Trip Report: Northern California and Southern Oregon National Parks

America’s national parks are one of its greatest treasures and visiting them all is definitely on my bucket list. I’ve never explored much of Northern California, beyond the Bay Area and Sacramento, and Southern Oregon. I had plenty of vacation days on the books, so it sounded like the perfect opportunity for a road trip! I started in Salt Lake City, but you could easily start in Portland or Sacramento for a very similar trip. I planned to do a hybrid of hotel stays and camping, though doing one or the other could also be an option. When all was said and done, I was gone for 12 days and drove over 2500 miles. This is a long post, so grab a drink and buckle up.

The biggest highlight along I-80 driving from SLC to Reno, where I stayed the first night, is the Bonneville Salt Flats. Many a land speed record have been set there and it’s also a favorite of photographers and the film industry. You know that scene in the original Independence Day where Will Smith is dragging the alien across the desert? That’s the Bonneville Salt Flats. I’ve lived in Utah the majority of my life- this was the first time I’d ever stopped out there to take a look around. Like many other places in this state, it really has an other-wordly look about it.

I was tired from the 7 hour drive and the spin class I went to before taking off in the morning, so did not feel terribly compelled to get out an explore much in Reno. I stated at a Hyatt Place by the airport (yay points!) and grabbed dinner at Great Basin Brewing, where I also sampled a bunch of their lovely beers.

Onto my first stop, Lassen Volcanic National Park! This is one of the least-visited national parks in the US, which is a shame because it was truly fascinating. The Great Basin, Cascade, and Pacific climates all converge here and Lassen Peak is one of two active volcanos in the lower 48 states, though it has not erupted since the 1920s. The other is Mount St. Helens (Oregon), which erupted in 1980. There are peaks to climb, lakes to swim in, and stinky sulfur mud pits to hike to.

I walked around Lake Manzanita to stretch my legs after having been in the car for several hours. Apparently, the river otters are quite aggressive during breeding season and have attacked swimmers, so there were signs all over warning people to not get in the water. Who knew otters were aggressive?? I thought they were water puppies!

I booked a camp site in the Summit Lake South campground on recreation.gov a few weeks prior to my visit. My camp neighbors noticed I was soloing it and invited me to come join them by their fire for a glass of wine after dinner. So kind of them! These are the kinds of things that make solo travel fun- you open yourself up to meeting new people along the way. A note on bears- take bear country seriously. A fed bear is a dead bear. Once they figure out human food is tasty and easy to get, they become habituated and may need to be destroyed. Be responsible with your trash, your food, and even your toiletries for your safety and the safety of these awesome animals. Remember- you are a guest in their space. Act accordingly.

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The next day, I set off on the Bumpass Hell hike. This was a fairly easy out-and-back to boiling, stinky mud pits!

I regret that I did not hike Lassen Peak and it’s definitely on the list for next time. This was such a neat park, not over-crowded, and worthy of your time.

The drive from Lassen to Redwood National and State parks took much longer than expected because there was a ton of road construction on CA-299. At one point, I was stopped for over 30 minutes. 299 takes you through some of the areas devastated by the 2018 Carr Fire, one of the worst wildfires on record for California. The burn scars are still very prominent and the fire reportedly started with a flat tire.

I finally arrived at Redwood and it delighted me that the first thing I saw after driving into the park on 101 was the ocean! I immediately pulled over and made my way down to the beach, where remnants of crab shells were scattered throughout the sand.

There are several campgrounds throughout the park and they are managed by the state of California, which is a unique relationship with the National Park Service. I stayed in the Elk Prairie campground in the south for two nights and the Del Norte campground up north for one. In retrospect, I should have spent an extra day at Lassen and only stayed 2 nights at Redwood. Accommodations for the non-campers can be found in Trinidad at the south end or Crescent City at the north end of the park.

By the way, Redwood National Park is also the forest moon of Endor, though I was bitterly disappointed that there were no speeder bikes for rent anywhere and I saw exactly zero Ewoks.

