Oregon and Washington States

[tjschaefer]

Wife an I are planning a trip to Oregon and Washington next September for a month. I would be interested in your comments or website links to campgrounds and attractions that shouldn’t be missed. We have a 28 ft travel trailer and we enjoy sightseeing, kayaking, bicycling (not mountain bikes) hiking and we love the ocean.

[rhagfo]

Veebyes wrote:
Anytime the schools are in is a good time for us empty nesters to go out.

You might want to make reservations for September weekends or at least snag a first come site every Thursday & stay put till Sunday. Works for us most anytime.

Oregon coastal parks tend to be full to near full all week all through September.

[Veebyes]

Anytime the schools are in is a good time for us empty nesters to go out.

You might want to make reservations for September weekends or at least snag a first come site every Thursday & stay put till Sunday. Works for us most anytime.

[myredracer]

OMG, there are just so many great places to visit! Suggest doing a google search for RV camping in Washington & Oregon books. There's a few of them with good ideas on where to visit and stay. I bought several on Amazon that have been helpful. Sept. is an excellent time to visit with kids back in school and places not as busy.

So many great places we've been to but too much to list off the top of my head. Oregon coast (duh!) and the numerous small towns, Olympic NP (north access out of Port Angeles), Port Townsend & the ferry to Whidbey Island, the drive around Olympic peninsula, Mt St. Helens (the south access), Mt. Rainier, Leavenworth, Long Beach, Ocean Shores, Ashland & Klamath Falls & area, Mt Hood, north/south drive up in the Cascades via hwy 97 in Or and northwards through WA (towards Wenatchee and more north). There's lots of small towns that are very cool to stop in. I like the twisty secondary hwys and the scenery like east & west off I-5 in OR for ex. If you want to drive up one of the mountains, keep an eye on the weather forecasts otherwise you may not be able to see much.

There is an interesting north/south drive east of the 405 around Seattle that has a bunch of small towns (slooow route tho.). Avoid Seattle and surrounding area unless it's a must-visit for you - traffic is stupid busy. The drive on 101 along the west side of Puget sound is nice or go from Olympia/Shelton/Bainbridge Island/Poulsbo to Port Townsend. Driving through/around Portland isn't too bad.

Note that it can get quite cold up in the Cascades in Sept. We were in Bend OR few years back in early Sept. and the entire CG unexpectedly froze up solid overnight. Coiling up a frozen hose is not easy... :R

[S_Davis]

I you have a chance stay a couple days at Deception Pass state park, you could take a day for a ferry ride to the San Jaun islands and see if the resident Orca pod is around. The wife and I were there this afternoon, here is a video below with the tide going out the Pass.

https://youtu.be/2pG5z_26ZwI

[rhagfo]

this may be helpful in looking for a State Park in Oregon.
Oregon State Parks Guide 2017-2018

[profdant139]

If you like mountains (and who doesn't?), maybe check out the North Cascades area -- lots of great hiking and camping. This was taken in the Mt. Baker area in mid-September a few years ago -- that's Mt. Shuksan in the background:


Click For Full-Size Image.

There is plenty of non-technical hiking to suit any ability level -- from easy two mile jaunts to long back-packing trips. Also, there are delicious huckleberries and mountain blueberries galore at the higher altitudes during September. Just be careful not to eat too many at once.

Please don't ask how I know this.

[flyboykuao]

There is a "Journey through time" route in Oregon's Painted Hills near the town of John Day in Central Oregon. September is a good month to do this and you can cover the Columbia Gorge as well. The scenery is stunning. We just did this - as our very first RV trip - last September and loved it. We purchased a Fleetwood diesel pusher and are thrilled with it.

[Blazing_Zippers]

O P, I don't think one commenter on here actually meant "severed," but "served." Oregon has some strict rules, but probably not that strict. lol
It sounds like you have about 3-4 months of ideas on here. They are all great.

