Complete Itinerary For A Stunning West Coast Road Trip

Welcome to my West Coast Road Trip itinerary! Complete with the best destinations from Los Angeles all the way up to Seattle and tips along the way. It took my sister and I about a week to go roundtrip from LA to Seattle. However, you could definitely split these up and take multiple trips exploring the west coast!

I’ve included our exact itinerary, including timing, at the bottom of this blog post. There are so many beautiful spots up and down the coast, it was hard to narrow it down to just these 8. #WestCoastBestCoast!

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Table of Contents

California

Sequoia National Park

First stop, Sequoia National Park! Did you know a giant sequoia tree can live for over 3,000 years? These trees are so impressive, you have got to check them out! There are over 100 different hiking trails you can check out in Sequoia. We checked out the main trails, like General Sherman Tree and Congress Tree trails.

There is an entrance fee; you can also buy your parking pass online in advance. If you plan on going to multiple national parks throughout the year, I would highly recommend the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Lands Pass. Check out the official National Parks website for current details.

McArthur-Burney Falls State Park

If you love waterfalls, definitely add Burney Falls to your list! This 129-foot waterfall is quite possibly the most breathtaking in California, maybe even the entire west coast. Plus, it flows year round, so no matter when you go you can expect stunning views. You can also swim in the water, although it is pretty cold year round!

Redwood National Park

Fun fact: these redwood trees are the tallest and oldest in the world! I would definitely recommend allotting at least one full day to exploring the Redwoods. There’s a ton of different hiking trails, and just walking amongst these trees is an unreal experience. Plus, you can drive through the Chandelier Tree in the Drive-Thru Tree Park! That was such a unique thing to do, I’ve never seen this anywhere else.

El Matador Beach

Located under an hour (without traffic) from LA is El Matador Beach! This is a great spot to watch the sunset or spend a full day at the beach. There are these cool rocks which make for a great photo spot as well. There’s no fee to get onto the beach, but there is a small fee for parking in the lot at the top. You will have to walk down a small staircase as well to get to the beach, so this is not as accessible as other beaches.

Oregon

Crater Lake National Park

I have absolutely no words for how stunning Crater Lake is! It’s the deepest lake in the US, and is surrounded by cliffs that are almost 2,000 feet high. The water really is as blue as it looks in these photos! Before you go, make sure to check on the weather conditions – it actually snows a lot here over the winter, and sometimes there is still lingering snow into May or even June.

Umpqua National Forest Hot Springs

These terraced geothermal pools can reach temps up to 105°, even in the winter. They’re open year-round, and there is only a small $5 day use parking fee, but no fee to use the hot springs otherwise. To get to the hot springs, you will have to hike a moderate trail for about 0.8 miles (1.3 km). I would recommend getting there around sunrise, if you want them all to yourself.

Toketee Falls

Also in Umpqua National Forest is another stunning waterfall hike to add to your list! Although I will warn you, the hike to get down was one of the more dangerous ones I’ve ever done. I think it actually is technically not an allowed trail. There was a small rope to help you up and down a very steep cliff. But it is definitely worth the view at the bottom!