The national and state park systems are working hard to protect this magical old growth forest’s flora and fauna. These are the tallest trees in the world- some as old as 2000 years! It is also habitat to the critically endangered California Condor, which has was extinct in the wild in 1987. Re-introduction efforts here, near the Arizona/Utah border, and Baja California are helping to bring this bird and it’s 9.5 foot wingspan back into nature.

I went for a 4 mile run at Golds Beach. Sea level and mid-50s temperature makes this runner a very happy girl. I was a very unhappy girl when I managed to get my shoes soaked 2 miles in because I was trying to take a picture. I had to run the last 2 miles in very wet shoes. Still worth it.

You know when you’re driving through a small town and you see one of those places that Guy Fieri would go nuts over? There was such a place in Orick, where I needed to grab some ice for the cooler. EdeBee’s Snack Shack served up a delicious elk burger and some fries. (Don’t tell Captain Jack and Fuzzy Butt what I had for lunch!) I ended up sharing a table with a couple of guys from Utah, funnily enough. I drove down to Trinidad, which is a cute little fishing town just south of Orick with a handful of shops, inns, and restaurants on the main drag. There are also 10 public beaches. By the time I got there, most of the shops were buttoning up for the evening, but I did get a pretty picture of the fishing boats in Trinidad Harbor!

The next day, my accommodations were in the northern end of the park, so packed up camp early because I wanted to get to the popular Fern Canyon trailhead before heading north. It is a short, easy loop I have never experienced anything so lush and so green. I felt like I was breathing the cleanest, most oxygenated air on the planet! Steven Spielberg chose this canyon for filming part of Jurassic Park 2. I guess he’s a fan of the area!

Northward! Crescent City was my next destination for more ice (I really need a Yeti/Yeti-imposter cooler). I learned it is home to one of the oldest functioning lighthouses on the west coast. It even survived a tsunami triggered by the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the northern hemisphere in 1964. Oh, the earthquake was in Alaska, by the way! There are live-in caretakers who conduct tours during the summer months, though it was closed when I was there, sadly.

I stopped for a salad and beer at SeaQuake Brewing and I did not regret it! I had a Crescent Light lager with my lunch and bought the Fogline Hazy IPA and 24 Cara Gold Citrus Golden Ale to go, along with a nice zip-up hoodie. Brewery apparel is a favorite souvenir of mine. Also, can we talk about how cozy a new sweatshirt feels? I wish they would that stay soft and fuzzy even after washing. Does anyone else put off putting a new sweatshirt in the wash until it really just can’t be not washed anymore? Or is that just me?

The day was wearing on, so I made my way to the Del Norte campground. So beautiful! In among all of the tall trees, unlike my previous campground. My camp neighbors had Utah plates- I just can’t escape! I ended up chatting the night away with them, which I really enjoyed.

The Oregon Coast is just magical. It’s where the forest meets the sea. Bandon is a little fishing town with loads of stuff to do in the surrounding area, including golfing, hiking, fishing, surfing, and mountain biking. Bikes are available to rent at South Coast Bicycles. After several nights of camping, a couple nights in a room with a real bed and a real shower sounded spectacular. I booked the room affectionately known as Tiny Tim at the La Kris Inn. This little motel is run by a couple who takes great care of their property. They had the most beautiful hydrangea bushes! (Of course I forgot to take a picture of the room or the bushes. Rookie blogger mistake.) The room was nothing fancy, but it was clean and the bed was comfortable. Perfect and inexpensive! There are several other independent hotels in the area, but none of the big chains.

After I washed the camping dirt off of me, I walked to Old Town Bandon. There are lots of shops and restaurants. I had the best oysters of my life at Tony’s Crab Shack. Try them with the Slap Ya Mama hot sauce- not terribly hot, but so flavorful!

