It’s usually good to start a RV trip to Oregon in Portland, Oregon’s largest city. From here, it’s easy to connect to highways serving eastern, central, southern, and coastal Oregon. If you plan to stay at any national or state parks or monuments, you’ll need to make reservations in advance, sometimes a year in advance.
RVs are not easy to drive in Portland. The roads have many curves and several bridges, some of which do not allow RVs on them. A good place to stay in this is the Jantzen Beach RV park. From this park it is easy to get to the MAX train station, which can take you to Portland.
From Portland, which is the northern part of the state, you can easily drive up the coast to Eureka in California. The northern area around Astoria has no waterfront RV parks. If your platform isn’t too high, you can stay at the Cannon Beach RV park, which is just a short walk from the beach. As you move up the coast, cities that have beachside RV parks include Lincoln City, Newport, and Waldport.
Six miles south of Yachats is a large RV park, but this will set you back about $60 a night. If you can afford it, this RV park is worth staying at. Continuing up the coast, there are beachside RV parks at Winchester Bay, Coos Bay, Gold Beach, and Brookings. As you enter California, there’s a beachfront part of Cresent City to kick start your stay in a new state. From Crescent City, you can easily take Redwood State Park. These redwoods are not to be missed. The RV sites listed here are just a short drive from Highway 101.
From Crescent City you can easily head to Crater Lake National Park, Oregon’s only National Park. This park is definitely worth a trip. You can also stay in an RV in Bend, which is not that far from the park. Staying two days in Bend will allow you to see Bend area sites and the National Park as well. From there you can continue north and cross the Columbia River Gorge area which is stunning. It’s a short drive from here to visit Mount St. Helen. This is in Washington, but this area has a lot more to do for a family than Mount Rainier, which only offers hiking.
From here, it’s easy to get back to Portland. You can end your trip here or visit other places in Oregon. It’s a short drive to the Willamette Valley, Oregon’s agricultural area. This area is just beautiful to drive with its wooden bridges and green valleys. The area has many vineyards and wineries as well. This trip can be done in one day.
Some other places to fit into your schedule are the Mount Hood area, which has spectacular views, seasonal skiing, and spectacular waterfalls. The high desert area of Oregon has numerous golf courses and rivers for fishing. If you want to see the painted desert in eastern Oregon, there are several places you must visit. One is the Baker City area, where you can still see the wagon tracks left by pioneers. The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is not to be missed. In Kimberly, you can visit the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. This is a large park with various areas and museums to visit. These areas offer RV campsites along the route.
If you’re planning to head home from Portland, along the 5 Freeway into California, you can also plan to visit Salem, the state capital, and Ashland, where the Oregon Shakespeare Festival takes place throughout the spring and summer. There is simply so much to see in Oregon that it’s hard to decide how to see it all.