Road Trip Guide

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Phase 2 — Pacific Coast & Northwest#

Home Base: Salt Lake City, UT
Best Season: June–September
Avoid: November–March in Pacific Northwest (heavy rain, mountain passes can close); California coast is year-round but summer is peak
Estimated Duration: 4–5 weeks
Estimated Miles: ~4,500–5,000 miles round trip

Why This Phase in Summer#

The Pacific Coast in summer is near-perfect: fog burns off by mid-morning along the California coast, Oregon and Washington are lush and green, and the northern Rockies (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming) are fully accessible without snow. Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road typically opens fully by late June.

Salt Lake City, UT
  ↓  (I-80 W ~5.5 hrs)
Reno, NV → Lake Tahoe (side trip)
  ↓  (I-80 W ~3.5 hrs)
San Francisco, CA
  ↓  (US-101 N / CA-1 — Pacific Coast Highway ~6–8 hrs driving, 2–3 days sightseeing)
Redwood National & State Parks, CA
  ↓  (US-101 N ~2.5 hrs)
Crater Lake National Park, OR
  ↓  (OR-62 N / OR-58 / I-5 N ~3 hrs)
Portland, OR
  ↓  (I-84 E / US-30 E along Columbia River Gorge ~1.5 hrs)
Columbia River Gorge / Hood River, OR
  ↓  (I-84 W / WA-14 W / I-205 N ~2.5 hrs)
Mount Rainier National Park, WA
  ↓  (WA-7 N / I-5 N ~1.5 hrs)
Seattle, WA
  ↓  (US-2 E ~3.5 hrs)
North Cascades National Park, WA
  ↓  (WA-20 E / US-97 N / US-2 E ~3 hrs)
Spokane, WA → Coeur d'Alene, ID
  ↓  (ID-6 / US-95 S ~2.5 hrs)
Sun Valley, ID (Sawtooth Range)
  ↓  (US-93 S / US-20 E / US-191 N ~3 hrs)
Yellowstone National Park, WY
  ↓  (US-191 N / US-89 N ~2.5 hrs)
Grand Teton National Park, WY / Jackson Hole, WY
  ↓  (US-191 S / ID-31 W / I-15 N ~4.5 hrs)
Idaho Falls, ID → Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID
  ↓  (I-84 W / I-15 N — or loop back through UT)
  ↓  (I-15 N ~3.5 hrs)
Salt Lake City, UT

Optional additions:

  • Olympic Peninsula, WA (2–3 extra days — one of the most unique ecosystems in North America)
  • Mount St. Helens, WA (easy detour off I-5)
  • Bend, OR (excellent base for central Oregon high desert)
  • Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA (detour from northern CA)

Total approximate driving: ~4,800 miles

State Files in This Phase#

State Key Highlights File
California PCH, Yosemite, Redwoods, San Francisco, Big Sur, Death Valley CA-california.md
Oregon Crater Lake, Columbia Gorge, Cannon Beach, Portland, Bend, Painted Hills OR-oregon.md
Washington Olympic Peninsula, Mt. Rainier, North Cascades, Seattle, Mt. St. Helens WA-washington.md
Idaho Sawtooth Mountains, Sun Valley, Craters of the Moon, Coeur d'Alene ID-idaho.md
Montana Glacier NP, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Beartooth Highway, Missoula MT-montana.md
Wyoming Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, Beartooth Pass WY-wyoming.md

Phase 2 Camping Strategy#

Free/dispersed camping:

  • Shasta-Trinity National Forest (CA) — near Mt. Shasta
  • Deschutes National Forest (OR) — near Bend, abundant and beautiful
  • Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (WA) — North Cascades approach
  • Bitterroot National Forest (MT/ID) — excellent
  • Gallatin National Forest (WY/MT) — near Yellowstone boundaries
  • BLM land near Craters of the Moon, ID

Book well in advance (months ahead for summer):

  • Yosemite Valley campgrounds — notoriously competitive lottery
  • Yellowstone campgrounds — Madison, Canyon, Grant Village
  • Grand Teton: Jenny Lake (fills in hours daily in July/August)
  • Crater Lake: Mazama Campground
  • Olympic NP: Kalaloch and Mora campgrounds

Van-friendly overnight spots:

  • Walmart: Bend OR, Eugene OR, Redding CA, Spokane WA, Idaho Falls ID
  • Cracker Barrel: Sacramento CA, Portland OR, Seattle WA area

Phase 2 Shower Plan#

  • Planet Fitness: San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Boise, Sacramento
  • Pilot/Flying J: I-5 corridor (CA/OR/WA), I-84 corridor
  • Hot springs (natural): Bagby Hot Springs (OR), Goldmyer Hot Springs (WA), Lolo Hot Springs (MT), Burgdorf Hot Springs (ID) — free or minimal fee, incredible

Phase 2 Practical Notes#

  • California campground reservations: Reserve America books out 6 months for coastal sites. Yosemite requires lottery in peak season. Plan this phase early.
  • Fuel: Highway 1 (PCH) has many stations but premium-only stretches — fill in cities when possible
  • Bear country: Entire Pacific Northwest and Rockies are black bear and grizzly territory (MT/WY). Use bear canisters or bear boxes at all designated campgrounds. Keep food out of your van or in hard-sided container.
  • Tides & sneaker waves: Oregon coast is known for unexpected large waves. Stay back from the surf line. Check tides for drone flying on beaches.
  • Wildfire smoke: July–September in the Pacific Northwest can have significant smoke from wildfires. Check AirNow.gov. Can affect photography and health.
  • Yellowstone: Do not approach wildlife. Bison gore tourists every year. Stay 25 yards from bison and elk, 100 yards from bears.
  • Going-to-the-Sun Road (Glacier NP): Only open typically late June to mid-September. Vehicles over 21 ft prohibited on the upper road. Verify your minivan length — most passenger minivans are ~16 ft and are fine.

Phase 2 Drone Overview#

Spectacular drone territory with important restrictions:

  • No-fly: All national parks (Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, Crater Lake, Olympic, Yosemite, Redwoods NP)
  • Legal standouts: Columbia River Gorge (launch from viewpoints on OR or WA side — not National Scenic Area designated airspace in many spots, verify with Aloft), Sawtooth Mountains (BLM/Sawtooth NRA), Deschutes National Forest, Gallatin NF, Bitterroot NF
  • Coastline: California and Oregon beaches are mostly legal outside state park boundaries — verify locally. Dramatic cliff-and-wave footage
  • Note on wildfire TFRs: In summer, temporary flight restrictions can appear with almost no notice over fire areas — always check Aloft same day