Best campground Los Angeles to Seattle.

[Hgrace56]

Starting to plan a few trips up North. We're from Southern California and love it here but want to look to the North.
Any input is appreciated. We like to go up one way and back another. Spend 1 to 2 nights at a time maybe 3 to 5 at northern most point.

[ByeTheWay]

I like 395 and you can't beat the views out of Alabama Hills, west of Lone Pine.

[ArmandV]

I second taking U.S. 395 up the Owens Valley.

A couple of campgrounds I liked:

Brown's Town Campground (Bishop).
Mammoth Mountain RV Park (Mammoth Lakes).

[FirstTracks]

Originally Posted by Hgrace56

Starting to plan a few trips up North. We're from Southern California and love it here but want to look to the North.
Any input is appreciated. We like to go up one way and back another. Spend 1 to 2 nights at a time maybe 3 to 5 at northern most point.

For campgrounds, we loved Fort Stevens State Park near Astoria, Oregon. We're not campground people, but that was perhaps the nicest campground that we've ever visited. Full hookups, lush forest directly behind our site, decently sized sites, and very well maintained.


Fort Stevens State Park

We also loved Beachside State Park in Oregon because it was, well, Beachside. Sites there, though, are small because it's squeezed between the coastal highway and the beach.


Beachside State Park

Our favorite of all was boondocking in the sand dunes of Oregon Coast National Recreation Area. Although I saw people who somehow pulled a trailer out there, I'd personally never even try, for getting out to your camp spot requires full-on sand dune 4x4 driving, even up and over a dune right out of the parking lot. Although I had extensive desert off-road experience in that Tacoma, I still managed to get it stuck at the most distant point about a mile from asphalt and had to dig out.


Oregon Dunes NRA


Our camp at Oregon Dunes NRA (sans trailer)

[Nunyadamn]

I like Jalama Beach County Park campgound. San Simeon State Park - really close to Heart Castle (go if you haven't). Farther north - MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg.

[Alan_Hepburn]

If you can get one of their ocean-view spots, give these people a try - they're just north of Depoe Bay, Oregon...

https://seaandsandrvpark.com/

[Johnitis]

Love these places, but it's hard to get on the beach at Jalama since they went to reservations.

I would also add Rincon Parkway just north of Ventura, and Kirk Creek on the Big Sur.

Originally Posted by Nunyadamn

I like Jalama Beach County Park campgound. San Simeon State Park - really close to Heart Castle (go if you haven't). Farther north - MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg.

[Percival6]

I would also say that driving up or back on 395 would be one of the best ways to go. The opposite route would be along the coast, of course.

The route along the coast would be 101 up to Monterey (I would avoid Hwy 1 until there.) Hwy 1 from there until San Francisco is very driveable in any size RV. Driving through S.F. on 19th Ave is doable, just stay in the middle lane.

From San Francisco North, Highway 101 is beautiful. The redwoods are amazing. The roads can sometimes be twisty and narrow through the forests and along the headland areas overlooking the coast once you get north Eureka. 101 in Oregon is great also. Many great places to stop and stay.

Places to stop, Flying Flags in Buellton, or further north Pismo Beach. Santa Cruz North KOA . Skyline Park in Napa. Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Sunset Bay State Park, OR Beverly Beach State Park, OR and I will second Fort Stevens State Park.

Have a great trip!

[ArmandV]

Be sure to check the road conditions for U.S. 101. There were landslides near Big Sur and 101 may not be open all the way from San Luis Obispo north.

[Jake21]

Ancient Redwoods RV Park off Ave of the Giants. Amazing area.

[Johnitis]

No, Highway 101 is open; you're thinking of California Highway 1 with landslide closures. On the Southern end, Hwy 1 is closed by a landslide just north of Ragged Point to Mud Creek. Until June 2018, the only way to Big Sur from the south is via Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, which is not at all suitable for large rigs. Good news is that the Pfeiffer Canyon bridge south of Carmel opened last week, giving access from the north to Los Padres and Ventana Wilderness - the wild part of the coast.

FWIW, parts of 101 were closed by the Wine Country fires last week, but it's now open.

Originally Posted by ArmandV

Be sure to check the road conditions for U.S. 101. There were landslides near Big Sur and 101 may not be open all the way from San Luis Obispo north.

[hgtyd]

You can't go wrong with any state park in Oregon! Most of them have spots with full hook ups and the prices are great. We particularly like Harris State Beach in Brookings, OR, at the southern border and Ft Stevens in Warrantor/Astoria at the northern border. There is a lot to do and discover in Astoria. The Oregon coast highway is a beautiful drive, but it is slow because of the twists and grades. Not impossible, just time consuming.

I would also suggest the Olympic Peninsula in northern Washington. We stayed at Elwha Dam RV park and it was lovely. Very convenient to Port Angeles and to the port where you can catch the boat over to Victoria, BC. Just make sure you remember to bring your passport! You can also go to Olympic National Park rain forest. It's beautiful!

[ArmandV]

Originally Posted by Johnitis

No, Highway 101 is open; you're thinking of California Highway 1 with landslide closures. On the Southern end, Hwy 1 is closed by a landslide just north of Ragged Point to Mud Creek. Until June 2018, the only way to Big Sur from the south is via Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, which is not at all suitable for large rigs. Good news is that the Pfeiffer Canyon bridge south of Carmel opened last week, giving access from the north to Los Padres and Ventana Wilderness - the wild part of the coast.

FWIW, parts of 101 were closed by the Wine Country fires last week, but it's now open.

Argh! Yes, you're right! I was thinking of Highqway 1. Thanks for the the correction.