Seattle Circular 18 – A great off the beaten path route along the coastline of western USA – from south to north (including a visit to Olympic and Redwood National Parks), and afterwards, on the way back – from north to south along the mountain ranges (the Sierra Nevada and Cascades in Yosemite, Lassen, Crater Lake and Mount Rainier National Parks, and in Lake Tahoe). This route includes a trip to the states of Washington, Oregon and California, as well as the cities of Seattle, Portland and San Francisco (and lots of picturesque towns – especially along the shores of Oregon and California).Its main disadvantage is the fact 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, Mount Saint Helens, Crater Lake and Lassen may be closed by snow from October/November till May (and high altitude hiking trail may be inaccessible until June/July); this trip includes driving the Tioga Pass road in Yosemite that is open for a relatively short period every year (see opening and closure dates here).
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 – Drive to Mount Rainier National Park and visit the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier National Park, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: South Mount Rainier or Paradise or Longmire
Day 4 – Hike and travel in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park, short drive
Lodging location: South Mount Rainier or Paradise or Longmire
Day 5 – Drive to Portland, on the way visit the western slope of Mount Saint Helens (see map here), 4.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Portland
Day 6 – Enjoy the day in Portland
Lodging location: Portland
Day 7 – Spend the morning in Portland and then drive to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (on the way don’t miss a stop at Multnomah Falls), 1 hour drive
Lodging location: Hood River
Day 8 – Take a hike in the the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and then drive to Bend, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Bend
Day 9 – Drive to Newberry National Volcanic Monument and enjoy half a day in this beautiful park and in the afternoon drive towards Crater Lake National Park, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Crater Lake
Day 10 – Visit Crater Lake National Park, short drive
Lodging location: Crater Lake
Day 11 – Spend the morning in Crater Lake National Park and then drive south towards Lassen Volcanic National Park, 5 hours drive
Lodging location: Drakesbad Guest Ranch or Chester or Burney or Redding (see more information regarding lodging near the park here)
Day 12 – Visit Lassen Volcanic National Park, short drive
Lodging location: Drakesbad Guest Ranch or Chester (see more information regarding lodging near the park here)
Day 13 – Drive to Lake Tahoe enjoy the afternoon hours in the lake, 3-4 hours drive
Lodging location: South Lake Tahoe
Day 14 – Enjoy a day of rest and recreation in Lake Tahoe, short drive
Lodging location: South Lake Tahoe
Day 15 – Enjoy one more day of activities in Lake Tahoe, short drive
Lodging location: South Lake Tahoe
Day 16 – Drive south and cross north Yosemite National Park along the scenic Tioga Pass HWY (route 120), 4.5 hours drive
(the Tioga Pass HWY is usually open from the end of May/June until October. See status here)
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 17 – Visit Glacier Point and Mariposa Grove in south Yosemite, 1.5 hours drive in each direction
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 18 – Travel and hike in Yosemite Valley, short drive
Lodging location: near Yosemite Valley
Day 19 – Drive to San Francisco, 4 hours drive
(on the way you may go on a rafting trip here)
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 20 – Spend the day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 21 – Enjoy one more day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 22 – Drive north to Jenner and on the way stop at Duncans Landing (a wonderful viewpoint) and at beautiful Wrights Beach, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Jenner
Day 23 – 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), short drive
Lodging location: Jenner
Day 24 – Visit Goat Rock State Beach (here you may walk to the mouth of the Russian River) near Jenner and then drive north on the extremely scenic portion of HWY 1 to Fort Bragg, on the way stop at Salt Point State Park and at the town of Mendocino (with it’s galleries, restaurants and beautiful coastline), 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Fort Bragg
Day 25 – Visit MacKerricher State Park and then drive to scenic beautiful Shelter Cove, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Shelter Cove
Day 26 – Relax in beautiful Shelter Cove and visit the towns wild pristine beaches, short drive
Lodging location: Shelter Cove
Day 27 – Drive north to Eureka through the Avenue of the Giants, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Eureka
Day 28 – Visit the central and southern region of Redwoods National and State Parks, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Crescent City
Day 29 – Visit the northern region of Redwoods National and State Parks, short drive
Lodging location: Crescent City
Day 30 – Drive north on HWY 101 to scenic Bandon coastline, on the way stop at: Harris Beach State Park, Lone Ranch Beach, Meyers Beach, the scenic town of Port Orford and Cape Blanco Lighthouse, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Bandon
Day 31 – 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 32 – 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) and Seal Rock Viewpoint, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Newport
Day 33 – Drive north to Cannon Beach and on the way stop at: Yaquina Head, Cape Kiwanda, Cape Meares, Cape Kiwanda and Tillamook Creamery. Near Cannon Beach visit Ecola State Park, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Cannon Beach
Day 34 – Relax along the beaches of Cannon Beach and visit Ecola State Park, short drive
Lodging location: Cannon Beach
Day 35 – Drive to the western part of the Olympic National Park and on the way stop at beautiful Astoria and in Lake Quinault, 3.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Kalaloch or Forks or La Push
Day 36 – Enjoy on more day in the western part of the Olympic National Park and in the Hoh Rainforest, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Kalaloch or Forks or La Push
Day 37 – Visit the western part of the Olympic National Park and drive to the northern part of the park, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Port Angeles or Lake Crescent
Day 38 – Visit the northern part of the Olympic National Park and Hurricane Ridge, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Port Angeles or Lake Crescent
Day 39 – Drive to Bainbridge Island (on the way visit Dungeness Spit) and take a short ferry ride to Seattle, 20 minutes ferry ride plus 2.5 hours drive (see map here)
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 40 – Enjoy the day in Seattle
Lodging location: Seattle
Day 41 – 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.
