities of Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles (and lots of picturesque towns – especially along the shores of Oregon and California). Many days of travel in this route are along the Pacific coast, although there is also a part of this route that visits the mountain ranges to the east (in Mount Rainier and Saint Helens, along the Cascades Range and in Yosemite in the Sierra Nevada Mountains). One of the advantages of this route is that most of it can be travelled almost year round (except In winter), its disadvantage is that it includes relatively long drives.
Please note – it is possible to shorten this route in one day by skipping the trip to Shelter Cove; roads in Mount Rainier and Mount Saint Helens may be closed by snow from October/November till May (and high altitude hiking trail may be inaccessible until June/July) – in this case you should change the route and drive directly from Seattle to Portland – 3 hours drive (hence shortening the trip in 2 days); Likewise roads in Yosemite National Park may be closed as well from October/November till May.
Day 1 – Land in Los Angeles and spend a few hours in Venice Beach and Santa Monica
Lodging location: Santa Monica or Venice Beach
Day 2 – Drive north to southern Route 1 and visit sites along the way, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Morro Bay or Cambria
Day 3 – Drive and travel north along Route 1, spend the afternoon in Monterey, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Monterey
Day 4 – Drive to Yosemite National Park and visit Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove in south Yosemite, 5 hours drive
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 5 – Travel and hike in Yosemite Valley, short drive
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 6 – Drive to San Francisco, 4 hours drive
(on the way you may go on a rafting trip here)
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 7 – Visit San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 8 – Drive north to Jenner and on the way stop at beautiful Wrights Beach and at Duncans Landing (a wonderful viewpoint), 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Jenner
Day 9 – Drive north on the extremely scenic portion of HWY 1 to the town of Fort Bragg, on the way stop at Goat Rock State Beach (here you may walk to the mouth of the Russian River), Salt Point State Park and in Mendocino (with it’s galleries, restaurants and beautiful coastline), 2.5 hours driveLodging location: Fort Bragg
Day 10 – Visit MacKerricher State Park and then drive to the scenic coastal town of Shelter Cove and enjoy the afternoon in the area, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Shelter Cove
Day 11 – Drive to Eureka through the Avenue of the Giants, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Eureka
Day 12 – Visit Redwoods National and State Parks, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Crescent City
Day 13 – Drive north along the dramatic coastline of HWY 101 towards Bandon (Oregon), on the way stop at: Harris Beach State Park, Lone Ranch Beach, Meyers Beach, he scenic town of Port Orford and Cape Blanco Lighthouse, spend the afternoon along the scenic Bandon coastline, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Bandon
Day 14 – Continue driving north to Newport and on the way stop at: Cape Arago State Park, Simpson Reef Viewpoint, Shore Acres State Park, Sunset Bay State Park, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (hike the John Dellenback trail), Sea Lion Caves, Smelt Sands State Recreation Area (near the town of Yachats), Seal Rock Viewpoint, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Newport
Day 15 – Drive north on Hwy 101 to the coastal town of Cannon Beach and on the way stop at: Yaquina Head, Cape Kiwanda, Cape Meares, Tillamook Creamery, near Cannon Beach visit Ecola State Park, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Cannon Beach
Day 16 – Drive to Portland and enjoy the day in Portland, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Portland
Day 17 – Drive to Mount Rainier National Park and on the way visit the western slope of Mount Saint Helens (see map here), 4.5 hours drive
Lodging location: South Mount Rainier or Paradise or Longmire
Day 18 – Hike and travel in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park
Lodging location: South Mount Rainier or Paradise or Longmire
Day 19 – Visit the Sunrise area of the park and then drive to Seattle, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 20 – Enjoy the day in Seattle
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 21 – Fly home
– In order to fill this route with content – see our Northwest USA and California destinations pages, where you can find articles that include suggestions what to do in various locations along this route.
