A road trip from San Francisco to Seattle is almost unmatched in quality. In two weeks on the road, this fast-paced but efficient itinerary has you hitting four national parks, a national forest and three major cities in three different states on the USA’s West Coast.
I’ll start by saying that you could spend two weeks in almost any of the places on this itinerary. This itinerary is deliberately fast-paced, allowing you to see as much as possible along this incredible stretch of the USA’s West Coast.
If you follow this itinerary, you’ll usually have about three hours of driving each day. At the end of the article I’ve suggested a modification that involves more driving on fewer days to allow more time in the national parks.
Accommodation
First, a word on accommodation. If you’re going to do this trip in mid-summer like I did, there’s no guarantee of accommodation in the specific places I’ve included in this itinerary. Treat them as a geographical guide, as you may just have to book what you can get in the area. I stayed in some extremely random places on my trip up the West Coast, including a teepee at Crater Lake, but this route is broadly what I did.
Driving in the USA
Rightly or wrongly, the USA is designed for driving. This means driving in the USA is easy. Everything is well-marked and the roads are usually nice and wide. I’ve found that the roads on the West Coast are very well maintained (compared to the UK anyway).
Day 1: arrive in San Francisco, California
Start your trip by arriving in iconic San Francisco.
The only thing on the agenda for today is making your way to your accommodation. If you have time, wander round the city and catch a glimpse of the famous Golden Gate Bridge.
Day 2: San Francisco
First things first: collect your hire car. You can book a car in advance but we just turned up to a hire car company and asked what they had available. This was in mid-July (i.e. peak season) and they still had cars available and gave us a good deal. Even though you’re spending the day in San Francisco today, you’ll want to be ready to leave early tomorrow morning so it’s best to pick up the hire car today.
This itinerary doesn’t provide time to see everything San Francisco has to offer. It’s a whole separate trip. But if this is your first time in San Francisco, I’d suggest doing one or more of the following:
Wine tour
The San Francisco area is THE wine region of California so the wines are top-notch. The best way to sample them (and learn about them obvs) is to do a wine tour of the Napa and/or Sonoma Valleys – we did this one.
Visit Alcatraz
This former maximum-security island prison is a unique place. Its creepy atmosphere and thrilling escape legends make for an exciting half-day.
Visit Pier 39
See the iconic sealions at Pier 39 and find some fish and chips for lunch.
Day 3: San Francisco to Fort Bragg, California (170 miles)
Embark on the first day of your San Francisco to Seattle road trip!
Head out in the car and drive straight up towards the Golden Gate Bridge. You could make a stop at Baker Beach to see the bridge from the south side, provided San Francisco’s famous fog isn’t lingering on the water.
Then drive over the bridge. This is an experience in itself! If you like, stop at the viewpoint on the north side for a different perspective.
On your way out of San Francisco, stop in Sausalito, a lovely spot for a snack or lunch. This is apparently where Otis Redding wrote Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.
Then carry on up the coast to Fort Bragg. Visit Glass Beach, and then watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.
Day 4: Fort Bragg to Redwood National and State Parks, California (175 miles)
Most of day 4 involves a winding road so make sure you’re happy to focus a bit more intently whilst driving today. A couple of coffee breaks will be essential!
Make a stop at Humboldt Redwoods State Park. On the approach, you’ll drive among the giant trees, so tall that your mind can’t process it properly. Spend an hour or so walking between these giant redwoods and appreciate just how small you are.
Head out towards the coast again and find somewhere to stay in the vicinity of the Redwood National and State Parks. Anywhere nearby is good – I promise you won’t get tired of marvelling at the enormous trees.
Day 5: Redwood National and State Parks to Crater Lake National Park, Oregon (155 miles)
Drive back through the trees and cross the state border into Oregon. This is the middle of the three states you’ll pass through on your way from San Francisco to Seattle. Turn northeast and make for Crater Lake National Park.
You’ll need to buy a national parks pass to enter Crater Lake National Park. The cost for an annual pass in a vehicle, covering national parks across the USA, is $80. Yes, I typed that correctly. It’s ridiculously good value for what it gets you.
The easiest way for a foreign visitor to get a national parks pass is to buy it at the entrance to the park. Once you’ve got it, you can get straight into the two other national parks in this itinerary later on.
Day 6: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
The crater of Crater Lake was formed by a huge volcanic eruption thousands of years ago. The crater now contains a glacial lake of the most intense deep blue. Wizard Island sits in the middle, shaped (as its name suggests) like a wizard’s hat.
Crater Lake is one of my favourite places in the USA. It was one of those rare scenes where I couldn’t believe my eyes because it was unlike anything I had seen before. The lake is an incredibly vivid colour. It’s in a beautiful spot, surrounded by thick pine forests. The icing on the cake for us was a cloudless blue sky. Photos do not do Crater Lake justice and you just have to see it for yourself.
Pick a hike and arrive early in Crater Lake National Park. Spend the day hiking and marvelling at the lake’s outstanding beauty.
Day 7: Crater Lake National Park to Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon (240 miles)
On day 7, travel to Siuslaw National Forest. This is on Oregon’s Pacific coast and, as well as (obviously) more trees, it comes with some unmissable coastal scenery.
