Routing in Wash & Oregon

[jsmitfl]

Trying to make a route for next summer. Most of the route is ok I've ran it before but once we get into Washington St., I want to take Hwy20 across the state to Hwy5. South to Olympia and over to Hoquiam. Then pretty much take Hwy101 all the way thru Oregon. We will take Hwy199 out of California to Grants Pass and then Hwy62 up to Crater Lake. Will we be able to drive around the lake up to Hwy138? Want to go up to Bend and then head east to mountain City. Runn Hwy20 to Idaho Falls. From there I'm good again. Also if you have some good parks to stay at it will help. Want to do some fishing on the Columbia and the Rogue Rivers. Thank You very much.

[Capt Kidd]

We just came home from doing the North Cascaded Highway (hyw 20) in Wash. We were in my PT Cruiser Ragtop but the road would be no big deal for a Monty being towed. Gorgeous road well worth the time it takes. I not sure about around Crater Lake, I know the road was not open last week due to snow that hadn't ben removed yet.

[jsmitfl]

Thanks for the info. The Crater Lk road won't matter till later in the season, late July.

[HamRad]

JP and Jackie,
If you have not been to the Olympic Peninsula area I'd recommend you just stay on highway 20 till you get out on Whidbey Island. Just follow 20 until it ends! Then take the ferry across to the mainland at Port Townsend. The ferry crossing is just a short ride. I think it took about 30 minutes and wasn't too expensive. I did a fuel cost and a time study comparison and it was pretty much a tie.

There are a fairly good number of RV parks around that part of the country. We stayed at a park in Forks and used it as a base camp. We visited places north and south of Forks. We also stayed at a park in Sequim. That is a nice little town. They had a great Farmer's Market there.

You can visit the most northwesterly point in the Continental United States. Olympic National Park makes a nice place to visit. Of course highway 101 is a very scenic route. Just take 101 on south to visit Hoquiam and points south.

The Oregon Coast is one of our favorite place to visit. There are many RV parks both State and Commercial. If you are a member of the Elk's Club then you will want to stay in some of their parks. We recommend the park on the south side of Tilamook and the one on the north side of Florence. Very nice parks. Of course they are not resorts. They do not have a pool or that sort of thing. But they are clean and spacious parks.

If you have specific places you know you want to visit list them and there are many folks here who will be able to give you info on specific parks. One place we highly recommend is located in Canyonville, OR. 7Feathers RV park and Casino is one of the nicest parks in the country. You can also take a road from there to Crater Lake. The road is not the best for towing your Monty but I don't think you'd have any trouble. It is a very scenic route. But you can go 25 miles north to Roseburg and take hwy 138 over to Crater Lake.

Of course if you're coming north on 199 into Grants Pass then Canyonville is a bit out of the way. But well worth the extra time and distance.

If you are going to Bend after Crater Lake then all you do is exit north out of the park and when you hit the connecting road take it East to highway 97. Then just head north on 97 and it takes you right into Bend.

If you want to take 138 again you would just exit north out of the park but instead of going east you would go west. Maybe I did not understand what you were asking in regards to this.

You have some beautiful country to travel in. Have a great trip. Dennis

[Drifty1]

When we head down the coast we like to park at Ft. Stevens State Park in Warrenton Or. You can reserve on line here http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_179.php You can use this as a base to wander around the local area to see Long Beach Wa. and Lewis and Clark exhibits. We do day trips out of here to drive south to Tillamook without our trailer so we can see all the beach area an do not have the hassle of finding parking spots long enough. You could hold off going all the way to Tillamook as they have a large parking area at the Tillamook Cheese factory.

A little farther south we stay at Beverly Beach State Park which is just north of Newport Or. While you are in Newport be sure and check out Nye Beach which has some nice art work and local seafood places. http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_227.php

The only other place we stayed at lately is in Coos Bay at the Lucky Logger RV Park. This park was OK but we stayed only 1 night if I remember correctly. We had tried to get into Sunset State park in Coos Bay but that was a mistake as it is a tightly layed out park an we had a lot of problems just driving though looking for a spot to park. I had to get of the truck 2 times to have campers move their cars on the corners so I could get through. It is very tight.

