SoCal to Seattle over 3 days: BLM/Camping Suggestions?

I will be driving from SoCal to Seattle over the course of 3 days, but also want to find trails and camping spots along the way.

If anyone has done something similar and has some suggestions or "must see" places along the way, let me know. I'll probably be going straight up the I-5 and would be looking for relatively easy areas along the way.

I'll be driving with my 4-year old, but we are moving so that his younger brother can continue his cancer treatment -- so I want to make it as much of a fun adventure for him as I can.

If anyone has route suggestions or guidance, let me know...

 

I've done the drive in a day with my then 2yr old, now 4.5yrs/old. But that was hauling on I5 with minimal stops and getting it done in a single day. Off the coast you have the Red Woods, and a few hours detour off I5 you have Crater Lake, Mt Rainier and Mt St Helens. All attractions kids enjoy. Though Immediately off I5 limited options come to mind. I'm sure others will chime in with more ideas.

I wish the journey for your family could be under more ideal circumstances. Seattle Children's is among the best treatment facilities in the entire nation, the technology and funding in this region is truly world class. I hope it is able to be leveraged for the best possible outcome for your son.

I live just across the lake from Seattle, in Kirkland. If you guys would like some local welcome to introduce you to the area or just meet some local peeps, shoot me a PM.

 

Highly suggest diverting off i5 for crater lake to bend to Smith rock to Mt hood.

Welcome to the PNW. Up here it's just I5 (-the)

Your kiddo will be in good hands up here. Stay strong

 

Easiest way to tell foreigners. That and umbrellas.

 

Thanks so much for the message. We wish it could be under better circumstances too. We also have a new baby due in 3 weeks, so the timing of everything is not great. From all of our interactions so far with the team, Seattle Children's seems great, and they have a team that specializes in my son's rare variation.

I will reach out to you once we get there and are semi-settled. Everyone that we have connected with in the area has been exceptionally warm and welcoming, in a way that we have never experienced.

It's also good to know that we could get there in a day if we had to push it.

 

Thanks! I will look into how we can get there along the way.

We lived on the east coast for a long time, so we are used to not putting "the" in front of our numbered interstates. But it is just part of our vocabulary now down here I guess.

 

Congrats on the upcoming new addition! Life never times things in an ideal timeline, pretty sure it actually tries to sabotage things in the least ideal timeline as a constant test to check if you are adult enough. Obviously moving your family for better care of a sick child could not be easy on you or your family, but this area owns science and tech unlike anywhere else.

Hit us up when you guys are settled, once you feel up for it. No pressure.

 

I know, I've lived down there as well that's why I was razzin ya. We like to visit San Diego and that is definitely "the interstate" territory and reminds me of when I was younger

 

Nobody says “the I5” or “the 101” north of Santa Barbara. I think it’s actually a fairly recent thing. When I was young I’d hear “the 405 freeway” in SoCal, and people eventually dropped the “freeway” part. Good luck with your travels! Smoke from all the fires may still make camping less than enjoyable unfortunately. Note that taking 97 from Weed, CA up through Klamath Falls, Bend etc isn’t much longer and has much more (or closer) outdoor opportunities than 5. You can head back towards Seattle several ways but both 20 and 26 are beautiful, or even 84 through the Gorge. Tumalo State Park near Bend (off 97 and 20) has nice campgrounds, also (off 5) Applegate Lake near Ashland and Salmon Creek Falls near Oakridge. Note that central Oregon is hot in summer, but it’s often easy to drop a few degrees by climbing up in elevation.

 

I would divert away from I5 and head towards Bend OR. Hwy 97 is MUCH more scenic and there are lots of breweries in Bend (not that your 4 year old cares, lol), but there's also the High Desert Museum and the Lava Beds National Monument just south of Bend. From there you can keep going up through The Dalles, Yakima, and hit Hwy 90 back into Seattle.

Hell, you know what? Skip I5 all together. Take 395 starting around Victorville. Then just drive and take in the scenery. You go from high desert, to pines, to volcanoes (Mammoth), and everything in between. Way better than 300 miles of farmland, IMO.

395 is one of my favorites. Stay on 395 all the way to Riley, then go west on 20 to Bend. There's a nice camping spot (La Pine State Park) a few miles south of Bend. If you don't want to go South from Bend, there's another campsite just north of Bend, I think it's called Tumalo St Park. Not the best campsites, but not bad.