Best way to travel the Pacific Coast

dedmiston wrote:
I've done the trip multiple times in various pieces, and I also did the whole coast from Victoria, BC all the way to L.A.

It's a gorgeous drive, but there's also a whole lot of nothing in some of those places. It's all beautiful, but it depends on your need for variety and for stops along the way.

Highway 1 through California isn't for everyone. It's narrow through Mendocino (but gorgeous) and 101 is an easier detour. The 101 is gorgeous up there, so it's no real compromise.

Highway 1 between Carmel and San Simeon can be a tough drive and I wouldn't recommend it if you're towing. I think you could easily cover this road on a day trip though. You could camp in Morro Bay (in San Luis Obispo County) and drive up hwy 1 through Big Sur to Carmel, and then turn east at Carmel to the 101 and come back south to 46 at Paso Robles to cut back to PCH below Cambria or keep going south down the Cuesta Grade and back up hwy 1 to Morro Bay.

You could do something similar to see the coast at Mendocino so you don't miss any of the highlights like Ft. Bragg.

In short, there are amazing things to see along the PCH, but I don't recommend towing a trailer down the whole thing.

Good travel information!!! Hwy 46 is great RV road to get back to the centeral coast. Pismo Beach area is great choice.

Either is fine if planning to come back in five years and go the opposite direction :)

Good advice already, especially MarkTwain above. I'll just add that the later in the year you go north, the more likely it will be that you encounter smoke and/or fires. We've had our worst fires in October. I'm just north of SF.

Even without wildfires, we have a heavy schedule this year of mitigation, including prescribed burns. We're already having those here.

That drive is spectacular. I love spending time on the Sonoma and Mendo coasts.

wallaceb wrote:
Good morning everyone, The DW asked me to start planning a trip to see the Pacific Coast (CA, OR, Wash). My simple question to start is " Is it best to travel north-south or south-north to do so? My plan would be a fall trip allowing at least a month to do so. Thanks in advance for any advice/comments. Happy Trails

In Washington not much to see along the coast except for Whidby Island. It is a RVers dream loaded with many beautiful little towns and sights. Easy to spend a week on Whidby Island. Riding the ferries to different islands is also great.
I would suggest starting in Astoria and going south all down the Oregon and Calif. coast. The southern route gives the best sights and places to pull off the highway and take pictures. It is also much safer not having to cross the highway watching for other vehicles.
BUT BEFORE YOU EVEN GET ON THE ROAD, MAKE RV RESERVATIONS FOR YOUR WHOLE TRIP AND DO IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. You can also call and cancel reservations if needed but be sure and know what the cancellation policy is for each RV park.
Traveling in Calif. is fantastic as far as San Francisco. I would not choose to drive an RV through S.F., too much traffic and congestion. I would bypass around the city and then continue down Hwy. 1 all the way down to Santa Barbara. Not much to RV travel beyond that.
Personally I would not drive any where near Los Angles especially with an RV. TRAFFIC, CONGESTION, TRAFFIC CONGESTION!!!!!

goducks10 wrote:
Being a life long Oregonian I would say north to south. All the turnouts are on the right. It's easier to view the ocean heading south vs north.
I would suggest getting some reservations even for fall. Depending on what you're traveling in you may or may not fit in all spots in all CG's. Oregons coast really popular well into Oct these days.
There's not much coast line in WA. I've only been down to Ft Bragg in CA.

Agreed. But my wife didn't care to see the cliffs so close up. And, in some spots (if you have along rear overhang) the back of yu rig protrudes over the cliffs. LOL. I would ask my wife "How much of the motorhome is hanging over that cliff", as we went around a turn. 1/2 the time she would just turn her seat around and face the back (37' Motorhome). She's pretty comfortable in the truck (pulling the 5th wheel).

There are many roads in CA where a 40' and longer MH are prohibited like most of highway 1. This might be a heads for a TT.

https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/45-buses-motorhomes/bus-map

Slow and tedious but dramatic and fun. You need a month.

I've done the trip multiple times in various pieces, and I also did the whole coast from Victoria, BC all the way to L.A.

It's a gorgeous drive, but there's also a whole lot of nothing in some of those places. It's all beautiful, but it depends on your need for variety and for stops along the way.

Highway 1 through California isn't for everyone. It's narrow through Mendocino (but gorgeous) and 101 is an easier detour. The 101 is gorgeous up there, so it's no real compromise.

Highway 1 between Carmel and San Simeon can be a tough drive and I wouldn't recommend it if you're towing. I think you could easily cover this road on a day trip though. You could camp in Morro Bay (in San Luis Obispo County) and drive up hwy 1 through Big Sur to Carmel, and then turn east at Carmel to the 101 and come back south to 46 at Paso Robles to cut back to PCH below Cambria or keep going south down the Cuesta Grade and back up hwy 1 to Morro Bay.

You could do something similar to see the coast at Mendocino so you don't miss any of the highlights like Ft. Bragg.

In short, there are amazing things to see along the PCH, but I don't recommend towing a trailer down the whole thing.

Good suggestion above but we were in Port Townsend last summer and it was rather blah for us. Not much coast from there on 101 in WA but the Olympic Penninsula is interesting.

From the N Cascade Highway consider Anacortes, ferry ride to Friday Harbor, Whidbey Island, ferry to Pt Townsend and then either direction on 101. FYI 101 almost completely surrounds the penninsula. Long Beach WA can be interesting.

If you do Seattle be very aware of the homeless folks. Park in lots, never leave anything in the car and never open the truck for something, they are watching.

To do this from New Jersey ---- start from Niagara Falls across Canada Vie Mackinaw Bridge
Then US -2 across the northern states including Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone , Glacier, then Grand Coulee Dam, And the North Cascade Highway.
then start your trip south via US 101 and 1 too include Port Townsend, the Olympic Park and south.