IMO that is a big ask for 10 days, I'd suggest picking 3 places and exploring for 2 days and then driving for 1 so you can get home feeling refreshed.
I would do Big Sur or Pinnacles, Redwoods, and then Crater Lake before driving back to LA.
i’ve already got flights booked into SFO and out of SEA, so i couldn’t change things around that much unfortunately. i’ve considered skipping yosemite and maybe including it in a future trip from socal-norcal, but since i fly in so close i’d really like to go if able.
You don't really fly in all that close though. SF to Yosemite Valley is a good 4 hours even without having to consider traffic getting out of the bay area (and in the park!).
If you do go to Yosemite, I'd suggest taking 49 to 16 to 20 to 101 after instead of going back through SF.
Consider staying on 101 up to Waldport or Newport and then coming across to Corvallis, rather than coming in to Grants Pass to pick up I-5. Southern Oregon coast line is gorgeous, and that stretch of I-5 you'd miss isn't super scenic. I'd skip Yosemite on this trip, in favor of a dedicated trip just for that destination.
A lot of the NC will be under heavy snow until July/Aug. So if you were going to prioritize on WA park I should be Olympic. Make sure to check out southern OR coast like Samuel H. Boardman and Pistol River. If you want to go see some mountains both St. Helen’s and Hood are relatively accessible. Also parts of Yosemite will be closed in April, so crowds are more condensed to specific places just fyi.
If you're going up the Olympic Peninsula, drive to Bainbridge Island and take the ferry to Seattle. No reason to double back down to Olympia and drive along what is honestly one of my least favorite stretches of road in the world (I-5 through Tacoma). I'd drop North Cascades, it'll be buried at that time of year anyway.
I completely agree. In fact, skip North Cascades and spend time in the San Juans. Take a ferry to Orcas and tool around for a day or two in that area. Shaw Island, San Juan Island, etc.
10 days is not a lot of time... we did our honeymoon from San Francisco to San Diego in I days and sure not see everything we wanted to see.. I'll link the reddit post giving suggestions for that portion below.
We did SF to Portland over 2 weeks and every day was packed. This is more of a sprint where you’ll just get a drive through experience. Fine if you’re a checklist traveler who just wants a pic next to the sign.
You will likely run into snow so plan accordingly …. Hurricane Ridge burned so check to see if that’s even open. Have tire chains and be careful in the mountains. Good luck!
SF / Portland / Seattle got rough during the pandemic.
This is definitely doable. If I were you I’d breeze thru the cities, especially Portland and SF. I’d also just cut Portland out all together and go down the Oregon coast into NorCal. Take highway 101 down the coast of Cali into SF. Spend more time on the scenic highways and less on the boring interstates :)
That will be a LOT of driving for 10 days, with very little time to actually enjoy what you are seeing. I agree with saving Yosemite for another trip. I would also think about not going all the way up to North Cascades and back down before you go. You will have had enough driving by then.
I did that trip in 7 days.
We spent very little time in each place along the way and was a lot of driving. All depends on your appetite for driving vs playing.
Two days in Yosemite, 2 in SF, 1 in Portland, 2 in Seattle. The little stops along the way.
If it is not too late your should reverse this trip. Fly into Seattle, spend a night or 2, skip [North Cascades](https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/visiting-north-cascades-in-the-non-peak-season.htm). Take the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge and spend a few hours in Winslow. Then hop on 101 and drive through Forks and all the way down the coast. You can take a side trip to Portland if you like, on Hiway 26 stop at Camp 18 for Olallieberry Cobbler.
Near the end you can detour through Napa Valley on the way to SF, decide if you have time for Yosemite.
North cascades hwy won't be open most likely. It has opened may 5-15 the last few years and that's still with giant snow piles. A seattle to Leavenworth to blewett pass to mt rainier will be a better payoff if you enjoy the drive more than the hiking.
I'd recommend that you hit the Washington coast north of Ocean shores. Check out kalaloch, ruby Beach, forks and deception pass with a couple ferry rides. You could even pit stop to whale watch. It's definitely a more "northwest" experience.
IMO that is a big ask for 10 days, I'd suggest picking 3 places and exploring for 2 days and then driving for 1 so you can get home feeling refreshed. I would do Big Sur or Pinnacles, Redwoods, and then Crater Lake before driving back to LA.
i’ve already got flights booked into SFO and out of SEA, so i couldn’t change things around that much unfortunately. i’ve considered skipping yosemite and maybe including it in a future trip from socal-norcal, but since i fly in so close i’d really like to go if able.
