Portland to San Francisco on the 101

Thanks for all the input. So were is a good spot to stop to tour the Redwoods ??

Thanks Doug,

The best place to stay with a big rig to see the redwoods is ANCIENT REDWOODS RV in Redcrest. You're parked right in the middle of the action. Nice drives with the towed vehicle and nice easy hiking. It's a beautiful area.

We're driven 101 from Washington to San Francisco with our 40' motorhome and toad with no problems. Just prepare yourself for slow-going. It's not a super fast highway for a reason.

For touring San Fran we stayed north on 101 at Santa Rosa Fairgrounds (F/H/U) and drove to Larkspur to take the ferry across the bay (nice short trip) which ends at Fisherman's Wharf. From there we had made reservations for the San Fran Small group tour which was a van holding about 20 folks - not a big bus. It gave us a good tour of the city highpoints, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito. Would highly recommend it as a way of seeing the city. Have a great trip!

If you are on Hwy 1 going South, all you see is the 400' drop to the water. I'm glad I was driving so I could not see how scary it was. Going South on 101 is totally different.

Thanks for all the help

Doug,

crabbin cabin wrote:

Pangaea Ron wrote:

sp8gold wrote:
We have traveled 101 from WA to south of SF a couple of times. A great drive with a lot of great sights. We even left 101 and took Hwy 1 ONE time. I would not do that again going South, maybe North. Lots of great places to stay, both public and private along the way. Be aware that the OR State Parks are full in the summer season most of the time. As to height problems, our motorhome is 13', other then a couple of tunnels (hug the center stripe) nothing to worry about.

I disagree, I would much rather travel from N to S. The pull-outs are more plentiful on the ocean side and are much easier to use without crossing traffic.

It is a great trip that we just did a couple of months ago. As "sp8gold" suggests, you should make reservations especially on weekends.

This was a very special spot for us.

Glass Beach - Fort Bragg, CA

And just what do you disagree with?? WA to SF IS N to S!!

sp8golf said that he has done the trip several times and says that he would "not do that again going SOUTH', that is what I would question. I applaud his choice to do both Hwy-1 and 101, Hwy-1 can create a tight spinchter in places, but it is worth it for the views. Perhaps he is referring to Hwy-1 rather that 101? Even so I would do Hwy-1.

The ocean side lane creates a more challenging perception, but mostly for the passenger than for the driver, but the inside (up-land) lane is more often an issue.

There is a nice RV park coming down 101 south just before you cross the Klamath River on the right hand side. Can't remember the name of if, but you can see it from the freeway. The Redwoods are not far from there.

As to driving 101, it is a nice drive and you should not have any problems.

There is a fairground in Eureka that is a reasonably priced and great for seeing that area. Neat area in Arcata that treats waste water by using a series of lagoons to filter it before it enters the ocean. The area attracts all sorts of wildlife.

Barb

We did the entire coast from Astoria through Brookings to Crescent City last month. We took about 9 days actually on 101. Our favorite stops were Beverley Beach (a few miles north of Newport) and Harris Beach (north of Brookings) Both are State Parks. We also stayed at a municipal CG in Florence called "Siuslaw River Marina and RV Park". It's easy walking distance to "Old Town" Florence.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very cooperative. Cool, misty mornings and no sun until early afternoon, but it was mid-May, so it wasn't completely unexpected.

Our RV is a 32' (102" wide) and we don't tow. There were a few twisty bits that got the driver's attention, particularly as you approach Astoria on highway 30, but not a problem if you take it carefully.

I'd strongly recommend stopping at the first freeway rest are you come to and go get the booklet "Highway 101 Mile by Mile". It's a bit light on campground information, but good for identifying things to see and do.

The biggest snag we encountered was the road works. We had intended to go as far south as Eureka, but we ran into a couple of single-lane workings, each a mile or so long, where CAL-DOT were repairing places where the southbound lane had fallen off the cliff, south of Crescent City. Combined with about 0.25 miles visibility in the fog, that was enough for us to turn round and head across to Grants Pass on highway 199. Strongly recommend getting the most current highway repair info you can find, both in California and Oregon.

As faar as the toll on the GG Bridge, don't worry about it. They will send you a bill with a picture of your license plate. Still haven't figured out how they know you're towing a car though. We usually only go North on the bridge when in the RV. I we are heading south we go over the Richmond- San Raphael Bridge which has a toll north bound only. Some of the tolls cah be $28 when towing a car or trailer.