2-3 Week west coast trip

dkuntz,
Did you make it out to Oregon last summer? How was your trip?

I'll speak for CA. There is a state park at Morro Bay that would make a good base camp. Other private parks in the area. I haven't stayed there so I can't vouch for TT length restrictions. I'm referencing it off of location. That would put you on the Pacific Coast Hwy but not worrying about towing on it. You could head north towards Monterey which is a beautiful drive. Hearst Castle. Big Sur. More stops than you have time to make. Monterey is a good place to spend a day but if you want to do that, I'd stay in that area.

South from Morro Bay, you have San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach within 50 miles.

Yosemite is a must although that's not a great time of the year to visit. The crowds will be large and the waterfalls likely dry - but I'd still go if it was my only chance. You can drive the valley in one day. It's not optimal but it's better than skipping in my book. If you have three days, you can take the short hikes and go up to Glacier Point. If nothing else, consider it a scouting trip for future adventures.

Sequoias: You have three options. Mariposa Grove is inside Yosemite. Not as big at the other two options but would save time and still magnificent. Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon NP are sister parks that are adjacent. General Sherman, the largest tree, is in the Giant Forest in Sequoia. General Grant Tree, the second largest, is in Grant's Grove at Kings Canyon. Kings Canyon is two parts: Grants Grove which is a sequoia grove at 5,000' (if I remember correctly) and Cedar Grove which is the valley. Cedar Grove is beautiful but is a long slow drive best reserved for when that is a primary destination. I like Kings Canyon over Sequoia because it is a much easier drive and slightly less crowded. It's also an easier drive from Kings Canyon to Yosemite.

If you spend a half day in San Fransciso you can ride a cable car, eat clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, and see the Golden Gate Bridge. Yes, there is much more but this will check some big boxes and save time for nature that folks in RVs tend to prefer.

Head up to Red Woods and OR Coast from there. I always wanted to visit Napa Valley but haven't gotten to it so I can't speak first hand.

dkuntz,

Look here for info on all the state parks Oregon State Parks Each park will have info and a link to brochures & campground maps.

My thoughts on best campgrounds for biking & exploring from north to south:

Fort Stevens State Park (Astoria/Warrenton) - miles of bike trails, tons of history, freshwater lake for fishing/swimming, near Astoria and Lewis & Clark's Fort Clatsop.

Nehalem Bay State Park (north of Tillamook) - on a large peninsula, you have the ocean on one side and a large bay with great gently sloping beach on the other, kayak in the estuary in the bay; miles of biking including back road to nearby tourist town (Manzanita).

South Beach State Park (Newport) - lots of beach

Jessie M Honeyman Memorial State Park (Florence) - sand dunes!

Bullards Beach State Park (Bandon) - day use/beach access is about 2 miles inside the park from the campground (good bike ride), easy beach access.

TooManyTents wrote:
You can make reservations at Oregon State Parks up to 9 months in advance. Parks on the coast are most popular, so NOW is the time to be making reservations. Oregon State Parks uses ReserveAmerica. You have to pay the full fee up front. As in most places, you can't leave your dogs unattended in Oregon state parks.

What kinds of activities do you want to do on this trip?
Are you bringing bicycles for the kids?
How long do you plan to stay in each campground? In other words, to you want to go to one place & stay for 2 weeks or spend 2 nights at each place or something in between?

Definitely taking bikes with us. We were thinking 3 days or so per location so we could get to several spots along the way.

You can make reservations at Oregon State Parks up to 9 months in advance. Parks on the coast are most popular, so NOW is the time to be making reservations. Oregon State Parks uses ReserveAmerica. You have to pay the full fee up front. As in most places, you can't leave your dogs unattended in Oregon state parks.

What kinds of activities do you want to do on this trip?
Are you bringing bicycles for the kids?
How long do you plan to stay in each campground? In other words, to you want to go to one place & stay for 2 weeks or spend 2 nights at each place or something in between?

Not sure I understand your post. Are you now thinking of driving straight to the coast instead of trying to include Yellowstone AND the coast in this 2-3 week trip?

If so, I would take as much time as possible. I consider the best part of the West Coast to be from the Redwoods in Northern CA and along the whole Oregon Coast. Oregon has great State Parks. Most people recommend driving the coast southbound as the scenic pullouts will be on your right. Certainly easier, but I've done a few trips northbound anyway. Summertime is busy on the coast, so reservations are recommended. There are also Forest Service, County, and private campgrounds. Relax and take your time with the drive along the coast. You'll be in the company of many many other RVers.

If you search the forum (not just in Family Camping) for "Oregon Coast" or "Redwoods", you'll find lots of info.

Janss wrote:
Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier (including Waterton) could take up my 2-3 weeks. Do you actually want to go to the West Coast, as the title of your post indicates?

After reading the posts, I'm thinking we should maybe just consider a west coast trip only. We live in Colorado so Yellowstone is only 8 hours away. Seems like I could easily spend 2 weeks between The Tetons and YS alone.

So if you had 2-3 weeks, what would you do?

dkuntz wrote:
.........I have 31' TT, and generators so we don't need hookups.

Many people that stay at dry campgrounds enjoy them and the quietness without the use of generators. Many of those same people wonder why the people that are using the generators would just stay at the electric hook up parks and allow the dry campgrounds to remain quiet. Just a thought..

Dave,

If you are interested in Yellowstone, get the maps now and start studying. There are numerous campgrounds in the park, but the only FHU is Fishing Bridge. It is not cheap, but nothing there is. The other FHUs are private and outside the park. If you will use the generator to recharge the house bank, as said, it has to be quiet.

Get the maps because the park roads are essentially two loops. Each with many stops. There is a lot that you can see from the road, but there is even more that you can miss from the road. Last time there about a year ago, I was lame and could not do more than a couple of miles a day on foot. There were things I wanted to get back to that will have to wait until next time.

Even if you can't do any serious hiking and will just drive the two loops and some side trips, it is still a three day deal.

Matt

Grand Teton where you can stay at Gros Ventre and spend 2-3 days (or a lot more). Yellowstone where you can reserve at Grant Village. You can see most of the park in a week, but you will be busy. Be sure your generator is not an open frame one as they are now checking sound levels in the campgrounds there. If over the 60 dbA, slow, limit at 50' you can't use it!!! After that go to Glacier for 3-4 days.