We planned our camping trip this year to show our daughter some of the most iconic nature parks on the west coast. In a total of 6 days, we completed our Oregon to Northern Cali Loop – starting on the Oregon coast, we drove down Hwy 101 to the Oregon sand dunes and the Redwoods in Northern California, then up to Crater Lake, Diamond Lake and Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. Keep reading for the full Oregon to Northern California Road Trip Loop Travel Guide, and make sure to leave a comment or send me a note if you want more detail!
Our first stop was at one of my favorite spots in the world, my parent’s home near Depoe Bay on the Oregon coast. We spent two nights in Depoe Bay to help break up the drive down to the Redwoods.
While with my parents, we did the Mike Miller State Park Education Trails in Newport, OR. It is a gorgeous, quick hike through a coastal forest, and the trail that my daughter now lovingly calls the “snake trail” on account of us being startled by four small, harmless garter snakes!
From Depoe Bay, we heading south on Hwy 101 toward the Redwoods, our second overnight destination in Northern California. While en route, we made a quick stop at one of my favorite childhood destinations, Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park, or as I remember it the “sand dunes.” I highly recommend this park, as it has a little of everything – huge sand dunes that flow into a beautiful lake, sand boarding, paddle boats, camping, and hiking. If you are fortunate enough to visit, make sure to hike to the top of the highest dune and release your fears while you run at full speed toward the lake!
The remaining trip down Hwy 101 from Honeyman Park is a stunning drive. As we wound our way down the coast line and through the forests, it becomes apparent that we were escaping the hustle and slowly beginning to breathe. Our next stop was the breathtaking Stout Memorial Grove in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Stout Grove holds a dear place in the hearts of my family, and I promise that it will not disappoint.
Slightly off the beaten path, Stout Grove is one of the most scenic Redwoods trails and tends to have less daily visitors and almost perfect quiet. What makes Stout Grove particularly unique is that only coastal Redwoods populate the area. The trees and the underbrush are mush less dense then other trails allowing for beautiful moments of light penetrating through the canopy. The light through the trees is perfect during the Summer in a brief daily window between 4 to 5pm. We were fortunate to arrive just at 4pm on a beautifully sunny day.
From Stout Grove, we continued on to our first campsite of the trip at Patrick’s Point State Park along the California coast. Patrick’s Point State Park Campgrounds are delightful, clean, and accessible. The only complaint we had about this campground was that we had to leave. We stayed for two nights, and are already planning to return next Summer for a longer trip.
Not only are there just the right amount of amenities, but Patrick’s Point also provides fantastic access to hiking trails right off the campground. Wedding rock is a nice and easy walk to watch the sunset each evening, and the trails extend around the campground where you can watch seals and sea lions and explore tidepools. If you have additional time, the trails also lead to Agate Beach, which is a gorgeous secluded beach surrounded by high cliff walls.
Our second day of hiking included The Big Tree Loop along the Prairie Creek Trail, which was very impressive and definitely worth a stop. While this trail does tend to be more crowded, we definitely had moments of quiet and seclusion while hiking. On our way in we passed majestic Elk, and paused at the Visitor’s Center to chat with the Park Rangers. We followed the advice provided on Redwoodhikes.com that led us to the Cathedral Trees Trail after viewing “The Big Tree”, and we were not disappointed. (We were waiting for an Ewok to jump out of the ferns, but sadly we didn’t see any.)
Personally, I stopped several times to take a moment and breathe. The air is so clean, and in those minutes of silence I can feel our connection to nature and renew my sense of awe of the life our planet creates.
I also couldn’t help pausing for tree pose in this incredible tree. For this day, I chose my Sweaty Betty set of Night Fern leggings and matching Shanti Yoga Bra. Can I just say, these leggings are PERFECT for traveling because they are high quality fabric and REVERSIBLE from print to black!!
We had planned from The Big Tree Loop to head to Fern Canyon for the second hike of the day. However, as we were traveling down the gravel road to the Fern Canyon, a medium size black bear sauntered out in front of our Prius! The poor little bear did not appear aggressive and showed more fear of us than us of him, but it still shifted our plans away from hiking that trail at that particular time. We also stopped at the parking lot below to alert fellow travels with little kids of the bear’s presence. At that point, we decided to head back to camp to chill out, cook dinner and enjoy the fire with smores and a little Buffalo Trace.
From Patrick’s Point, and next up on the Oregon Northern California Road Trip Loop Travel Guide, we headed North East to Crater Lake National Park. With it’s stunning deep blue water, and impressive steep rock cliffs, Crater Lake is a must see! As the deepest lake in the United States, and the clearest lake in the world, it’s easy to be in awe of this natural wonder.
Formed by the collapse of Mt. Mazama 7700 years ago, this 1949 ft. deep caldera lake is breathtaking, and best seen on one of the highly recommended guided boat tours. The park provides several boat tours daily in the Summer, and with varying activity levels. The only heads up that I like to provide is that the hike down (and eventually back up) is rated “strenuous,” and the 2.2 mile round trip trail lives up to that rating. Be sure to allow yourself 45 mins to an hour to reach the lake shore from the parking lot!
Our 8 year old daughter made it down and back up the trail with no issue, but we made sure to take as many breaks as needed. Remember to fill your water bottle up before the trek out…HYDRATION IS KEY! Overall, even with breaks, we were able to power through and made it out in about 30 minutes, but we were definitely glad that we prepared.
We camped at Diamond Lake for our visit to Crater Lake. Our original campground, Mazama, was abruptly closed due to hazardous tree removal. Diamond Lake is very beautiful, but it was a little too overpopulated with gnats and mosquitoes for my liking. However, if better prepared with the right gear for buggy situations, I would definitely like to spend more time at Diamond Lake.
From Crater Lake, we headed to Bend, OR for a well-deserved night in a hotel. We stayed the night for an amazing Shakey Graves and Lord Huron outdoor concert at the Athletic Club of Bend. (Side note: Julia Jacklin was also scheduled to play, but due to inclement weather, Julia was unfortunately cut from the line up that evening.).I’m a huge Shakey Graves fan, and this venue is more intimate and a great spot for Summer music. Thanks to Deschutes Brewery for providing the libations.
On the last day of our trip we stopped for a quick lunch at the famous Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. While we didn’t stay the night at Timberline, we always love visiting Mt. Hood at any time of year, and the Lodge is truly beautiful.
Send me a note or leave a comment if you want any additional detail on any part of our trip. I hope you enjoyed my Oregon Northern California Road Trip Loop Travel Guide, as I highly recommend this Oregon to Northern California Travel Loop to solo travelers or group/family road trips! Make sure to check out my post on the our favorite gear that we brought with us – Best Camping Gear for Family Car Camping!
Founder of Shoulders With Freckles and SUMMERSKIN, as well as a Pharmacist, Melanoma Survivor & Mom.
