San Francisco to Portland OR -- Coast Highway ???

Just came up that way

Highway one is closed just north of the Hearst Castle

SR 1



IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA
IS CLOSED FROM 4.6 MI NORTH OF RAGGED POINT TO 10.3 MI NORTH OF
RAGGED POINT /AT MUD CREEK/ (MONTEREY CO 24 HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK THRU
9/30/18 - DUE TO MUDSLIDE REMOVAL - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE
ROUTE

Drove highway one last May from Bodega Bay up to the redwood country in our 25 foot motorhome, and even though the scenery is dramatic, it was a dicey drive and hard on the nerves. Too much road work, narrow lanes, very tight blind curves, no shoulders, etc.

I would not have wanted to be towing anything on that road.

Oregon Coast was fabulous, with all the pluses but none of those drawbacks.

TenOC wrote:
I have a 31 foot fifth wheel.

I have read a number of posting about driving the CA coast highway (CA 1 and 101). My initial plan was that the beautiful views would offset the twisting narrow highway - mountain driving is OK with me. However, I have change my mind.

I still want to see the "must see" part of the coast highways, but I am willing to bypass some (most ?) of the coastal highway. We do want to see the redwood NP around Crescent City and will camp in that area for a few days.

Can you suggest a route or must see parts of CA 1 and parts to avoid?

You are going to have a hard time getting a place to camp. The Oregon Coast is a VERY popular place in the summer.

We like Bodega Bay and Ft Bragg, both easy to reach from 101. And 101 will take you through your northern CA areas and on into OR.

We had no problem with US 1 and a 36' MH with toad. Yes the far northern end has several 15 MPH switchbacks. US 1 south of Marshall might be a little iffy.

We're now prohibited from most of US 1 and other CA roads due to length. And this includes US 20 to Ft Bragg. But we enjoy Bodega Bay.

TenOC wrote:
I have a 31 foot fifth wheel.

Don't do it.. (us 1 ) it is a very crooked road, You will meet yourself coming back on some of those curves.

Most of the stuff you want to see is on 101. south of Frisco.
But north of the bridge, 1 becomes a hazard for larger vehicles.

Highway 1 is a little unnerving but can be done if you take your time and watch out for the other guy. The biggest problem is road conditions- storms, landslides, road construction...etc. We once had to turn around and go back 40 miles due to a landslide. Another time we were stuck for 6 hours while a rock slide was cleared.

101 will be the best choice and then use your TV to take side trips over to the coast to see the sights you don't want to miss.

TenOC wrote:

agesilaus wrote:
We drove from Redwood City to the end of the coastal hwy up at Olympic NP with our 34 ft fiver in tow, with no problems whatsoever. And many people do the same. We took our time and enjoyed the scenery.

Are you talking about Redwood City near Palo Alto? What about the road at Fort Bragg?

I keep calling Crescent City, Redwood City for some reason. Looking at the map we actually came west on 299 to Arcata and then north from there on 101. We did stop at the KOA in Crescent City for several days while we explored the Redwood NP.

agesilaus wrote:
We drove from Redwood City to the end of the coastal hwy up at Olympic NP with our 34 ft fiver in tow, with no problems whatsoever. And many people do the same. We took our time and enjoyed the scenery.

Are you talking about Redwood City near Palo Alto? What about the road at Fort Bragg?

You do not want to drive 1, at least the northern part. 101 in CA is pretty far inland and really offers no views. Since your driving backwords, the KOA in Crescent City is OK for a base. Ask locally for the redwoods drive east of town. Narrow dirt road through the trees with a couple of places to stop and walk. Brookings Harbor RV park in Brookings is great for views, right on the water, but a parking lot. From there north any of the state parks you can find space in will be great. Be sure to visit the light houses on the way. Salmon Harbor at Winchester Bay is a beautiful, I think county park, grassy paved sites right on the water.

We drove from Redwood City to the end of the coastal hwy up at Olympic NP with our 34 ft fiver in tow, with no problems whatsoever. And many people do the same. We took our time and enjoyed the scenery.