I recommend travelling west to the coast through Umpqua National Forest, then heading up the coastal road. The alternative is going a more direct route through Eugene but, if you do that, you’ll miss out on a couple of the landmarks I’m going to recommend.
Avoid Umpqua Hot Springs
The first stop we made on this drive was Umpqua Hot Springs. This was hands down the worst place we stopped at on the whole way from San Francisco to Seattle. I can categorically say it wasn’t worth it.
In contrast to the well-maintained national parks and forests we had seen so far, the Umpqua Hot Springs area was unfortunately filthy. First, the one toilet on site was buzzing with clouds of flies and emitted such a stench that I couldn’t even go into the cubicle. Then, after hiking several kilometres up a hill through the forest to the hot springs themselves, we were sorely disappointed. The thermal pools had a layer of scum on their surface and the water was a dubious cloudy grey. The smell of sulphur – more recognisable as a “rotten-egg” smell – permeated the air. A few courageous people had immersed themselves in the pools and were posing for photos, valiantly attempting to adopt a happy and relaxed demeanour.
But this was truly an Instagram-versus-reality moment. I had the strong impression that the people in the pools were anything but happy and relaxed, their reservations about the cleanliness of the water grappling against their determination to garner the likes on their social media. Even the photos on Google are misleading and they cleverly sidetrack you from the disappointment you will undoubtedly feel when you see Umpqua Hot Springs in real life.
In short, I cannot in good conscience recommend that you visit Umpqua Hot Springs. I sincerely regret the $5 we paid for parking there.
Anyway. The road out of Crater Lake National Park towards the Oregon coast twists and turns a lot so you should stop somewhere for a break. Just not at Umpqua Hot Springs.
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
When you get into the Siuslaw National Forest area, make a stop at the Oregon Dunes. You could pick a short hike to do here if you have time, but make sure you get to the dunes themselves. They face the Pacific Ocean and it’s really exhilarating running full-pelt down a sand dune looking out at a view of shallow waves washing ashore and the flat blue ocean as far as the eye can see.
Cape Perpetua
Cape Perpetua has a visitor centre and I recommend parking here and walking down to the coast along the easy half-mile Captain Cook Trail to see the unusual geographical features along this peninsula.
The two sights that stand out for me are Thor’s Well and Spouting Horn. Thor’s Well is a deep gulf in the rock where the sea seems to disappear before gushing back up again at intervals. At Spouting Horn, seawater sprays out of the rock almost like a geyser, caused by the waves entering a narrow crevice underneath. You might have to wait for a few waves before you see this happening, as the timing has to be just right.
Yachats
We stayed in Yachats, a coastal town with various hotels and a relatively good selection of restaurants.
Day 8: Siuslaw National Forest to Portland, Oregon (135 miles)
On day 8, head back inland and turn north towards the first city on this itinerary since San Francisco. Portland is Oregon’s largest city and is home to 650,000 people. It identifies itself as “weird”: offbeat, alternative and unconventional.
Unfortunately, Portland wasn’t for me. Bluntly, it’s the most hypocritically gentrified place I’ve ever been. It carries the price tag of an upmarket place for no discernible reason. For example, Portland’s many dive bars are expensive but still genuinely shabby, rather than faux-shabby as I have come to expect from gentrified places. This made me feel that the more down-and-out aspects of Portland life have been crudely romanticised and turned into a spectacle to be enjoyed only by those who can afford it. It felt as though being poor was seen as “chic”, which honestly just felt distasteful.
Portland is also dealing heavily with the homelessness crisis in the USA. I was shocked at the sheer number of homeless people there and the heavy use of fentanyl. Entire streets were blocked off by tents, with literally hundreds of people sitting there completely out of it on drugs. It was really sad to see. My stop in Portland really highlighted to me the scale of the issue and, presumably, the lack of government attention it is receiving. This visible poverty made the expense and gentrification of Portland even more ironic.
I don’t want to put anyone off visiting Portland if they want to go. Maybe it’s worth having a look around for curiosity purposes. Obviously Portland isn’t the only place in the world like this but it did leave a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe it just wasn’t my vibe.
Day 9: Portland to Mount Rainier National Park, Washington (140 miles)
On day 9, get out of Portland and head into Washington State, your third and final state on the route from San Francisco to Seattle. I loved this section of the drive because, when you enter Washington, there are suddenly forests of towering pine trees. It reminded me of skiing in the Alps on a bluebird day.
If you have time, consider making a detour to Mount St Helen’s. Mount St Helen’s is an active volcano which hit the headlines after its violent eruption in 1980. As a consequence of this eruption, it no longer has a peak – just an immense crater where its peak was blasted away.
Then head north to Mount Rainier National Park and be ready for an early start tomorrow morning for some more hiking.
Day 10: Mount Rainier National Park
Rise and shine early and head into Mount Rainier National Park. If you’ve got your national parks pass, you’ll pay no extra fee for entry.
