Here is my 7 day Itinerary for exploring Oregon, Seattle, and Jedediah State Park. I would like to preface this by saying we are both pretty active. This was not a vacation where we laid around and read, but we were out the door by 7am, hitting the trails. A quest to see as much as possible. Usually by 3pm we were back in vacation mode to relax and hang out.

Day 1: Denver CO to Seattle WA

We had a lot of ground to cover-so we traveled in the evenings which allowed us to take less time off work and take full advantage of our first day. Our goal was to get as close as possible to our first hike without driving too late into the night. We took a 7pm flight from Denver CO and arrived at 9:15pm in Seattle WA. We rented a car and drove 1.5 hrs. to Lacey, Washington (stayed at: Best Western Plus 8326 Quinault Drive NE Lacey Washington, around $100 for the night).

Day 2: Bridal Veil Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Fairy Falls, Maltomah Falls, Lost Lake Campground.

Here is the breakdown:

Leave Lacey WA by 7am. Drive 2 hours to Bridal Veil Falls. **We picked up food/campfire logs/alcohol/water for camping on the way since there are not a lot of places to stop once you get on the road. **

First stop: Bridal Veil Falls.https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/bridal-veil-and-shepperds-dell-falls-trail This is a short, easy hike. Heavy Traffic, close to highway.

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2nd stop: We then drove a few min. up the road to Wahkeena Falls and via Wahkeena Trail you just keep hiking to Fairy Falls . This is approximately a 5 mile hike. It is rated Moderate however we did not find it very strenuous, maybe easy/moderate. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/wahkeena-falls-loop-trail

TIP: Park at Wakeena Falls. There is a pretty big parking area/picnic and bathrooms. From the trail head of Wakeena falls, take the 1 or so mile trail to Mulomah Falls. There were so many people, we started to drive, sat in traffic for 20 min not moving. You are basically waiting for people to leave so the next person can park and it is a nightmare. We turned around and went back to park. Just walk over. It is much faster.

3rd stop: Multomah Falls. This is not a hike. There is a paved sidewalk to the bridge area, it is very touristy but absolutely gorgeous. You can hike up to the top, but they had it closed when we were there.

Drive to Lost Lake Campground. We stayed at Campsite D 009 (D Loop). There is a small store where you can buy food. Boat rentals are also available at a ridiculously high price/hour. https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251434

Day 3: Silver Falls State Park and Bend, Oregon

We drove 2 hours and 40 minutes from Lost Lake Campground to Silver Falls State Park. We figured we would grab breakfast along the way. There were very few options. Luckily we happened upon a little restaurant, and although I was nervous, it was actually really good. (see link in the gallery, reviews pretty much sum this up).

At Silver Falls State Park, we did the Trail of 10 Falls Loop-about 8 miles. This was my favorite part about our trip. I loved this Park and would definitely go back again. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/trail-of-ten-falls-canyon-trail

We then drove 3 hours to Bend, Oregon. Along the way is a town called Sisters that has groceries/gas if you need them. We arrived at Sunny Acre B and B https://sunnyacresbnb.com/. We stayed in the Cabin Suite. I have only stayed in a bed and breakfast one other times and was not a big fan. However, after reading reviews, we decided to take a chance and stay here. Pegi is the owner and I cannot recommend staying here enough. She has a beautiful property, clean house, amazing cookies, and the bed was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in (and I have a sleep number bed!). We arrived around 6pm, checked in and headed out for dinner-we were starving. We went to 10 Barrel Brewing Co and the beer/food was just what we needed after a long hike and a long time in the car. After we ate, we returned to Pegi’s and crashed.

Day 4: Misery Ridge Trail in Smith Rock State Park. Blue Pool, Clear Lake, then back to Bend, Oregon

Stop 1. Drive 40 minutes from Bend, Oregon to Misery Ridge Trail in the Smith Rock State Park. This trail does not offer much shade so go early and bring water. Do not miss this-it is gorgeous and not that much exposure, I know some reviews say not to go if you are afraid of heights, but you do not have to go close to the edge if you do not want to. About 5 mile hike. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/misery-ridge-and-summit-trail-loop

Stop 2: Blue Pool. We drove another hour to Tamolitch Falls/Blue Pool. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/tamolitch-blue-pool-via-mckenzie-river-trail. This was a 4.2 mile hike to a pool that forms at the base of a waterfall. The water never gets above 37 degrees. This was a crowded trail, however not many people opted to go over the top of the waterfall and do a little bouldering down to the freezing cold water. The water felt like pins and needles but we both got in. I only got in up to my waist, David was braver/crazier and dove in.

We had plans to go to several other waterfalls that are also on this road but due to the crowds at the trailhead we decided against doing them. Here are the waterfalls though in case you would like to hike them: Proxy Falls(lower and upper), about a 2 mile easy hike. Koosah and Sahalie Falls.

Stop 3: Clear Lake. This was not on the agenda, however, after hiking over 9 miles, we thought sitting by a lake, drinking a beer sounded perfect. We were pleasantly surprised to find out you could rent boats here as well. These boats were very inexpensive to rent and they even had a cafe where we got chicken fingers and fries. There is nothing I love more than hiking and then floating on the water. http://visitmckenzieriver.com/oregon/item/clear-lake/

We then drove the hour back to Bend, Oregon where we showered and headed out to town. After eating dinner, we were told there is a secret bar in The Art House. As we walked through the hotel looking for the bar, we found several other cool false rooms as well. *tip: do not tell anyone where the secret bar is after you have found it 🙂

Day 5: Jedediah State Park, Samuel H Boardman Scenic Hwy, Natural Bridges, “Secret” Beach, Arches, Coos Bay, Thors Well, Newport.

Stop 1: Jedediah State Park. This was a 5 hour drive from Bend. 🙂 The drive was very pretty, but it certainly was long. I have FOMO (fear of missing out), and if I was this close to the Redwoods and did not see them, I knew I would regret it.

We then took the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Highway up the Oregon Coast and stopped at the following places:

Natural Bridges, Secret Beach, Arches, Coos Bay, and Thors Well.

Tips:

Natural bridges: it is a very steep climb down to the arches. The trail was actually blocked when we went. I could have easily jumped over the log with the ‘keep out sign’, but my husband reminded me that sign is for everyone, including me. He is the voice of reason about protecting the environment/trail. I just assume it is for less athletic individuals that could get hurt, but we did have great views from the top (although I still feel like I missed out on a great experience).

Secret Beach: This is very easy to miss. If you reach Arches you have gone too far. I think it is called Thunder Rock Cove and there is just a small gravel lot to pull into and park. Follow the 1/4 mile trail down to a sandy beach that you will probably have to yourself. If I lived nearby, I would love to bring a book here and waste the day.

Thors Well: Try to plan this at high tide if possible.

We stayed the night in Newport Beach. whew! That was a lot of driving. We survived on gas station snacks- but so beautiful.

Day 6: Depoe Bay, Tillamook, Haystack Rock Cannon Beach, Astoria and then back to Seattle Washington

Stop 1-Depoe Bay. Whale watching capital of the Oregon Coast and claim to the World’s Smallest Harbor.

Stop 2: Tillamook Creamery-We stopped at the creamery since this was a quick stop and on the way. However, I could have done without this since it was very crowded, long lines, and I am lactose intolerant.

Stop 3: Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach. This is a cute town, gift shops, restaurants, candy stores, book stores, etc… and a beautiful beach.

Stop 4: Astoria for dinner

Stop 5: Seattle Washington. We went to the Smith Tower for drinks after checking in to the hotel. You have to pay to go up to the top, however the view of the city at night and the bar itself are worth it. https://www.smithtower.com/hours.php

Day 7: our goal is to see and eat as much as possible before our flight.

Places we ate: Biscuit Bitch, Beechers, Pike Place Chowder, Ellenos (greek yogurt).

Places we saw: Pikes Place Market, Gum Wall and the Space Needle.

That is the end of our trip. I hope this helps you if you are planning a whirlwind trip to see as much of the northwestern part of the United States as possible in a short time. I fell in love with Oregon: beaches, waterfalls, hiking, gorgeous lakes, cute towns. I highly recommend it 🙂