Please recommend some places along my road trip. SLC-SF-Seattle-Glacier-Yellowstone!
- Thread starter Benski
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Camp near the top of Beartooth Pass at 10,947 ft! We woke up the next morning to find bear paw prints next to a garbage bin that was tipped over during the night.
Anyway you can head west from Red Lodge, MT and go thru Cooke City, MT before you enter Yellowstone on the NE side. We saw grizzly bears on the side of the highway in WY before Cooke City. Highway usually opens in late May. One of the best drives in America.
As mentioned, WA Hwy 20 thru North Cascades NP is also one my favorite drives. See the slide at Oso on the way to Hwy 20, its quite a sight. CA Hwy 1 is also a must do.
Enjoy your trip!
Anyway you can head west from Red Lodge, MT and go thru Cooke City, MT before you enter Yellowstone on the NE side. We saw grizzly bears on the side of the highway in WY before Cooke City. Highway usually opens in late May. One of the best drives in America.
As mentioned, WA Hwy 20 thru North Cascades NP is also one my favorite drives. See the slide at Oso on the way to Hwy 20, its quite a sight. CA Hwy 1 is also a must do.
Enjoy your trip!
Brilliant
New member
This. NCNP beats glacier easy but you have to get out and walk. Rainier is worth the drive to paradise and the east side around.
A.Wilson013
New member
I cannot believe that no one has mentioned Crater Lake! It's a bit out of the way of anything but it's absolutely beautiful.
DSC_0254 by awilson013, on Flickr
Up the PCH from California through Oregon there are a LOT of very neat places... Too many to even begin to list. There are signs to most of the great ones, and most of them are worth the break. Just don't stop at the "Animal Safari" outside of Bandon or "Trees of Mystery". The animal Safari has a lion that looks like it is 1000 years old and has never been bathed, with dread locks in it's mane. Also a mini-horse thing that literally had mold growing on it's ears. Trees of Mystery is good for a pic with Paul Bunyan, but if you want to walk the nature trail it's like $20/person (maybe more) and NOT worth it. There are some gravel roads through the redwoods outside of crescent city, ca that are pretty neat though... The names are escaping me.
If you can, make a reservation at Ft. Stevens in Warrenton, Oregon. I recommend making it now. From there you'll have access to the Peter Iredale ship wreck, Battery Russell, and the Jetty between the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River. You can drive from Gearhart, OR all the way to Ft. Stevens on the beach, which is pretty cool if you've never done it. The campground is littered with paved trails that are about 4-5 feet wide, good for a casual bike ride.
In Astoria there is the Astor Column (great for pictures), Ft. Clatsop (great for some education and exploring), and the Fort George (AWESOME for beer and food). The maritime museum there is alright, has a good section on the Coast Guard. There is also a little boat across the street from there called "The Bowpicker" which has the best Fish & Chips you'll ever eat. There'll probably be a line down the street.
From Astoria I would cross over into Washington and take Highway 4 east to I5 and head up into Seattle. I honestly HATE the drive up 101 in Washington, but WA 4 is much better than OR 30, on the opposite side of the river.
I could type on this all day, but my wife is bugging me to go to a movie... If you want, I could continue later.
DSC_0254 by awilson013, on FlickrUp the PCH from California through Oregon there are a LOT of very neat places... Too many to even begin to list. There are signs to most of the great ones, and most of them are worth the break. Just don't stop at the "Animal Safari" outside of Bandon or "Trees of Mystery". The animal Safari has a lion that looks like it is 1000 years old and has never been bathed, with dread locks in it's mane. Also a mini-horse thing that literally had mold growing on it's ears. Trees of Mystery is good for a pic with Paul Bunyan, but if you want to walk the nature trail it's like $20/person (maybe more) and NOT worth it. There are some gravel roads through the redwoods outside of crescent city, ca that are pretty neat though... The names are escaping me.
If you can, make a reservation at Ft. Stevens in Warrenton, Oregon. I recommend making it now. From there you'll have access to the Peter Iredale ship wreck, Battery Russell, and the Jetty between the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River. You can drive from Gearhart, OR all the way to Ft. Stevens on the beach, which is pretty cool if you've never done it. The campground is littered with paved trails that are about 4-5 feet wide, good for a casual bike ride.
