Seattle Campervan & Motorhome Hire

Day 1: Collect your RV at Cruise America's Seattle depot in Everett, where pick-ups usually run from 1pm to 4pm, and allow up to an hour for the walkthrough. Stock up on groceries, then drive about 2.5 hours, 100 miles (160 km), south to Ashford near the Nisqually Entrance of Mount Rainier National Park, setting off early to beat the worst of the I-5 traffic. Stay at an RV park in Ashford.

Day 2: Drive about 45 minutes up to Paradise on the mountain's south slope and walk the Skyline Trail, or the shorter paths through the summer wildflower meadows. Stop at Narada Falls and Reflection Lakes on the way. The park's Cougar Rock Campground takes RVs up to 35 feet (10.7 m) and books through recreation.gov, but has no hookups or dump station, so arrive with empty tanks.

Day 3: Leave the park via Packwood and US Highway 12, then join I-5 south to Castle Rock, about 2.75 hours or 105 miles (170 km) in all. Spend the afternoon at the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake, learning how the 1980 eruption blew out the mountain's north face and flattened the forests around it. Camp at Seaquest State Park, just across the road.

Day 4: Drive the Spirit Lake Highway (State Route 504) about 40 miles (65 km) east to Coldwater Lake and walk the Hummocks Trail across the landslide debris left by the eruption. The road beyond the winter gate at milepost 45.2 has been closed since a 2023 landslide, so check whether Johnston Ridge Observatory has reopened. Then drive about 2.5 hours south to an RV park near Troutdale, Oregon.

Day 5: Drive the narrow, winding Historic Columbia River Highway east past Vista House at Crown Point and a string of waterfalls. In summer, the I-84 Exit 31 car park for Multnomah Falls needs a timed use permit from recreation.gov between 9am and 6pm, and space is tight for RVs, so arrive early. Continue about 45 minutes to Hood River and stay at an RV park nearby.

Day 6: Follow the Hood River Fruit Loop past orchards and farm stands, then climb Highway 35 around Mount Hood to Timberline Lodge, a 1930s stone lodge high on the mountain's south slope. Descend on Highway 26 to Portland, about 2.75 hours of driving in all. Stay at an RV park on the edge of the city and take the MAX light rail into town for dinner.

Day 7: Spend the morning in Portland at Powell's City of Books or the International Rose Test Garden, using public transport. Drive about 2.25 hours, 98 miles (158 km), to Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River. Climb the Astoria Column for views over the river and the Pacific, then camp at Fort Stevens State Park, a large campground with RV sites near the beach.

Day 8: Visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum, then drive about 40 minutes south to Cannon Beach. At low tide, walk out to the tide pools around Haystack Rock, where tufted puffins nest from about April to July. Parking in town is tight for an RV, so use the larger public car parks. Stay at Nehalem Bay State Park, about 20 minutes further south.

Day 9: Stop at the Tillamook Creamery for cheese and ice cream, then follow the Three Capes Scenic Route past Cape Meares Lighthouse and Cape Lookout, taking the narrow bends slowly. End at Pacific City, about two hours of driving in all, and watch the sunset from the big sand dune at Cape Kiwanda. Stay at Cape Lookout State Park or a campground in Pacific City.

Day 10: Drive about 1.25 hours down US Highway 101 through Lincoln City to Depoe Bay, where grey whales often feed close to shore in summer, and watch from the sea wall or join a whale watching boat. Continue to Newport for the lighthouse and tide pools at Yaquina Head and the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Stay at South Beach State Park, just south of the bay bridge.

Day 11: Head south about an hour to Cape Perpetua and watch the ocean surge into Thor's Well and Devil's Churn around high tide, keeping well back from the edge. Stop at the Heceta Head Lighthouse viewpoint and the Sea Lion Caves, then continue to Florence. Stay two nights at Jessie M. Honeyman State Park, among lakes and dunes just south of town.

Day 12: Spend the day in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, where sand dunes rise up to about 500 feet (150 m) above the sea. Climb the dunes on foot from Honeyman, or leave the RV at camp and join a guided dune buggy tour, as motorhomes belong on sealed roads. In the evening, walk the old town waterfront on the Siuslaw River in Florence.

Day 13: Drive about two hours, 72 miles (116 km), south to Bandon, a fishing town known for its sea stacks. Walk the beach below the Face Rock viewpoint at low tide, then browse the boardwalk shops and seafood shacks in Old Town. Stay at Bullards Beach State Park, beside the Coquille River Lighthouse, and stock up before the quieter southern coast.