Mount Rainier is another active volcano, with a distinctive blunt peak. The National Park is filled with waterfalls and pine trees, and the mountain will provide a picturesque backdrop to your hikes and your photos. There are hiking trails of every ability here so pick one that suits your requirements and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Later on, you could consider going horse-riding. There are various organisations which offer this around Mount Rainier. Heading out to the ridge to watch the sunset on horseback is guaranteed to be unforgettable.
Day 11: Mount Rainier National Park to Olympic National Park, Washington (120 miles)
From one national park to another, make your way from Mount Rainier to Olympic. Olympic National Park is right at the northwest corner of the USA, on the border with Canada. In fact, you’ll see Canada if you choose to drive into the northern entrance of the park from Mount Rainier (this route will take you through the outskirts of Seattle).
There are limited places to stay in or around Olympic National Park. Port Angeles is your best bet. Otherwise, you could stay somewhere closer to Seattle and have an early start the next day to get to the park. Accommodation really is going to be your biggest conundrum the whole way from San Francisco to Seattle, so I recommend either booking way in advance or being flexible about exactly where you stay.
Day 12: Olympic National Park
Along with Crater Lake, Olympic National Park is one of my favourite stops on this itinerary. I was blown away by the vast pine forests on the edges of snow-capped mountains, both fading to a dusky blue as they stretch into the far distance. In other parts of the park, you’ve got coasts and lakes, rainforests, and the peak of Mount Olympic at nearly 8,000 feet (2,500 metres). On a clear day, like the one we had, you can even see Mount Rainier, nearly 100 miles away! That was a pretty incredible sight.
Along with this diverse range of terrains, Olympic National Park has numerous hikes of all levels of difficulty. As with Crater Lake and Mount Rainier, pick a day hike and go out and enjoy the park’s endless beauty.
Day 13: Olympic National Park to Seattle, Washington (110 miles)
Exit Olympic National Park and drive in a U-shape into Seattle. Be prepared for the complex junctions on route 5 – it’s a far cry from the winding routes through the forests that you’ve done on this itinerary so far!
Head out into Seattle in the evening, and I’ve listed a few options for things to do in Seattle tomorrow.
Day 14: Seattle
If you’ve got just one day in Seattle, and it’s your first time there, you’ll probably want to hit all the famous spots. This is what I did on my short stint in Seattle.
Kerry Park
Kerry Park is where you can get the famous skyline shot of Seattle. In the foreground, you’ve got the city, with the Space Needle stretching to the top of the cityscape. In the background on a clear day, you can see Mount Rainier over 60 miles away.
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is one of the USA’s oldest farmer’s markets. I understand that people from Seattle view it as a bit of a tourist trap, and I can see why. It does still sell the same sorts of fresh produce that was sold there a century ago but it now also includes cafes, bars and souvenir shops as well as the original market stalls.
If it’s a particularly busy day (for example a weekend in the summer), I would suggest targeting particular cafés or shops that you’re interested in rather than trying to just wander round, as it can be very crowded. What you target will completely depend on your tastes!
Original Starbucks
Starbucks was founded in Seattle, and the Original Starbucks opened in Pike Place Market in 1971. It has slightly different branding to normal Starbucks, marking it out as the original by having a vintage look.
If you think Pike Place Market is a tourist trap, then Original Starbucks is unquestionably so – and no doubt you’d pay a premium for buying a coffee there. However, for me it was a curiosity and I just wanted to see it. I didn’t bother going inside as there was a huge queue and I didn’t think it was worth the wait, so I just walked past.
Seattle’s waterfront
Seattle is a coastal city so its waterfront is one of its main features. It’s the starting point for all sorts of water journeys, from short hops across the bay to longer cruises to Canada and Alaska. You can watch the boats coming from a restaurant on the harbourfront.
Whilst you’re at one of these harbourfront restaurants, make sure to have a fish (especially salmon) or seafood dish. Seattle is known for its seafood so it’s practically obligatory to try it.
You can also relax on one of Seattle’s little beaches along the bay. I’ll caveat that by saying that I think we were lucky with the weather as I have heard it rains a lot in Seattle, so we might have been unusually fortunate to be able to sunbathe here for a bit!
Attend a baseball game
Baseball is a truly American sport so why not see a baseball game whilst you’re here? Try and catch a game at the T-Mobile Park – we got tickets on the day. Even though I barely know the rules of baseball, I felt like I’d cracked my way into Seattle’s authentic culture by watching the Seattle Mariners win a home game on a warm summer’s evening.
Day 15: depart from Seattle
On day 15, say goodbye to the USA’s beautiful West Coast and catch your transport home. If you’re flying, your final glimpse of Washington will be its mountains, with Mount Rainier’s snowy summit rightly stealing the spotlight.
More time in the National Parks
This is a suggested route from San Francisco to Seattle which aims to split the time in the car equally between the days. But if you want to focus more on the national parks, and you’re happy to have longer driving days, then you could skip Fort Bragg, Siuslaw National Forest and/or Portland. That gets you three days back.
America’s national park network is probably my favourite thing about the whole country. The variety, the vastness, the sheer beauty – there’s surely no other country which has this kind of diversity of landscapes. And all for the extremely reasonable price of $80 – it’s a no-brainer.
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