In Astoria there is the Astor Column (great for pictures), Ft. Clatsop (great for some education and exploring), and the Fort George (AWESOME for beer and food). The maritime museum there is alright, has a good section on the Coast Guard. There is also a little boat across the street from there called "The Bowpicker" which has the best Fish & Chips you'll ever eat. There'll probably be a line down the street.
From Astoria I would cross over into Washington and take Highway 4 east to I5 and head up into Seattle. I honestly HATE the drive up 101 in Washington, but WA 4 is much better than OR 30, on the opposite side of the river.
I could type on this all day, but my wife is bugging me to go to a movie... If you want, I could continue later.
Benski
Member
Thanks Guys, keep it coming! I'm writing it down...
I'm writing down these routes and places. I'll be leaving at the end of April so I have time to plan. I'll be heading from Seattle up to Whistler for opening weekend for mtn. biking in mid-May and then back to Seattle before heading East.
I'm writing down these routes and places. I'll be leaving at the end of April so I have time to plan. I'll be heading from Seattle up to Whistler for opening weekend for mtn. biking in mid-May and then back to Seattle before heading East.
the great him
Elite Member
Lake Tahoe, you have to see Lake Tahoe, and the Golden Gate bridge, also Alcatraz. the Redwoods in norther California along the coast, and then the oregon coast. i would drive the northern California coast up hwy 1 and then when it merges into 101 id head inland just south of Fortuna on hwy 36, to hwy 3 take that to hwy 299 into redding. from there id head north on i5 past lake shasta and on to the town of weed. from there id take hwy 97 north through klamath falls to hwy 62 and then head to Crater Lake. once at Crater Lake id take Rim Rd to the Crater Lake hwy and take that to hwy 138 and head west on 138 to the coast, then drive the oregon coast north. this might be a bit slower, but its no shortage of views and scenery. once in Wa, id consider seeing Mt St Helens. but the drive i prescribed to you from Ca to the Wa border is a solid 24hrs of driving, so it might take 3 -4 days to complete in daylight and being able to take in all of the views and not feel rushed...
A.Wilson013
New member
Cool! If you're not a weirdo shoot me a message when you're in Seattle and I'll buy you a beer or 10.
willhaman21
Member
If you are looking to do some hiking or camping at any point in your trip, then Red Lodge is a place you don't want to miss. The drive from Red Lodge to Cooke City is 65 miles of climbing from ~5500 feet to ~11000 feet and descending back to ~6500 feet, and the whole thing is absolutely stunning.
Once you get in to Yellowstone Park, you can travel west through Lamar Valley, where the majority of the cool animals are, all the way across to Gardiner, south down and around the crater and Yellowstone Lake, and finally leave the park through the west entrance into West Yellowstone.
If you happen to come this route, stop in to Sylvan Peak in downtown Red Lodge, ask for Will, and I'll be happy to give you hiking/camping info, tips on where to go in the park, or even sell you some outdoor gear that you may or may not need. :becky:
P.S. If you plan on visiting any parks throughout this visit, do yourself a favor and buy a season pass, you'll definitely save some money.
smallfry
New member
This might help some from a trip I took up there last year (2nd time in Glacier)
Idaho and Montana 1700 Miles Later - Expedition Portal
Idaho and Montana 1700 Miles Later - Expedition Portal
ocreptileguy
New member
Cut thru to central Oregon and hit Bend, as well as smith rock
MtnT4R
New member
This!
Also, plan on staying there at least one night, preferably 2 or 3. Yellowstone is HUGE. and might erupt again soon so see it before the world ends!
gamefreakgc
Elite Member
It's funny, I live in California and I can't think of a whole lot to visit. The state is so huge and diverse, I'm not sure exactly what you are looking for. I'll list a few though that as a native Californian, I've been very glad to visit as well as my favorite places in Oregon and Washington.
- When visiting San Francisco, be sure to go up to Twin Peaks in the evening before sunset. To get there, take Market street away from the piers until you make a right on Twin Peaks Boulevard. Take that to the top. The view is spectacular and you might be gifted with a view of the sunset over the incoming fog. So spectacular I came back and proposed to my wife there.
- The Giant Sequoia redwoods are very cool, short hike around to see the tallest trees in the world. It's a bit far from your route though, since I think you would be taking I-80?