Day 14: Follow US 101 south past Port Orford and Gold Beach to the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, where short trails lead to Natural Bridges and Arch Rock. Cross into California just south of Brookings and continue to Crescent City, about 2.5 hours of driving in all. Walk out to Battery Point Lighthouse at low tide, then stay two nights at an RV park in town.

Day 15: Drive about 15 minutes inland on US Highway 199 to Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and walk the Simpson-Reed Grove trail among old-growth coast redwoods. Skip the narrow, mostly unpaved Howland Hill Road, as the National Park Service says motorhomes will not fit. Back in Crescent City, call in at the park information centre for maps and road updates.

Day 16: Drive about an hour south to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and take the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway through the giant trees, stopping at Big Tree Wayside. Watch for Roosevelt elk grazing in the meadow at Elk Prairie, and keep your distance. Stay at Elk Prairie Campground if your RV fits its sites, or at an RV park near Orick or Trinidad.

Day 17: Drive about an hour south past the seaside town of Trinidad to Eureka and wander its Old Town, lined with Victorian buildings including the ornate Carson Mansion. In the afternoon, continue about 30 minutes to Ferndale, a dairy village of colourful Victorian shopfronts. Stay at an RV park in Ferndale or nearby Fortuna.

Day 18: Rejoin US 101 south and turn onto the Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile (50 km) road through Humboldt Redwoods State Park that runs beside the highway. Walk the loop trail through Founders Grove and stop at the small riverside towns along the way. Stay at Burlington Campground in the state park or at an RV park around Garberville.

Day 19: Drive south to Leggett, then take Highway 1 over the coast range to Westport, a steep, slow and winding road, or stay on US 101 to Willits and turn west on Highway 20. Either way, allow about two hours to Fort Bragg. Walk Glass Beach and the Mendocino Headlands, then stay at MacKerricher State Park or an RV park near Fort Bragg.

Day 20: Follow Highway 1 south along the Sonoma Coast, about 2.5 hours to Bodega Bay with many slow bends, stopping at the Point Arena Lighthouse if time allows. Continue to Point Reyes National Seashore for a short walk from the Bear Valley Visitor Center, then stay at an RV park near Olema or Petaluma. Refuel tonight, ready for an early start.

Day 21: Leave by about 8am for Cruise America's San Francisco depot in Newark, on the east side of the bay, about 1.75 hours away via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Returns run from 9am to 11am, so empty the waste tanks before you arrive. Check one-way availability before you book, and budget for a one-way fee plus 39 cents a mile for roughly 1,600 miles (2,600 km).

Day 1: Collect your RV in Everett in the afternoon, then drive about 20 minutes to the Edmonds terminal for the Washington State Ferries crossing to Kingston. This route takes no vehicle reservations, and RVs pay a fare based on length, so allow time to queue. Drive about an hour to Port Townsend, a Victorian seaport, and camp at Fort Worden State Park by the water.

Day 2: Drive about 1.25 hours to Port Angeles and call in at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center for maps and road updates. Take the paved Hurricane Ridge Road, 17 miles (27 km), up to subalpine meadows with views across the Olympic Mountains, when it is open. Skip the narrow Hurricane Hill and Obstruction Point roads, which are not suitable for RVs.

Day 3: Drive about 45 minutes west to Lake Crescent and walk the forest trail to Marymere Falls, then paddle or swim in the clear lake on a warm day. Continue to the Sol Duc valley for the short walk to Sol Duc Falls and a soak at the hot springs resort in season. Stay at Fairholme Campground on the lake, which has a dump station.

Day 4: Drive about 1.25 hours through Forks to Rialto Beach, at the end of the paved Mora Road, and walk north along the driftwood-strewn shore towards Hole-in-the-Wall at low tide. Check tide tables before you go, as a rising tide can cut off the headlands. Stay at Mora Campground, where most sites suit RVs up to 21 feet (6.4 m) and a few take 35 feet.

Day 5: Drive about 1.25 hours to the Hoh Rain Forest, at the end of the paved Upper Hoh Road, and arrive early, as the car park fills on summer days and queues can form at the entrance. Walk the Hall of Mosses and the Spruce Nature Trail under moss-draped maples and giant spruce. Stay at Hoh Rain Forest Campground, booked ahead on recreation.gov in summer.

Day 6: Drive about an hour to the coast at Ruby Beach for sea stacks and driftwood, then continue south to Kalaloch to see the Tree of Life, a spruce clinging on above an eroded gully. Walk the beaches at low tide, one of the few places in the park where leashed pets are allowed. Stay at Kalaloch Campground on the bluff, which has a dump station.

