Help Planning the Pacific Northwest tour 2014!

For scenic beauty visit Kalaloch Campground on the ocean. Some of the spots will handle that size rig, or, go south 3 miles to South Beach.

For kids that age, I'd also recommend Lake Chelan, but, the city CG gets reserved very early in the year. So it may be too late for that already. 509-682-8023

Ed, some of the national park campgrounds in WA won't accommodate that large an RV so you might want to check the campground info carefully. There are plenty of nice alternatives, though.

OK Here are some more details.


RV is 35ft. Class A
Kids are 16 and 12
Destination is the pacific NW. San Diego is simply where we are going to store the RV after this trip.
We have no route yet. We are still in the planning stages.

thanks
Ed

How old are the kids, and how far can they hike? For example, there are lots of amazing waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge, just a short walk from the parking area, and they are at their peak in late June and early July. Some of them (like Tunnel Falls on Eagle Creek, below) require a longer walk -- but how often do you get to walk right behind a thundering waterfall??

Having lived for many years in Salem, we "dry" camped many times in the areas you are planning on visiting. Along with what others have mentioned, some more suggestions:

First, look at the Nat Forest sites for the area, many semi-developed campgrounds available, and a lot are free.

Look into the "Century Drive" area out of Bend. Lakes, rivers, and dispersed camping.

Around Sisters, head toward or up to 3 Creek Lake. If you can get to the lake (depends on snow levels, but looks like they will open early this year!!), there 2 NF campgrounds right at the lake, and one just before at 3 Creek Meadow. Also, lots of unimproved, dry campsites almost anywhere off the main road up to the lake and beyond. A decent one is "Black Pine Springs".

Near Camp Sherman are many dry sites in the Jack Creek Area. You could also drive a bit more to the NE and visit Lake Billy Chinook and Cove Palisades State Park. Busy, but nice.

On the way to Eugene, there is Clear Lake Campground, and quite a few others on the road over the pass.

So many more, but my memory is slowing down!!

Enjoy your summer trip, you will love it.

romore wrote:
Can you give us an idea of your proposed route?

yes, a better general idea of what you want to cover, would be helpful.
and not sure how going down to San Diego is part of a Pacific Northwest tour.:h are you wanting suggestions, on the way down to there?

and you better start making reservations if you plan on staying in coastal campgrounds, especially in California and Oregon.
coastal campsites, in the summer, are usually booked 6-7 months in advance.

as far as what parks to see:
Crater Lake NP, Silver Fall SP, any of Oregon's coastal parks, Harris Beach SP, Jedediah Smith SP, Prairie Creek SP, North Cascades NP, Redwood NP are some that come to mind.
from San Francisco down would be a whole different thing unless you're planning to just drive straight down to San Diego without stopping at campgrounds.

Recommend including the Columbia River Gorge (I-84) in your route very scenic with waterfalls some good hiking and the kids can watch the salmon at the dams. Wind surfing at Hood River and several other places is also unique. Also Maryhill museum and a stone Henge replica on the WA side. Two State Parks we like in the Gorge are Ainsworth and Memaloose.

From Redding head north on I5 to 97 north. Follow this up through central Oregon visiting Crater Lake, Collier Memorial State Park for their great logging museum. Then around Bend are numerous caves and lava tubes. From Bend turn west toward Sisters, the head waters of the Metolious. About 25 miles farther west is the McKenzie cutoff. Take that down following the river. Plan a stop at Bellknap hot springs for a night of hot water and hiking through their wonderful gardens. At Eugene head south on I5 for about 20 miles to the turn off to Reedsport and US101. Just south of Reedsport is Winchester Bay and the great RV park. plan on taking a dune tour or maybe rent some ATVs for a day. From here use 101 all the way south. Lots of scenery, the redwoods, SanFrancisco, SanSimeon,and the rest of theCalifornia coast.

Also, what kind of rig do you have? It might make a difference in national parks.

Can you give us an idea of your proposed route?