Roadtrip LA to Washington

Submitted by Glittering-Walrus756 t3_yp6qei in Washington

hey everyone!! my friend and I are trying to plan a road trip from LA to Washington for fall break (8 days). This is our first time ever doing this so any help and tips are greatly appreciated.

UPDATE:

We’ve been reading all the comments, so thank you for the tips and help. We decided to only drive up to Portland Oregon because of safety reasons like a lot of you mentioned. We are not experienced drivers in the snow ( we are from LA and never seen snow before lol) so we DO NOT want to risk it. Maybe we will plan a trip to WA in the summer/ spring. Again thanks guys!!

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Mistyslate t1_ivibcqu wrote

Be careful when crossing the Ashland pass during snowy (or even rainy) conditions. That road is dangerous.

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Glittering-Walrus756 OP t1_ivic95h wrote

thanks for the heads up!

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DangerousMusic14 t1_iviq3ck wrote

If you’re an experienced driver in mountain passes with AWD, winter tires/chains, and prepared to get stuck in winter weather, I’d say go for it but staying on I-5 or the coast, do not try cutting across until the Columbia River.

If you don’t have these things, and experience to go with it, please consider flying or waiting until May.

I’m not remotely joking. I grew up in PNW and have had close friends and neighbors in mountain rescue, family lived in Olympics. Mountains on the West Coast are no joke. It’s officially winter in the mountains and passes. With temperatures dropping, folks are hoping we’ll get enough snow for an early season in Whistler, BC if not the Cascades. This isn’t a good time to go hiking in the mountains unless you are honestly prepared and experienced in wet, freezing conditions.

If you want to fly up this time of year, you can visit the Seattle Area and drive out to the coast but it’s darn cold and wet, dark early, sunset is at 4:40 pm tomorrow. Lots to do and see, just not a quick hike in the mountains, that’s for summer because it’s dark, wet, and cold.

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Littleravendarkly t1_ivn7a2k wrote

I will say, the roads seem to be cleared regularly and salted since it's full of traffic. You can check cameras online and there are status updates. I went to LA from Washington in December in a Prius without all season or winter tires. It was snowing but checking the website helped a ton. Should be an easy Google to find.

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Mistyslate t1_ivozs63 wrote

Also, don’t trust Google Maps - they might lead you to an impassable forest road in around Ashland

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Faroutman1234 t1_ivhwmmo wrote

Drive on the coast as much as possible for the views. Stay in Yurts with heat for only $50. State parks usually have them available this time of year.

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Glittering-Walrus756 OP t1_ivhx4uf wrote

never heard of yurts !! awesome thank you, will check them out!!

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TVDinner360 t1_ivl8w21 wrote

Check out both the Oregon and Washington state parks websites. There’s tons of info about yurts on them.

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Vehicle-Smooth t1_ivhuota wrote

There is literally nothing in Forks, so I would just make sure you both really want to go out there. The beaches on the Olympic coast are beautiful so I’d make that the main point of you visiting the peninsula rather than forks. Have fun!

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E36E92M3 t1_ivm9yrf wrote

There is no snow on i5 between Portland and Seattle. If you can make it to Portland might as well go all the way

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VersofCascadia t1_ivikwft wrote

Mt Rainier is much more of a sight than Olympus but they're both great. Stay on the 5, don't bother taking other ways up.

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TVDinner360 t1_ivl7soc wrote

Bad advice. Highway 1 is gorgeous in California. You can cut over to 101 in northern California and go along the coast in Oregon, which is magical. I-5 sucks ass.

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Yardbirdspopcorn t1_iw0mpbj wrote

Fully agree! I-5 is just for getting from A-B and pretty gross indeed. Highway 1 is all about the trip itself, absolutely beautiful and worth any extra time it takes. It's usually a little warmer along the coast this time of year too I think?

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Huge_Requirement9200 t1_ivipopb wrote

There is about 2-3" here in Port Angeles today at about 500'. If you don't have an insulated and heated van/camper, or very, very warm sleeping system it will be far too cold and wet to sleep in your car.

It is 17-18 mi to the base camp of Mt Olympus so don't try that unless you're into being the subject of a rescue effort.

It is very pretty from hurricane ridge though! That road is fickle- only open fri-sun most weeks and heavily dependent on our (copious) snowpack.

If you're out in the area, cape flattery is incredible. Be sure to give the Makah a visit and pay to use their recreational lands if you drop by.

Prepare for cold, wet weather, and stay indoors at night unless you have your shit together, and you'll have a blast!

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bluenoodles t1_iviquf7 wrote

I did this road trip years ago with my spouse and we ended up moving to the PNW soon after. I agree with the others, take I-5 and stop along the way. Try not to speed, you can drive a little over but not like in LA/Southern California. Stay on right and if you need to pass, use the left lane. You should definitely stop in Portland if you have time, lots to see and do. I love eating at PDX Sliders and Nong’s. You might even want to take an overnight break there. You can take a quick detour to the Columbia River Gorge and do a short waterfall hike/visit Multnomah Falls for a quick photoOp. There are several rest stops along I-5 in WA and OR, sleeping in your car overnight is permitted —you can’t stay more than one night. Restrooms are fairly clean and some offer free coffee! While in Seattle, you can get a decent city hike / stroll if you go to the Arboretum. It’s not raining as much this month as years past. It’s been a fairly warm fall and we have had some cold night, layers and sleeping bags should help. Try to keep your belongings out of sight or take them with you if you plan to park and leave your car, break-ins are common everywhere, even at trailheads. Best of luck, have fun, make some great memories, and welcome to the PNW.

