Newport Or to Crater lake, avoiding I-5
Hi, in Sept my wife and I will be visiting the OR coast and then heading back to AZ with a stop at Crater lake. I want to see more of OR than just driving on I-5, so I would like some suggestions for ...
Forum Discussion
Oregon is one the easier states to avoid interstates. There are only 2.
Roughly speaking Oregon highways are like a double ladder - US101 along the coast, I5 and neighbors in the middle, 97 in east (with 395 and 95 further east). And numerous cross rungs over the mountains.
In the north I5 has lots of alternatives - local versions of old 99, and county level. South of Eugene it may be harder to find an alternative - unless you want to meander through forests.
US97 is relatively flat and straight.
OR138 is one route from Roseberg to the north entrance to Crater Lake. It has some good waterfalls. It continues on to 97 with a long straight downgrade. (I'd take 101 south to Coos Bay, and 42 to Roseberg)
OR62 gives access to the south side of Crater Lake - to/from Medford and Klamath Falls. A modest use of I5 between Roseberg and Medford would be ok if you don't want windier roads like OR 227.
East of US97 the country is more open and drier, more like northern Nevada.
Speaking of waterfalls, there's a good book of Pacific NW waterfalls, and one (or more) websites.
Get on to Google Maps and look at some potential routes in details - terrain mode to see the mountains, sat view to see more detail, and Streetview for even more.
With GM route finding, click `avoid highways` to get routes that don't use I5.
Roughly speaking Oregon highways are like a double ladder - US101 along the coast, I5 and neighbors in the middle, 97 in east (with 395 and 95 further east). And numerous cross rungs over the mountains.
In the north I5 has lots of alternatives - local versions of old 99, and county level. South of Eugene it may be harder to find an alternative - unless you want to meander through forests.
US97 is relatively flat and straight.
OR138 is one route from Roseberg to the north entrance to Crater Lake. It has some good waterfalls. It continues on to 97 with a long straight downgrade. (I'd take 101 south to Coos Bay, and 42 to Roseberg)
OR62 gives access to the south side of Crater Lake - to/from Medford and Klamath Falls. A modest use of I5 between Roseberg and Medford would be ok if you don't want windier roads like OR 227.
East of US97 the country is more open and drier, more like northern Nevada.
Speaking of waterfalls, there's a good book of Pacific NW waterfalls, and one (or more) websites.
Get on to Google Maps and look at some potential routes in details - terrain mode to see the mountains, sat view to see more detail, and Streetview for even more.
With GM route finding, click `avoid highways` to get routes that don't use I5.