When we go to Grant Pass we say at Valley of the Rouge State Park. This park is just off I-5 south of Grants Pass and also works great for a base. We do day trips to the Crater Lake and Medford area from here. It is a nice park that is easy on and off I-5 and I believe they have nature programs here which are fun to take in. http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_109.php

When traveling though western Washington be sure and make the trip up to Mt. Baker and drive to the end of the road at Artist Point. http://byways.org/explore/byways/2236/places/40610
I work camped at Pioneer Trails Campground in Anacortes for a little over a year and we love that area. Be sure to take a day trip on the ferry to Friday Harbor which is quite cheap at around $12.45 round trip.
If you would like some more ideas for Washington you could send me a message.

[GregN]

I just finished up a trip up the Oregon coast. 101 through Oregon is ok to drive with the rv. Not alot of places to pull off and sightseeing while towing. I made 4, few days stops along the way to check things out. Hwy 199 out of Cresent City is kinda of twisty and turning, alittle narrow in some spots, but I have seen truckers on that road.

If you are going to be staying in Grants Pass, Riverpark RV Resort on the Rouge River Hwy is nice. The park is right on the Rouge River.

The road up to Crater Lake is ok. After you pass the entrance station it gets twisty. I was up there, I did see RV's, Motorhomes and Tour buses up there. My warning for Crater Lake is going first thing in the morning. When I came out of the park after noon, the cars where lined up 50+ deep to get in.

Nice park in Bend,OR. Crown Villa RV Resort, alittle pricey, but very nice, large pads to park on 72' X 23'. If staying there do not follow GPS coming in from the south on Hwy 97. It will take you down a road with a bridge over it that is too low to get under, unless you need a new Air Conditioner. Go up to Murphy Road, turn right and keep going until the T-intersection, turn right, can't miss the park.

If you would like the list of parks I stayed at along the coast, PM or e-mail me and I will send you the list.

[CATCRAW]

If you are going to make a stop in Bend then I highly recommend the Bend Sisters Garden RV Park. It is on Hwy 20 between Bend and Sisters OR. Beautiful park with very large pull through sites and lovely gardens and the people are wonderful. More reasonable then Crown Villa with AAA or Good Sam discounts.

[jsmitfl]

Thanks Larry,Dennis,Greg & Ron. That will help a bunch. I've been looking at a lot of things to do and places to stay. I finally got a site listing all the State Parks. We will be spending probably 2 weeks of May getting there and then staying on the coast area June and July. There's a CG in the Coos Bay area we may stay a couple weeks. And the same around Gold Beach area. Thanks again everyone. JP

[twindman]

If you like beach sites, we just came from doing the 101 all the way from Coos Bay to the end near Olympia. In Charleston (Coos Bay), the Oceanside RV park has some sites about 20 feet or closer to the sand dunes by the beach. Hike thru the flora on the Dunes for about 75 feet and you are on the best beach I have seen on the West coast. I asked it the county or state cleans it, as there is a park nearby. They said no - it just stays clean. No seaweed anywhere and the sand was almost like in Florida - not quite white but close.
Also, further north at Depoe Bay, there is the Sea and Sand RV Park. It is on a little cliff about 40-50 feet high overlooking the beach. Wonderful views. If you stay there, pick a middle row near the beach. The closest to the beach (all backins or pullins) actually faces away from the beach unless you have a Class A. If you take the middle level, you back in and your back window will overlook the ocean.
If you want to see some pictures, go to this website:
http://www.mytripjournal.com/windmans_2012

Click on the date field by the Coos Bay or Depoe Bay items and click on the pictures. Depoe bay has only one that is from the campground.

[jsmitfl]

Thanks Tom and Gail. Nice pictures. The CG in Coos Bay is already on my list .

[Waynem]

We took US-199N from Crescent City in the 40' SOB pulling car. As stated, the road is narrow in spots and I do remember one turn where I laid on the horn in case anyone was coming around the outcropping. Not a place to want to meet another long, wide vehicle.

Before you start up it, give the passenger a camera and just tell them to take pictures. Most of it will be of the river and tree tops, with very little shoulder on the road. But it is very doable. As stated, and I did see and meet a couple, 18 wheelers use the highway.

