See here a detailed map to the northern part of this route and here a map of the southern part
Seattle to Los Angeles 3 – A great route along the coastline of western USA (from north to south) that is off the beaten path in its first 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 3 days); Likewise roads in Yosemite National Park may be closed as well from October/November till May.
Day 1 – Land in Seattle and spend a few hours in the city
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 2 – Enjoy the day in Seattle
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 3 – Enjoy one more day in Seattle
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 4 – Drive to Mount Rainier National Park and visit the Sunrise area of the park, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: South Mount Rainier or Paradise or Longmire
Day 5 – Hike and travel in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park
Lodging location: South Mount Rainier or Paradise or Longmire
Day 6 – Enjoy one more day in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park
Lodging location: South Mount Rainier or Paradise or Longmire
Day 7 – Drive to Portland and on the way visit the western slope of Mount Saint Helens (see map here), 4.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Portland
Day 8 – Enjoy the day in Portland
Lodging location: Portland
Day 9 – Enjoy the day in Portland and in the afternoon drive to the coastal town of Cannon Beach, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Cannon Beach
Day 10 – Relax along the beaches of Cannon Beach and visit Ecola State Park
Lodging location: Cannon Beach
Day 11 – Drive south on Hwy 101 to Newport and on the way stop at: Tillamook Creamery, Cape Meares, Cape Kiwanda and Yaquina Head, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Newport
Day 12 – Continue driving south to Bandon and on the way stop at: Seal Rock Viewpoint, Smelt Sands State Recreation Area (near the town of Yachats), Sea Lion Caves, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (hike the John Dellenback trail), 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Bandon
Day 13 – Visit Sunset Bay State Park, Shore Acres State Park, Simpson Reef Viewpoint, and Cape Arago State Park located not far from Bandon, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Bandon
Day 14 – Spend the morning in along the scenic Bandon coastline, and the continue driving south along the dramatic coastline of HWY 101 towards Crescent City (California), on the way stop at: the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, the scenic town of Port Orford and at Meyers Beach, Lone Ranch Beach and Harris Beach State Park, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Crescent City
Day 15 – Visit the northern region of Redwoods National and State Parks
Lodging location: Crescent City
Day 16 – Visit the central and southern region of Redwoods National and State Parks, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Eureka
Day 17 – The final destination of the day is the scenic coastal town of Shelter Cove, on the way drive through the Avenue of the Giants, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Shelter Cove
Day 18 – Relax in beautiful Shelter Cove and visit the towns wild pristine beaches
Lodging location: Shelter Cove
Day 19 – Spend the morning near Shelter Cove and then drive to Fort Bragg (located on scenic HWY 1), on the way stop at MacKerricher State Park, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Fort Bragg
Day 20 – Drive south on this extremely scenic portion of HWY 1 to the town of Jenner, on the way stop at the town of Mendocino (with it’s galleries, restaurants and beautiful coastline), and at Salt Point State Park, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Jenner
Day 21 – Visit sites near Jenner: Goat Rock State Beach (here you may walk to the mouth of the Russian River), beautiful Wrights Beach and at Duncans Landing (a wonderful viewpoint)
Lodging location: Jenner
Day 22 – Drive south to San Francisco and enjoy the afternoon in the city, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 23 – Spend the day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 24 – Enjoy one more day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 25 – Drive to Yosemite National Park and enjoy half a day in Yosemite Valley, 4 hours drive
(on the way you may go on a rafting trip here)
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 26 – Travel and hike in Yosemite Valley
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 27 – Visit Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove in south Yosemite, 1.5 hours drive in each direction
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 28 – Drive to Monterey and spend the afternoon in the city or it’s surroundings, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Monterey
Day 29 – Spend the day in beautiful Monterey
Lodging location: Monterey
Day 30 – Travel south along the most famous portion of HWY 1, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Cambria or Morro Bay
Day 31 – Drive to Los Angeles and visit sites along the way, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Hollywood or Santa Monica or Venice Beach
Day 32 – Visit Universal Studios
Lodging location: Hollywood or Santa Monica or Venice Beach
Day 33 – Spend the day in Los Angeles and drive to Anaheim, 1 hour drive
Lodging location: Anaheim
Day 34 – Visit Disneyland
Lodging location: Anaheim
Day 35 – 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.