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Zhenja92 t1_ivi6c3e wrote

You can park and camp on most national forest, WDNR and fish and wildlife lands. This map has the filters set to highlight all the campgrounds with camping cabins or Yurts. Click on any point to get on links to the reservation page. https://mapswa.com/campwa/#8.00/47.119941/-122.014616?filters=true&recreation=CC I probably would not go all the way up around the Olympic peninsula which is a long haul. But after Seattle, you could take the ferry from Edmonds to Bremerton and then drive along hood Canal and across to the ocean. If you want a taste of the rainforest head up to Lake Quinault. And then maybe take 101 back along the Washington Coast. (The Washington beach is cold but really beautiful.)

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Brief_Lecture3850 t1_ivjxyzb wrote

Stick to the coast both north and south. Slightly longer but way way more beauty. Stops... San Simeon to see elephant seals breeding November through January. Astoria for Bow Pickers fish and chips and Goonies stuff. Tillamook for ice cream. Oregon or Washington state parks for yurt or cabin camping. Forks area for pacific beaches. Hope for stormy weather. Port Angeles area for Olympic national park. Once near ONP you'll find plenty of places to sleep in your vehicle. Repeat southbound for the drive of a lifetime.

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No-Adhesiveness-8421 t1_ivkyykb wrote

My and some buddies from high school did an 8 day road trip from WA to southern Cali. I would recommend hitting Crater Lake National Park on your way up. We did that and camped there and even with pretty cold temperatures the beauty of the lake is incredible.

Like others have said, drive up the Cali coast as much as possible. There was this black sands beach in the Redwoods National Park via HWY 101 that was probably the most beautiful stop on our trip (minus Yosemite).

Camping and hiking is gonna be challenging in this month, but I strongly recommend checking out the Olympic Peninsula and the national parks that are on the west side of Washington. If you have time, there are some incredible hikes east of Seattle (Mt. Si, Poopoo Point, Mailbox, etc) all of which are doable (but very hard) even in winter.

Good luck, also sightseeing in between your planned stops makes the drive less boring!

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SheMovesLikeThis t1_ivm2odt wrote

Regarding your edit:

If you make it to Portland you won’t have a problem driving further north up I-5 to Seattle. If you’re going to encounter snow, it will be south of Portland when you’re in the mountains between Chico and Eugene.

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bowlofjello t1_ivhtor5 wrote

You can take i5 the whole way to Seattle which is great. I’d try to stop in Portland or Eugene to snag some Voodoo Donuts.

There really isn’t too much to do in Forks besides see Bella’s truck. You could go through Port Angeles if you want to have an easier time finding things to do.

Definitey have layers ready. Hoodies and raincoats will Be your best friends. It doesn’t really snow much, but it probably will in the mountains

Sorry I don’t know much about places for sleeping in your car. You could power through and drive from LA to Seattle in one or two looooooooooooooong days.

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Glittering-Walrus756 OP t1_ivhwinn wrote

voodoo donuts? sounds delicious!! We will definitely be layering up haha. I think we can power through also since we are two drivers! thank you so much!!

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JasperStrat t1_ivif1xo wrote

Voodoo donuts is just a tourist trap, there are many other donut shops in Portland that are better and don't engage in union busting.

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Huge_Requirement9200 t1_ivipt78 wrote

Don't listen to this guy. Cotton kills. If you're going outside, goretex, waterproof shoes and wool or synthetic base and mid layers are key.

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Mistyslate t1_ivif9tg wrote

Ashland is cute. The portions of Eugene I saw were underwhelming. Medford is bleh.

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Lupine-lover t1_iviq62v wrote

Make sure you have really warm stuff to sleep in, it’s very cold now.

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Collie_Mom t1_ivlfd5w wrote

Y'all should do your road for Spring, better yet Summer Break. It's a beautiful drive. Be safe.

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Stymie999 t1_ivlxtmm wrote

While driving through SJ valley is feasible to go well over the speed limit… my advice, when you cross the border into Oregon on I5 it’s probably a good idea to slow down to 5-10 miles over limit at the most.

I5 through Oregon in my overtime has always been known for having many many speed traps.

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SubieToyotaNW t1_ivm3ar6 wrote

Mt family and I traveled up the eastern side of California, cut into northern Nevada and went up past Lake Tahoe to crater lake

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EstablishingTheRuss t1_ivi7gcp wrote

Unless you plan on driving while the other sleeps, doing anything other than i5 all the way would be exhausting. Just made the same trip in July and we stopped in Redding, CA to break the drive up into 2 days ~9 hours driving each.

I’d recommend sight seeing once you get here. After spending some time in Seattle, take a ferry across the puget sound to Bainbridge and then take hwy 101 all the way around the peninsula. It loops around the olympic mountains and takes you past all the sights. That’s about 6 hours of driving so you’ll probably want to split that into a few days if you can.

You’ll definitely have to check weather and road conditions for the peninsula which should be easy to find online.

Good luck and safe travels!

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Geo-Nerd t1_ivl8k1v wrote

It would help if we (you) had some freaking idea of WHAT you want to see and do....

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Yardbirdspopcorn t1_iw0ng8a wrote

Pack more socks than you think you will want. Cold wet feet can be a real damper on a good time.

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