Day 7: Drive about 45 minutes to Lake Quinault, in a glacier-carved valley of temperate rain forest. Walk the Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail, visit the historic Lake Quinault Lodge and look for the giant Sitka spruce near the south shore. The roads further up the valley turn to rough gravel, so stay on the paved sections and camp at a lakeside campground or RV park.

Day 8: Allow about 3.75 hours, 151 miles (243 km), via Aberdeen and Olympia to Ashford, the gateway to Mount Rainier's Nisqually Entrance, with a lunch stop in Olympia. Buy groceries and fuel on the way, as there is little inside the park. Stay at Cougar Rock Campground, which takes RVs up to 35 feet (10.7 m), or at an RV park in Ashford.

Day 9: Drive about 45 minutes up to Paradise and walk the Skyline Trail to Myrtle Falls, or further for views of the Nisqually Glacier. Wildflowers usually peak in the meadows from late July to mid-August. Pets are banned on all park trails, so leave them at camp with someone. In the afternoon, stop at Narada Falls, then return to camp.

Day 10: Set off early for the longest drive, about 4.5 hours, along Stevens Canyon Road and over Chinook Pass, which is open only from about late spring to autumn. Stop at Tipsoo Lake below the pass, then continue through the dry Yakima Valley and over Blewett Pass to Leavenworth. Stay two nights at an RV park or campground near town.

Day 11: Spend a slow day in Leavenworth, a mountain town styled as a Bavarian village, with German bakeries, beer halls and a busy calendar of festivals. Walk the riverside trails at Waterfront Park on the Wenatchee River or head up Icicle Creek, or join a rafting trip in late spring and early summer. Do the laundry and restock before the North Cascades.

Day 12: Drive about 1.25 hours to Chelan, at the south end of long, glacier-fed Lake Chelan, for a swim and lunch. Continue about 1.5 hours north through the Methow Valley to Winthrop, a small town with a Wild West-style main street. Stay at an RV park or campground beside the Methow River, and fill the tank before the mountains.

Day 13: Climb the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) to the Washington Pass Overlook, about 45 minutes from Winthrop, then continue west to the Diablo Lake Overlook, where glacial silt turns the water turquoise. This road closes every winter, usually from about November until spring, so check WSDOT first. Stay at an RV park around Marblemount.

Day 14: Leave by about 8am and drive roughly two hours down the Skagit Valley and I-5 to the Everett depot, as returns run from 9am to 11am and later arrivals can attract a late fee. Empty the waste tanks and refuel before you arrive. Allow about an hour from the depot to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by taxi or rideshare, as there is no airport transfer.

Day 1: Collect your RV in Everett and drive about 15 minutes to Mukilteo for the short ferry to Clinton on Whidbey Island. This route takes no reservations, so expect a wait on summer afternoons. Drive about 45 minutes north to Coupeville, a historic waterfront town on Penn Cove, and camp at Fort Casey or Fort Ebey State Park overlooking the water.

Day 2: Walk the bluff trail at Ebey's Landing for views over the water to the Olympic Mountains, then try local mussels at a Coupeville cafe. Drive about 40 minutes north to Deception Pass State Park and walk across the high bridge above the swirling tidal channel. Stay at the park's Cranberry Lake campground or an RV park near Anacortes.

Day 3: Check in at the Anacortes terminal 45 to 60 minutes before your reserved sailing to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Vehicle reservations are strongly recommended on this route, so book both directions as soon as they open. Walk the Friday Harbor waterfront and visit The Whale Museum, then stay three nights at an RV-friendly campground or resort on the island.

Day 4: Drive about 25 minutes to Lime Kiln Point State Park on the island's west side, where orcas, minke whales and porpoises can pass close to the rocky shore, most often in summer. Continue to Roche Harbor for lunch by the marina, then visit the restored buildings at English Camp, part of San Juan Island National Historical Park.

Day 5: Leave the RV at camp and join a whale watching boat from Friday Harbor, or explore American Camp and the windswept prairie and beaches around Cattle Point at the island's southern tip. Watch for foxes and bald eagles along the way. In the evening, fill the water tank and empty the waste tanks if your campground has a dump station.

Day 6: Take your reserved ferry back to Anacortes and follow Chuckanut Drive (State Route 11), a narrow, winding road above Samish Bay with views back to the islands, to Larrabee State Park, about an hour. Stop for fresh oysters near Bow on the way, and in April, detour through the Skagit Valley tulip fields. Stay at Larrabee State Park.

Day 7: Pack up early and drive about 1.5 hours south on I-5 to the Everett depot, arriving between 9am and 11am with the waste tanks emptied and the fuel tank refilled. If your flight leaves later, Pike Place Market and the Seattle waterfront are about 40 minutes south by taxi or rideshare, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is about an hour away.