Cresent City CA to Crater Lake NO to Winchester Bay OR

You didn't state where you're coming from but a good route would be to somehow in your drive connect to Hwy 97 in California and head to Klamath Falls, Oregon. An excellent highway in California is Hwy 395 on the eastern Sierras. It will avoid all the California traffic around Los Angeles and San Francisco. It's a gorgeous drive with nice places to stay, both private and public parks.

You could take it north to Alturas and pick up 139 to 39 into Klamath Falls, Oregon. A little further north is a wonderful state park very suitable for big rigs called Collier Memorial. It's a good base for touring Crater Lake.

Then a little further north on 97 pick up 138 taking you into Roseburg, then north on I-5 to Sutherlin and picking up 138 to Winchester Bay on continue up the coast. These are all good for RVers

When you leave the Oregon coast if you're planning to head south again you could reverse the above route by crossing the Astoria bridge into Washington (for the experience of driving the bridge) and picking up Hwy 4 east to I-5 at Longview, WA and head to Portland, OR. Pick up Hwy 26 taking you to Hwy 97 toward Madras/Redmond/Bend/Klamath Falls, Oregon for Crater Lake when you're finished with the coast and continue to Hwy 395 in California to wherever you're heading next.

To confuse you more, you mentioned Crescent City, CA..how are you getting there? If you're on Hwy 395 in California pick up Hwy 50 around Lake Tahoe and take Hwy 50 or even I-80 into Sacramento. If you're planning on touring San Francisco, stay in Napa at the RV Expo park. Then take Hwy 37 at Vallejo to Hwy 101 at Novato and head north on 101 to Crescent City and the Oregon coast. You can pick up Crater Lake on your return trip as I stated above. Hwy 101 is a RV-friendly highway up the coast (not to be confused with Hwy 1 which is very narrow in California). We enjoy staying in Redcrest, CA at Ancient Redwoods RV for touring the big trees. You're right in the midst of them. 101 all the way up through Oregon is a beauty!

Even if the whole rim road of Crater Lake isn't open yet because of snow, they always try to keep the road open to the lake itself and the visitor center so at least you'll be able to see it. The last time we were there we could drive part of the rim road before the snow block. Each year is different as to when it opens fully but just seeing part of it is worth it!

Personally, and again, depending on your whole trip plans, driving up CA395 to OR97 to Portland and then over to the Oregon Coast is a better direction of travel for doing the whole coast and taking you into Calif on Hwy 101. You'll be heading south for better expansive views and the scenic pull-offs will be on your right so you can pull off and not have to cross traffic. Have a great trip!!

Paulj
Thanks for providing all of the detail information as well as the actual pictures. It looks like pretty country. I do believe that I will have to pass on the bonus road. Would be a nice ride in the toad but not the RV. I hear what you are saying about the climb up to Crater Lake. If we go we will camp at a campground and take the toad to the lake. We know that the rim road does not open normally until after May. With the West reporting less snow this year we are in hope that the Rim Road might be open by May 7th. If we cannot see the lake we will probably go from Redwood NP up the Oregon Coast on 101.

I like to use Google Maps to look at routes like this. I zoom in and out, switch between Sat view and Map with terrain, zoom in further to get Streetview.

Hwy 199 at Patrick Creek

Here I've zoomed in on the entrance to the Patrick Creek FS campground on 199. We camped there one Mothers Day weekend years ago. I remember the time because the lodge across the street was advertising its MD special.

Zoom out a bit and you'll see it is in the middle of a twisty section of the highway, as it follows the Smith River. The highest point on this highway passes through a tunnel, and then into Oregon soon after. From the contours I see that the tunnel elevation is 2200 ft.

rest stop
Here's the rest stop right before the tunnel. How'd that long 18 wheeler get here?

tunnel entrance - 15ft

Did you know that Crate Lake will be the high point on your drive? The rim is about 7000'. The curves on the access road at tighter than anything on 199.

Munson Valley Rd

How about a bonus location - a short cut from Crescent City to Hwy199.
Howland Hill Rd

donn0128 wrote:
There was essentially the same information on this thread. Might want to reread the entire Link To get a feel for what was said then.

Don
Yes you are right and my apologies for allowing things to run together. When one plans a trip 2,600 miles from where they live and know zero about the area to be visited a lot of time is spent looking at Atlases, books, folding maps, articles, web sites etc. Yes it can run together. Every time you look at visiting different towns and you program it into Mapquest you tend to get a different route. I don't mind long grades up and down but I am trying to avoid routes in my MH that climb and decend many thousand feet every so many miles not to mention tunnels, low rated bridges as well as roads just not fit for an rv. Once again sorry that I allowed something to overlap. For those that pass through and visit Alabama I do everything in my power to give assistance to make their trip as fantastic as possible.

199 is a good raod. Curves and slow at times but is used all the time for trucks. And there are 2 rest areas....1 at Oregon Mt. by the tunnel and 1 just east of Jedediah SP.

DW & I just came to Crescent City from C Lake in Oct 13 with our 34' 5Ver. That is a boogar-bear of a road. Twists & turns, tons of traffic with all tailgating you while you are trying to miss hitting trees and Semi trucks all while keep trying to keep from crossing center line.

Trouble is, this is the only way to get there, (you sure don't want to go over on 299). We found that the law about long trucks on this road was not being observed.

Furthurmore, there is only one rest area between C City & Oregon. It is very congested. You will not be able to put your slides out if there is very much traffic. We came through the rest area around 11:00am.

There was essentially the same information on this thread. Might want to reread the entire Link To get a feel for what was said then.

First of all, when are you going? Crater Lake is normally snowed in until into June.

Bob & Ann wrote:
We are thinking about running from The Redwoods at Cresent City CA to Crater Lake NP OR and then heading over to Winchester Bay OR to head up the Oregon Coast. My question is if Hwy 199 from Cresent City to I-5 and then Hwy 62 are RV friendly. The same thing about Hwy 138 which is the Umpqua Hwy back over to I-5. I don't mind two lane roads but I am concerned about steep grades over high passes. Could somebody give me a heads up.
Thanks

In 2010 I took 199 very windy and curvey - never again

HWY 138/38 and HWY 62 will be no problem. We have traveled those two stretches several times in a 40' DP with a toad. We have never been on HWY 199, so I can't give any advise on that.