See here a detailed map to the northern part of this route and here a map of the southern part
Seattle to San Francisco 1 – A great off the beaten path route along the coastline of western USA (from north to south) that 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). 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). 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, and for some travelers it may be a bit monotonous in part.
Please note – it is possible to shorten this trip 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).
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 the 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
Lodging location: South Mount Rainier or Paradise or Longmire
Day 5 – 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 6 – Enjoy the day in Portland
Lodging location: Portland
Day 7 – Drive to the coastal town of Cannon Beach and visit Ecola State Park, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Cannon Beach
Day 8 – 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 9 – 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), Sunset Bay State Park, Shore Acres State Park, Simpson Reef Viewpoint, Cape Arago State Park, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Bandon
Day 10 – 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: 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 11 – Visit the northern region of Redwoods National and State Parks
Lodging location: Crescent City
Day 12 – Visit the central and southern region of Redwoods National and State Parks, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Eureka
Day 13 – 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 14 – 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 15 – 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, and Goat Rock State Beach (here you may walk to the mouth of the Russian River), 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Jenner
Day 16 – Drive south to San Francisco and on the way stop at beautiful Wrights Beach and at Duncans Landing (a wonderful viewpoint), 2 hours drive
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 17 – Spend the day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 18 – Enjoy one more day in San Francisco
Lodging location: San Francisco
Day 19 – 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.