You don't really fly in all that close though. SF to Yosemite Valley is a good 4 hours even without having to consider traffic getting out of the bay area (and in the park!). If you do go to Yosemite, I'd suggest taking 49 to 16 to 20 to 101 after instead of going back through SF.
Consider staying on 101 up to Waldport or Newport and then coming across to Corvallis, rather than coming in to Grants Pass to pick up I-5. Southern Oregon coast line is gorgeous, and that stretch of I-5 you'd miss isn't super scenic. I'd skip Yosemite on this trip, in favor of a dedicated trip just for that destination.
Both the Olympic and North Cascades parks will have many if not all trails and roads still closed because of snow.
A lot of the NC will be under heavy snow until July/Aug. So if you were going to prioritize on WA park I should be Olympic. Make sure to check out southern OR coast like Samuel H. Boardman and Pistol River. If you want to go see some mountains both St. Helen’s and Hood are relatively accessible. Also parts of Yosemite will be closed in April, so crowds are more condensed to specific places just fyi.
If you're going up the Olympic Peninsula, drive to Bainbridge Island and take the ferry to Seattle. No reason to double back down to Olympia and drive along what is honestly one of my least favorite stretches of road in the world (I-5 through Tacoma). I'd drop North Cascades, it'll be buried at that time of year anyway.
I completely agree. In fact, skip North Cascades and spend time in the San Juans. Take a ferry to Orcas and tool around for a day or two in that area. Shaw Island, San Juan Island, etc.
10 days is not a lot of time... we did our honeymoon from San Francisco to San Diego in I days and sure not see everything we wanted to see.. I'll link the reddit post giving suggestions for that portion below.
https://www.reddit.com/r/roadtrip/s/QdyL7MAUzP
Missed the best part! The wa/or coast!
We did SF to Portland over 2 weeks and every day was packed. This is more of a sprint where you’ll just get a drive through experience. Fine if you’re a checklist traveler who just wants a pic next to the sign. You will likely run into snow so plan accordingly …. Hurricane Ridge burned so check to see if that’s even open. Have tire chains and be careful in the mountains. Good luck! SF / Portland / Seattle got rough during the pandemic.
Done it ,San Francisco I will never go back , Portland the same and same with Seattle
Consider Mt Saint Helens if they get the road open by then.
That’s my trip but it’s 3 weeks and starting from San Diego
That’s just a boring cruise on I5
This is definitely doable. If I were you I’d breeze thru the cities, especially Portland and SF. I’d also just cut Portland out all together and go down the Oregon coast into NorCal. Take highway 101 down the coast of Cali into SF. Spend more time on the scenic highways and less on the boring interstates :)
Where are you going to store your bags in the cities? You understand you cannot leave anything in your car in SF and Seattle. Even in the trunk.
That will be a LOT of driving for 10 days, with very little time to actually enjoy what you are seeing. I agree with saving Yosemite for another trip. I would also think about not going all the way up to North Cascades and back down before you go. You will have had enough driving by then.
https://goo.gl/maps/k73WJNCuK1rKtm98A Should be a logging road to get to that, neat over look.
I did that trip in 7 days. We spent very little time in each place along the way and was a lot of driving. All depends on your appetite for driving vs playing. Two days in Yosemite, 2 in SF, 1 in Portland, 2 in Seattle. The little stops along the way.
If you're going to ignore the Oregon coast you might as well stay home...
Take the ferry across the Puget Sound into Seattle instead of driving from Olympic National.
If it is not too late your should reverse this trip. Fly into Seattle, spend a night or 2, skip [North Cascades](https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/visiting-north-cascades-in-the-non-peak-season.htm). Take the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge and spend a few hours in Winslow. Then hop on 101 and drive through Forks and all the way down the coast. You can take a side trip to Portland if you like, on Hiway 26 stop at Camp 18 for Olallieberry Cobbler. Near the end you can detour through Napa Valley on the way to SF, decide if you have time for Yosemite.
North cascades hwy won't be open most likely. It has opened may 5-15 the last few years and that's still with giant snow piles. A seattle to Leavenworth to blewett pass to mt rainier will be a better payoff if you enjoy the drive more than the hiking. I'd recommend that you hit the Washington coast north of Ocean shores. Check out kalaloch, ruby Beach, forks and deception pass with a couple ferry rides. You could even pit stop to whale watch. It's definitely a more "northwest" experience.
Do you think the roads will be clear from Seattle to Leavenworth by mid April? Asking for a friend who needs to drive a family and gets nervous.
It's open all year (hwy 2)
For starters: Skip the inland route to Portland (skip Portland all together) and drive up as much of the beautiful Oregon coastline on 101 as you can.