If you need to stop in Eugene Oregon, Armitage County RV Park is a great place to jump off and visit a few areas. One in mind is Florence, OR and the dunes. Armitage is a great resting place, and it is on the McKenzie river. Armitage is reserve on-line only and must be done two days before arrival. Check out their web site.

Happy trails.

[jsmitfl]

Thanks Waynem.

[moutard2]

I wouldn't recommend Hwy 199 from Crescent City unless Jackie has a strong constitution and no fear cause she'll be on the bad side and it goes on forever! As previously mentioned, it's doable but 101 to 20 to 5 is pleasant and the scenery is unforgetable!

[sreigle]

quote:Originally posted by jsmitfl

Trying to make a route for next summer. Most of the route is ok I've ran it before but once we get into Washington St., I want to take Hwy20 across the state to Hwy5. South to Olympia and over to Hoquiam. Then pretty much take Hwy101 all the way thru Oregon. We will take Hwy199 out of California to Grants Pass and then Hwy62 up to Crater Lake. Will we be able to drive around the lake up to Hwy138? Want to go up to Bend and then head east to mountain City. Runn Hwy20 to Idaho Falls. From there I'm good again. Also if you have some good parks to stay at it will help. Want to do some fishing on the Columbia and the Rogue Rivers. Thank You very much.

We did most of that route, except highway 20, in 2010. We drove around the rim road at Crater Lake but did not tow around it. I can't imagine why you couldn't tow that road unless perhaps it is marked to not allow trailers or something. I don't recall anything like that. However, as noted above, that road won't even be open (snow) until mid-July, give or take a week or two.

That's a beautiful trip you have planned. 101 down the Oregon coast is gorgeous. I hope you have time to stop at every single pullout. We had the luxury of spending a month on the Oregon coast so we found an rv park roughly 50 miles north of the California border. We then spent a week going 50 miles south and 50 miles north. Then we moved 100 miles north and did the 50/50 again for a week. Four stops and we were done with the Oregon coast. It's worth as much time as you can spend there.

[randye]

Hey if you get down as far as Gold Beach look at staying at Turtle Rock Resort just a mile South of Gold Beach and Brookings is 27 miles South and Crecent City is 52 miles South. Then Bandon is 27 miles North old town is a great place to visit and the Station Resturant is a good eatery. Then Coosbay, Charlston is 32 miles North of Bandon. Its a good central Park between both areas.

[jsmitfl]

Steve, Thats about what I would like to do. No schedule, just need to find when and where the salmon and steelies are running.

[Parts Ed]

I am sure you have done this already, but I ordered the travel guides for the state of Oregon for a trip we are planning next summer. (and I live in Oregon) You can order guides for specific areas of Oregon which highlight the different things to do and see in that area.

[randye]

I have a High School Friend that owns a resturant in Bandon and he state's that September is the best month for Salmon. I will be there with him drift fishing.

[denandannie]

Having rv'd in Oregon numerous times, I have some good suggestions. On the Columbia at the very northern tip of Oregon is Ft Steven SP. It has full hookups and is far better than any private park in the area. If you stay there, drive into Astoria to visit the Coast Guard museum. A must see.

Fishing for salmon from shore is iffy at best. A boat increases your odds tremendously. . .even if you have to hire one for just a day. Fishing any of the salmon rivers down the Oregon coast is fun, but shore fishing, again, is marginal.

About 10-15 miles south of Grants Pass on I-5 is Valley of the Rogue SP. Full hookups and right on the Rogue river. Fishing from shore is good. I lost a 30 lb salmon on 6 lb test. Played the bugger for 40 minutes until it decided it'd had enough and off it went. I was fishing too light. The previous day I was fishing to heavy and only caught small ones. I then switched to a light rig and then tied into only hogs. Go figure.

I've traveled hwy 199 several times and will never do it again. I'd go back north just above Bandon and take, I think its, hwy 42 over to I-5. Better road and faster.

Good luck and if you need add'l advice, email me.

PS: In Newport, Oregon, visit the state aquarium. Awesome.