[dennis1]

September is great weather. USFS CG usually slow down after Labor Day. We like lake Trillium near Government Camp. Great campground and good view of Mt Hood. Get a oregon fishing license too. Great fishing on a human powered boat restriction only. Lot of fisherman on Kayaks, float tubes, and Canoes and rafts. No motor allowed on this small Oregon lake. However no hookups.

[4runnerguy]

If your month includes the drive out and back (2500 miles each way) you're really down to less than three weeks. Last trip we took to the coast we just did the southern half of the Oregon Coast and from here (1200 miles one way) in a month, just to give you an idea of timing. You'll be happier if you can squeeze another week or two into this trip.

So many places have been mentioned. With such limited time, I'd suggest either Mt. Rainier or Mt. St. Helens. The Columbia River Gorge has lots of waterfalls on short to intermediate hikes, but some areas were heavily burned a few years ago. Ainsworth SP in on the south side of the river and has FHU. Of course there's Crater Lake. With your limited time, I wouldn't try to get to Oregon Caves.

For ocean kayaking, I might suggest the area around the San Juan Islands. If you're looking for river kayaking, head over toward Bend and hit the Deschutes. While there, you can also visit Newberry Crater. Camping there is like camping along the shores of Crater Lake - you're at the bottom of a volcanic crater.

If you can, drive the Oregon coast from north to south so you can more easily slip into scenic pull offs. The northern part of the OR coast is the more touristy and busier part of the coast, the southern part is less crowded and maybe more scenic IMHO. If you're interested, there are some lighthouses along the coast you can tour. brochure If you camp at Harris Beach SP way south along the coast, you can day trip into northern CA and explore the redwoods there.

OR state parks are kind of the gold standard for SP's in this country. Sunset Bay SP outside of Coos Bay has an interesting setting. Beachside SP is just what is says. A couple of miles down the road, Tillicum Beach SP is also right on the beach.

WA also has some nice parks. We stayed at Deception Pass SP when we day tripped out to the San Juan's by ferry.

Once you start to get a plan in place, post more specific questions. And consider getting reservations at the SP's along the coast when they open up as they fill quickly. I think it's a rolling 9 month window.

[buc1980]

Astoria is a very nice place to visit.And don't miss Crater Lake.

[rarintogo]

If you plan on going to Fort Worden State Park - which you should, be sure and make a reservation. You can do so 9 months in advance. We have been the camp host there in Sept for the past 10 years or so and it is still busy through the entire month. Try to get a beach camp site. There are a lot of things to do at that park. We love it.

[Roy_Lynne]

Assuming you're coming in on I 90, the must see's in Washington are the Grand Coulee Dam. You can dry camp right in town and watch the laser show in the evening. Id go to Chelan and take the boat ride up the lake and then go Winthrop and take Hwy 20 over the Cascades. Avoiding Seattle and its traffic like the plague, I'd continue on 20 to Whidbey Island and take the ferry to Port Townsend and visit Fort Flagler.
Lots of awesome stops along 101 that circles the Olympics. Hurricane Ridge, Salt Creek, Ruby Beach, HoH, Then I'd hug the coast and check out Cape Disappointment and if your interested in history, all the Lewis and Clark stops in the area. Take the bridge across the Columbia that ends in Astoria Ore and continue south on 101. Tons of lighthouses and beaches and make sure to stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory for a double scope of ice cream in a chocolate dipped waffle cone. And since you will be so close, make sure you drop into California and check out the Redwoods. They are awesome.
Out of Crescent City you can take 199 back into Oregon and over to Medford where you can pickup 140 that will take you to 97 North and check out Crater Lake. From there take Hw 26 over to John Day where you can check out the Fossil Beds and Kam Wah Chung Museum. That will get you close to I 84 where you can head home on I 80

[mittshel]

For bicycleing the Centennial Bike Trail between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene is fabulous. Along the Spokane River much of the way.