Pacific Northwest RV Camping – Redwoods, Painted Hills, Oregon Coast, Mt Hood & more

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Exploring the Pacific Northwest with an RV for amazing views, hiking & boondocking adventures.

We kept our itinerary loose for this trip, but our general plan was to do an rough loop starting outside of Portland at Mount St Helens in Washington state, all the way down the Oregon coast to the Redwoods in northern California, back over to interior Oregon to Crater Lake and the Painted Hills, and ending at Mt Hood before returning our motorhome rental in Portland.

Filming Date – Summer, Mid July 2020

Day 1

  • Pick up the RV outside of Portland, Oregon
  • Head north 1.5 hours to Washington state
  • Mount St Helens Johnston Ridge Observatory
  • Boondock camp near Elk Rock Viewpoint (overnight parking is prohibited further up at the actual observatory parking area)

Day 2

  • Head back southwest towards Astoria, Oregon
  • Goonies house (it’s on a private drive, so we caught a glimpse from a distance in the surrounding neighborhood)
  • Haystack Rock in the coastal beach town of Cannon Beach (another iconic Goonies location, by the way)
  • Hit highway 101 and explore the Oregon coast
  • Devils Punch Bowl (the lower trail was closed, but we caught a view from the top)
  • RV camp at the Pacific Shores RV Resort in Newport, Oregon (super friendly and the grounds were amazing)

Day 3

  • Continue south on the Oregon Coast Highway
  • Thor’s Well (the tide was a little low when we visited, but it was still cool to see. During higher waters it looks like a never ending sinkhole)
  • Oregen Dunes Trail
    Day Hike at Natural Bridges Viewpoint
  • RV Camp at Sea Bird RV Park (great price, friendly owner, full hook-ups)

Day 4

  • Continue South on the 101 to the Northern California Coast
  • Jedediah Smith State Park (this was our first chance to see the Redwoods)
  • Redwood National Forest
  • Hike to Big Tree at Prairie Creek State Park, CA
  • RV Camp at the Golden Bear RV Park – Klamath, CA (awesome river views, full hook-ups)

Day 5

  • Head Northwest back into Oregon
  • Crater Lake National Park & Wizard Island
  • Boondock camp in the Umpqua National Forest on Toketee-Rigdon Rd

Day 7

  • Toketee Falls
  • Watson Falls
  • Painted Hills
  • Head 3.5 hours north to the Painted Hills & John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
  • RV Camp at the Crook County RV Park in Prineville, Oregon (closest park to Painted hills, good price and Pizza Hut delivers!)

Day 8

  • Continue north to Mt Hood National Forest
  • Hike around Trillium Lake
  • Gaze upon Mt Hood at the Grateful Vineyard winery outside the town of Mt Hood
  • Boondock camp at the White River West Sno-Park (free overnight parking, pit-toilets, no hook-ups etc)

Day 9

  • Return the Motorhome and grab an SUV rental
  • Hike to Mirror Lake (no RV parking at the trailhead)
  • Hotel and Dinner at the Hood River Inn, Hood River Oregon

Camera’s Used
GoPro Hero 8 Black
DJI Mavic Pro

FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links.

My favorite travel and hiking pants
Outdoor Vitals Satu Adventure Pants

Song List in Order of Use (licensed from Art List)