US 101 California/Oregon

[NWIP]

For those out west have you traveled the Northern California or Oregon coast on US 101? How is the the road traffic these days?

I have been on this road some 40+ years ago and remember it to be somewhat narrow but a gorgeous route to take north. Then again my memory isn’t so great and don’t know if I should just go north on I-5

Thanks for input from those who have traveled in last 5 years

[Flyerone]

I believe the 101 is still closed above Brookings, OR because a slide destroyed the road. In general the 101 is fine but expect several areas of road construction but nothing too bad. It is a beautiful drive.

[redbaron73]

We took this last year from San Francisco to just north of the Oregon border. 3 years earlier we took it all the way to Washington.

[JV2LY]

We drove from Paso Robles Wine Country (great place to stay at Cava Robles RV) to Brookings, Oregon on 101. Beautiful drive through the redwoods in Northern Cal. Be sure to stop and walk through the redwoods of Jedediah Smith State Park near Crescent City. CA Hwy 1 from Hearst Castle to Monterey is also a beautiful ride when it is open. I-5 is kind of a boring drive. Have fun and enjoy.

[ddowntown]

Awesome trip, been doing it for years from Southern California to the Oregon Coast. Because of the heavy rains the last few years in the area, there are many sections that are down to one lane due to construction, causing significant delays, if your not in a hurry, it’s an awesome trip, enjoy the camping along the way.

[JV2LY]

Originally Posted by jv2ly

we drove from paso robles wine country (great place to stay at cava robles rv) to brookings, oregon on 101. Beautiful drive through the redwoods in northern cal. Be sure to stop and walk through the redwoods of jedediah smith state park near crescent city. Ca hwy 1 from hearst castle to monterey is also a beautiful ride when it is open. I-5 is kind of a boring drive. Have fun and enjoy.

[dix39]

It all depends on how much time you have. 101 is much more beautiful, but will take a little more time. 5 is not as beautiful, but faster. That would be my way of looking at it.

In addition to Jedediah Smith there is also Redwood NP near Orick in CA. On up the OR Coast are many attractions including Sea Lion Caves a bit north of Florence where, if you don't mind the smell, many of these mammals spend the winter.

Any closures on 101 in OR are repaired fairly rapidly, at least to single lane, as it is a main N-S transportation route. We use the southern part, Coos Bay to Brookings, several times a year and I don't remember there being much construction to contend with there. There was a recent closure in that area that could still be single lane traffic.

One possible problem is that once you commit to 101 in OR, there are only a few routes to get back to I-5 if you should decide to do so. All of them are curvy and slow going.

Steve

[twogypsies]

We've driven 101 from San Francisco to Port Townsend, Washington many times. It's one of our favorite drives. Don't avoid it. We stayed at the state parks with our 40' MH. If you decide to cut over to I-5 then any of the roads are just fine. Yes, they may be slower but very doable. However, it's best to continue up 101 instead of I-5.... much more pleasant with gorgeous scenery!

[Dutch Star Don]

When we travel major interstates and smaller highways, we use 50mph as a time calculator to our destination. On the 101 in Oregon, 35-40mph is a better time calculator. The roads are good, but a lot of stop and go and short hill climbs with curves. There are a lot of beach side turnouts with beautiful views. Be prepared to pull over quickly, to take advantage of these.

[NWIP]

Thanks for all that have commented. I didn’t need much convincing because there were so many places between SF and Cannon Beach Oregon I wanted to visit. We are not in a big hurry, as we full time.

[Dutch Star Don]

Make sure you stop near Golds Beach (several campgrounds) and take Jerry's Jet boat ride up the Rogue river. They have several during he day, including a lunch and dinner ride. Make a reservation at least the day before.

[NWIP]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

Make sure you stop near Golds Beach (several campgrounds) and take Jerry's Jet boat ride up the Rogue river. They have several during he day, including a lunch and dinner ride. Make a reservation at least the day before.

Thanks for suggesting but website says they don’t start till May 1st, will be passing thru mid April. Need to be in Calgary May 3rd. Next trip thru.

[UFO Pilot]

A great place to stay and see the redwoods. Be sure and look for the wooden fish high up in the trees. It marks the high water mark of the 1964 floods. Be sure and call to make sure they are open as they have a short spring / summer season.

World Famous Avenue of the Giants | Ancient Redwoods RV

[Dutch Star Don]

Didn't realize you were going that early. You'll have a great trip, but expect some rain that time of the year.