There is an art installation in town to raise awareness about how damaging plastic is for the ocean. Each of the statues are made from plastic pulled from the sea. We have to do better. This was really sad to see. Washed Ashore builds these exhibits to raise awareness of this issue. They have a number of installations in coastal cities on both coasts.

The next day I drove a little north to the Coos Bay area for a walk along the Oregon Pacific Trail. The views were stunning!

I grabbed lunch at 7 Devils Brewing- good beer! On my way back into Bandon, I stopped at Face Rock Creamery for some squeaky cheese and other goodies. And also ice cream. I had a really lovely dinner at Edgewaters– halibut and a glass of rose. Oh, and probably a gin and tonic, too. The servers were really friendly and attentive, the fish super fresh.

The next morning after procuring coffee and a green smoothie, I started a winding, forrest drive toward my next destination- Ashland. This darling little town his home to Southern Oregon University, a Shakespeare festival, and several wineries. I got into town around lunchtime, so my first order of business to find some food. Martolli’s Hand Tossed Pizza was the winner. One of the best gluten free pizzas I’ve ever had. The main drag is lined with all sorts of shops, bookstores, and theaters.

I went to Irvine and Roberts Vineyards to do some wine-tasting. They make pinot noir and unoaked chardonnay (so it’s not like sucking on a stick of butter). I tried 3 vintages of the chardonnay and two of the pinot noir. It was really interesting to taste the difference between the years. One year happened to be very wet and the other hot and dry- it definitely affects the flavor and body of the wine.

Back in town, I did a bit of shopping at some of the bookshops and clothing stores. I had a couple of beers at Growler Guys to kill some time before dinner. They have a huge beer selection! I dropped my packages off at The Columbia, a European style hotel I had booked for the evening. This place was so cute! All of Ashland was cute- I wish I was there for more than one night. Time for dinner! The bangers and mash at Oberon’s Restaurant and Bar were top-notch; then I nipped down the street to The Blacksheep Pub for a nightcap, where I stumbled upon a story-telling group called The Lantern. They style themselves after The Moth. There are prompts or monthly themes and people just get up and tell a true story off the cuff, no notes. The woman who runs the group gave me a breakfast recommendation- Ruby’s- and told me to order the burrito. 10/10 she was spot on and the gluten-free tortilla was so good! (I have mentioned GF a few times. I can’t tolerate it much anymore- I can drink lager beers, but that’s about it.)

The final stop in my journey was Crater Lake National Park. I did not know water could be that blue! I couldn’t stop staring or taking pictures. I drove around the rim a bit to get away from the crowds and make some lunch.

Crater Lake is over 1900 feet deep- the deepest lake in the United States. Mount Mazama erupted about 7700 years ago, leaving a giant crater that is now filled with water from rain and snow- no rivers flow into this lake; they claim the water to be cleaner than the water coming out of your tap at home. You can swim in the lake, but the water is quite chilly and you’re confined to within 100 yards of shore in Cleetwood Cove. There are also boat tours of the lake, but they were not running when I was there.

I camped about 30 minutes north at Diamond Lake Campground. Pretty standard large public campground, but it was quiet and sites were spaced out well, so I didn’t feel like I was on top of my neighbors.

I broke camp pretty early. I wanted to beat the crowds to hike Garfield Peak, which offered really spectacular views of the lake. It’s rated as “strenous,” but I didn’t find it to be too bad. Then again, I’m from Utah, where I am used to the elevation. It’s a 3.5 mile out-and-back with about 1000 feet of elevation gain.

Sadly, it was time to start making my way back to the Salty City. I really could have spent the next month wandering around, but I’d been gone for almost 2 weeks and I guess I need to do my real job. My last stop was in Truckee, CA, a resort town near Lake Tahoe. I only had time for dinner at Alibi Ale Works (all their beers are reduced gluten!) and breakfast at Squeeze In the next morning. I want to go back, though. It looks like a fun town with tons to do. I’ll just add it to the list…