‘This is one of the most epic West Coast road trips that you can take’

June 27, 2024

This is one West Coast Road Trips that you won’t want to miss, and as a native PNWer, I can say that author “Luke Kelly Travels” hit the nail on the head with this West Coast Road Trip video below. Plus, check out his Etsy for more epic shots.

Itinerary for the best West Coast road trip that I’ve ever taken—which was to start at Yosemite in California and just follow the Sierra north into the Cascades of Oregon and Washington, visiting the coast and a handful of the more remarkable parks and places along the route. We went to all of these places between August 17th and September 4th of last year, which was a really nice time of year to go.

Road tripping made for an awesome way to see some of the famous sights in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, and to hit a lot of great trails and campgrounds as well. But the best part is that there are also a ton of hidden gems to explore along the way, outside of the parks. It’s a beautiful drive the whole way, too.

Our itinerary, including the five highlights mentioned in this reel, looked something like this:

California:
-Yosemite
-Lake Tahoe
-Lassen Volcanic National Park
-Burney Falls
-Mount Shasta

Oregon:
-Klamath Falls Area
-Crater Lake
-Bend Area
-Cannon Beach/OR Coast
-Trillium Lake/Mt. Hood
-Hood River
-Multnomah Falls/Portland

Washington:
-Mount Rainier
-Alpine Lakes Wilderness
-North Cascades
-Mt. Baker

It’s probably 20 plus hours of total driving to do this whole trip, which is why I’d recommend 3 weeks or more if possible. If you don’t mind tacking on a little more, it’s also worth driving out to Redwood National Park in Northern California, and Olympic National Park in between visiting Rainier and the North Cascades.

Between the wildlife, scenery, and so many good hikes, it’s probably one of the best ways that I can think of to spend a few weeks or a full month in the summertime. As always, feel free to message me or comment for itineraries or recommendations.

Insta follow: https://www.instagram.com/lukekellytravels