Redmond, or. the dalles, astoria coast to calif

[rvgrammady]

I will be at the FMCA rally in Redmond, or. leaving Sun. Aug 17th. Single, gramma, 35' Class A towing a saturn wagon.
Would like to go to the Columbia River see the Dam, waterfalls, then
go over to the coast and head south on coast and see Calif Redwoods. Will need to be back to San Francisco area by Sept 19th.

Would like to have a home base for 3-5 days and move to next place. Will use tow car to do siteseeing.
I don't know the coast but think if I stay in 3 or 4 locations coming down... but where?

During this time I will encounter Labor Day weekend and I guess I need
to make reservations for that weekend as well as other home bases.

Any help in driving directions routes, roads, places to stay, siteseeing would be appreciated. Know there are a couple casinos I could stay overnite w/o unhooking tow car. If I needed to stop overnite before next home base.
I do not hike or bike, walk a few blocks then need to rest my knee. Like to have a day or so each home base to relax. Cook but like to taste local places too. Thanks for the info

[rbtglove]

Memaloose has a nice view of the River and is a nice place to stay. Ainsworth State park near Troutdale is right in the Gorge near waterfalls, but it is a no reservation Park and you have to get there mid day to get a good site. Probably a better location for most of the Gorge attractions.

[crabbin_cabin]

Last summer we based in Lincoln City for a month at the "Premier resorts" - good monthly rate/ Toured the north end of 101 from there. Then moved south to explore the south end as far as Redwood N.P. at Crescent City. Will be back on that coast again this summer!

[padredw]

We stayed at Memaloose State Park near The Dalles. Had a beautiful, shady site and great views of the River. Nice drive out to Mount Hood.

[cpaulsen]

Leave Redmond and head north to I-84 and follow the Columbia west towards the coast. No need to drive back down to Seven Feathers....that makes you go backwards. Once you get close to Astoria....there are plenty of places to stay on the coast depending how far you want to travel.

[George_H]

OR State parks are probably booked for weekends, usually able to find private campgrounds in those areas. Which Columbia River Dam(s) are you thinking of?
I84 East out of Portland will get you Bonneville Dam and Multanoma(sp) Falls, West bound back on I84 to Portland (avoid rush hour)and pick up US30 to coast at Astoria.
Plan on staying in one place on coast over the weekends, 101 is not a freeway and gets busy.

[Ron_Butler]

Oregon coast is spectacular as are the state parks right on the coast. From the north here are several of our favorites:

1. Astoria - Ft. Stevens SP - historical fort and the ocean beaches. What more would you want? One of our all time favorites.

2. Newport - South Beach SP - great setting on the beach.

3. Bandon - Bullards Beach SP - another outstanding setting along the ocean and beach with a fun coastal fishing town. Another all time favorite.

4. Brookings - Harris Beach SP - up on the cliff overlooking spectacular crashing ocean waves and rocks with another outstanding and fun coastal town. Another favorite!

Use these as bases to explore other ocean scenic sights with your car. Now, the real down side - these are incredibly popular state parks, so it may already be too late to make reservations.

My suggestions for the Redwoods would be to go on down the coast on 101 to Crescent City and pull into one of the several RV parks there along the harbor. You can then drive your car into the Redwoods. There are several sections of them that you may want to take in and that is why I would recommend Crescent City over staying clear out on I-5 at the casino. Way too much driving from that point to get a feeling for the Redwoods.

Good luck and enjoy the fabulous Oregon coast and all the seafood!

[sdianel_-acct_c]

Seven Feathers RV Resort at Seven Feathers Casino is very nice. You won't want to leave. It's at Canyonville OR
2 suggestions for the redwoods, we stayed at the KOA in Crescent City CA. There is a road you can drive thru the forest. OK for cars. Howland Hill Road
Mostly unpaved; Motorhomes/RVs and trailers not advised.
Distance & Duration: 10 miles, one way (from Crescent City, Calif. to junction with U.S. 199 near Hiouchi, Calif.); 45 minutes.
Directions: From Crescent City, Calif.: drive south 1 mile on U.S. 101 and turn left (east-northeast) onto Elk Valley Road; continue 1 mile and turn right (east) onto Howland Hill Road; after ~1½ miles the road becomes unpaved as it enters Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park; continue another 5½ miles on Howland Hill Road until it becomes Douglas Park Road (paved); after ~1½ miles turn left onto South Fork Road; after ½ mile South Fork Road junctions with U.S. 199 just east of Hiouchi, Calif.
Description: Just a couple miles west of Crescent City, an unpaved stretch of Howland Hill Road offers motorists an intimate encounter with the towering old-growth redwoods in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Numerous pull-outs and trailheads along the way, including the Boy Scout Tree Trail and Stout Grove.

2. Then we moved to Redcrest CA to Ancient Redwoods RV Park on Avenue of the Giants.