- Stay off I-5 as much as you can. It's really boring from Shasta to Seattle. Mt. Shasta is quite the mountain and I-5 skirts right by it, but beyond that there's not much else to see. I really suggest taking highway 97 through Oregon through Klamath falls and stopping at Crater Lake (someone else suggested this) OR if you prefer the beach, cut across to highway 1. The beaches in Oregon are the most beautiful I've ever seen. They beat California beaches hands down. You'll have to plan on staying a night though, since it's too long to take the smaller scenic highways from California to Washington in one day.
- Lake Tahoe is nice, I guess I've been there too many times though. I prefer it in the winter for the snow sports. If you don't like the crowds and casinos spend your time on the north shore an not the south. Decent fishing in the Truckee river if you are a fly fisherman.
- I don't know if time allows, but there's some pretty good hikes in the Sierra Nevadas. My personal favorite is the Woods Lake trail in the Mokelumne wilderness off highway 89. Once again though, might be out of your way.
- If time allows, cut off of I-80 at Truckee and take highway 89 to highway 49. The drive down 49 past the Sierra Buttes along the Yuba river is arguable the most scenic drive in all of California (rivaled only by highway 1 along the coast). I drove that for the first time last summer and 3 hours went by so fast, I was struck by the beauty of the mountains and the Yuba river.
- My wife and I spent a day in the Olympian Peninsula hiking to waterfalls in Washington. The whole peninsula is a temperate rainforest and the falls are spectacular this time of year. I would have spent 2 or 3 days here if I had known how beautiful it would be. Everything is green and draped in moss, and the waterfalls flow year round. Some are up to 80 feet high and absolutely gorgeous.
- When visiting San Francisco, be sure to go up to Twin Peaks in the evening before sunset. To get there, take Market street away from the piers until you make a right on Twin Peaks Boulevard. Take that to the top. The view is spectacular and you might be gifted with a view of the sunset over the incoming fog. So spectacular I came back and proposed to my wife there.
- The Giant Sequoia redwoods are very cool, short hike around to see the tallest trees in the world. It's a bit far from your route though, since I think you would be taking I-80?
- Stay off I-5 as much as you can. It's really boring from Shasta to Seattle. Mt. Shasta is quite the mountain and I-5 skirts right by it, but beyond that there's not much else to see. I really suggest taking highway 97 through Oregon through Klamath falls and stopping at Crater Lake (someone else suggested this) OR if you prefer the beach, cut across to highway 1. The beaches in Oregon are the most beautiful I've ever seen. They beat California beaches hands down. You'll have to plan on staying a night though, since it's too long to take the smaller scenic highways from California to Washington in one day.
- Lake Tahoe is nice, I guess I've been there too many times though. I prefer it in the winter for the snow sports. If you don't like the crowds and casinos spend your time on the north shore an not the south. Decent fishing in the Truckee river if you are a fly fisherman.
- I don't know if time allows, but there's some pretty good hikes in the Sierra Nevadas. My personal favorite is the Woods Lake trail in the Mokelumne wilderness off highway 89. Once again though, might be out of your way.
- If time allows, cut off of I-80 at Truckee and take highway 89 to highway 49. The drive down 49 past the Sierra Buttes along the Yuba river is arguable the most scenic drive in all of California (rivaled only by highway 1 along the coast). I drove that for the first time last summer and 3 hours went by so fast, I was struck by the beauty of the mountains and the Yuba river.
- My wife and I spent a day in the Olympian Peninsula hiking to waterfalls in Washington. The whole peninsula is a temperate rainforest and the falls are spectacular this time of year. I would have spent 2 or 3 days here if I had known how beautiful it would be. Everything is green and draped in moss, and the waterfalls flow year round. Some are up to 80 feet high and absolutely gorgeous.
Benski
Member
Thanks again and keep the suggestions coming!
I've highlighted all of these suggestions and am still deciding on routes. I have all of May for traveling, so I'm sure many places I'll spend a day or more at. My T4R is in good shape and ready to roll. I'm getting excited! I kind of feel like this :reddance: and this :banana:
I've highlighted all of these suggestions and am still deciding on routes. I have all of May for traveling, so I'm sure many places I'll spend a day or more at. My T4R is in good shape and ready to roll. I'm getting excited! I kind of feel like this :reddance: and this :banana:
