West Coast Bucket List Road Trips
- Written by News Feature Team
The West Coast of the United States is known for having some of the most beautiful scenery in the entire country, and the coastal roads winding through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington provide arguably some of the best scenery for road-tripping in the entire continent (if not world). The word "epic" gets used far too often as a description, but if you are taking advantage of a good deal on an RV rental and hitting any of these West Coast road trips then you are indeed enjoying an epic travel adventure.
#1: Route 66
The hey-day of Route 66 might be long gone, and it's not along the coast, but it's a historic route that is a combination of the strange desolate beauty of living towns acting as an unintentional homage to the past where they were at their peak with desert and mountain beauty away from the Interstate. The best patch is probably from the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River. Even away from the coast, this is a road trip that you will want to take for a deep seeded taste of the West and the feeling of living history will give you a truly unique feeling that will last long after the trip is over.
#2: Pacific Coast Highway (Scenic Highway #1)
This should be on every top 10 road trip bucket list. The Pacific Coast Highway hugs the California coast, revealing hundreds of miles of cliffs, beaches, rolling hills, and stunning views. Dotted with beautiful towns and gorgeous cities, there are countless places worth stopping, seeing, and even spending time in.
Big Sur and Hearst Castle are major draws that all first time visitors should definitely take the time to check out, and wine aficionados will be happy to know that even beyond the beaches and coastal towns, Highway 1 also brings you through wine country.
#3: Columbia River Scenic Highway in Oregon
Oregon is home to some gorgeous scenery, and the Columbia River is a 75 mile stretch that is extremely popular in part because it was built with one major thing in mind: actually being the most beautiful road in America. The dedication to creating a road through beautiful country as paid off and from Portland past the Columbia Gorge, this route has plenty of scenic areas to pull off on and enjoy the forests, mountains, rivers, gorges, and more that are all located along one of the most beautiful stretches of road in all the United States.
#4: The Cascade Loop of Washington State
This 400 mile stretch of looped road boasts of nine distinctive regions and includes the full array of what the state of Washington has to offer including lakes, rivers, rainforests, massive apple orchards, scenic small towns, and more. Absolutely stunning drive with plenty of outstanding lodging options along the way.
Bonus West Coast Trips of Note: If you go through this list and find yourself craving even more RV friendly road trips in the west, also consider the state of Nevada's "The Loneliest Road" for quiet meditative desert beauty, the "Beartooth Highway" connecting Montana and Wyoming, or Utah's "Route 12." Each gives a very unique and different look at part of the natural beauty that the West has to offer.
