Pacific Northwest & Great Basin Road Trip

July 1–2: The Loneliest Road & The Ancient Trees

On the first day of our trip, we landed in Sacramento around 9:00 AM, picked up our rental car by 10:00 AM, and immediately hit a local grocery store to stock up on road trip essentials. From there, we set off for Ely, Nevada—a massive 7 to 8-hour haul. Aside from quick stops for gas and food, this was officially the longest continuous stretch of driving we’ve ever done!

Our route took us along U.S. Route 50, famously known as “The Loneliest Road in America.” Driving across more than 250 miles of vast, empty, beautiful desert landscapes was absolutely mind-blowing.

We finally reached the Border Inn Motel, which sits right on the Utah-Nevada border and is incredibly close to Great Basin National Park. After a long day on the asphalt, we kept it simple with a cup-noodle dinner and a quick stargazing session before a bright moon rose and washed out the night sky.

Road Trip Trick: If you plan to visit Great Basin, the Border Inn is arguably the best budget-friendly, closest lodging to the park entrance. Staying here lets you beat the morning crowds easily.

The next morning, we hit our first official stop: the Lehman Caves Tour.

The park rangers handed each of us a handheld lantern, and we walked into the cave as a group. While the tour doesn’t head incredibly deep underground, the natural limestone decorations, shields, and stalactites were stunning, and the ranger gave a fantastic, highly knowledgeable talk.

Right after the cave tour, we tackled the Bristlecone Pine Trail. The hike ended up being longer than we anticipated, but plenty of mountain shade kept it from feeling too exhausting. Near the end of the trail, you come face-to-face with the ancient Bristlecone Pines—home to some of the oldest living organisms on Earth! We also made quick stops at the Wheeler Peak Viewpoint and Mather Overlook to take in the sweeping alpine views before grabbing a quick gas-station lunch and pointing our car toward Reno.

Before checking into our hotel, we made a late-afternoon detour to Lake Tahoe’s Sand Harbor Beach. Walking along the shoreline and taking a couple of quick, bracing dips in the ice-cold, crystal-clear water was the perfect way to wash off the desert dust. We wrapped up our night with a classic dinner at Texas Roadhouse and checked into the Victoria Inn in Sparks, Nevada.

July 3: Geothermal Wonders & Hidden Lava Tubes

We started day three by heading to our second national park of the trip: Lassen Volcanic.

Our first stop was Sulphur Works to see the boiling mud pots, followed immediately by the park’s most iconic hike: Bumpass Hell Trail. The entire trek took us about 2 hours. The first leg is a steady climb just to reach the geothermal basin, which is a workout in itself! Once there, a well-maintained boardwalk safely guides you right over turquoise thermal pools and bubbling mud vents.

Along the trail, we also caught stunning views of the bright blue Lake Helen.

For lunch, we pulled into the Kings Creek Picnic Area and ended up exploring a nearby meadow along the creek. Because we visited right during peak wildflower season, the meadow was completely carpeted in blooms with a gorgeous, clear view of Lassen Peak. We finished our park loop at the Devastated Area, walking a short interpretive trail to learn about the massive volcanic rock avalanches that swept down the mountain during the 1915 eruptions, and stopped by the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center for souvenirs.

Heading north toward Medford, Oregon, we took a short detour into the Lassen National Forest to explore the Subway Cave Lava Tube. It’s completely free to visit and incredibly cool, but warning: it is pitch black inside!

Hiker’s Tip: Do not rely on your smartphone flashlights for wild lava tubes! We forgot our actual flashlights, and our phone screens barely cut through the darkness. Bring a high-lumens tactical flashlight or a headlamp if you want to safely explore the cave’s deep volcanic features.

We attempted to visit the famous Burney Falls next, but half of California had the exact same idea—the parking lots were completely overflowing, so we had to skip it. Luckily, the drive provided a spectacular consolation prize: Mount Shasta. It is just as massive and breathtakingly gorgeous as Mount Rainier, and we snapped tons of photos right from the car before grabbing dinner at the Pine Tree Inn in Medford.

July 4: Deep Blue Craters & Secret Waterfalls

Independence Day began at Crater Lake National Park. The sheer scale of this pristine volcanic caldera and its centerpiece, Wizard Island, is unbelievable.

Our first stop was the Rim Visitor Center, followed by a short walk down to the Discovery Point Viewpoint and a drive up to The Watchman Overlook for a higher perspective of the island.

Park Alert: Crater Lake is visually stunning, but currently, activities on the water are limited. The famous Cleetwood Cove Trail (the only path down to the lakeshore) is undergoing major construction and is scheduled to be closed during peak seasons until 2029. Plan your hikes along the rim accordingly!

We exited the north side of the park and drove into the Umpqua National Forest to find Toketee Falls—one of Oregon’s most famous columned waterfalls. The trail was a bit steep but short, taking about an hour out and back. The approach felt truly magical; because the trail is carved through a raw, dense forest, you can’t actually see the falls until the very last second. When you step onto the viewpoint platform, it suddenly appears: a massive, two-tiered waterfall plunging into a perfect jade-green pool.

After a quick lunch in the car, we drove north to Eugene. We stopped by the famous Voodoo Doughnut downtown and stumbled right into a vibrant July 4th Saturday Market packed with live folk music, dancing, and local crafts.

Foodie Review: Voodoo Doughnut absolutely lives up to the hype. The dough is incredibly soft yet perfectly chewy. If you go, get the Mango Tango—the fruit flavor is amazing!

Our final destination of the day was Silver Falls State Park, arriving around 4:30 PM.

Arriving late turned out to be a blessing; the daytime crowds were leaving, giving us a peaceful, humid, incredibly green 2.5-hour hike along the canyon. Walking deep inside the rocky caverns behind the roaring water at South Falls and Lower South Falls was unforgettable. Before leaving, we drove over to check out North Falls, which actually ended up being our favorite of the three—the trail felt much wilder and the cave behind the waterfall was absolutely massive.

We ended our holiday night at a Motel 6 in Troutdale, celebrating with a simple dinner of cup noodles and a few excellent local craft beers from Pfriem Family Brewers. The picture below is Mount Hood before the sunset.

July 5: The Columbia Gorge & The Rugged Oregon Coast

To beat the crowds and the summer heat, we woke up at 6:00 AM to see the Pacific Northwest’s ultimate icon: Multnomah Falls.

Travel Trick: From late May through September, the Columbia River Gorge requires a timed-use permit to access the waterfall corridor between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. By arriving at 6:30 AM, we bypassed the reservation system entirely and got to enjoy the roaring falls in total, crowd-free serenity.

We hiked up the switchbacks to the famous Benson Bridge, then drove down the scenic highway to Wahkeena Falls. While smaller than Multnomah, the steep trail lets you stand right next to the rushing cascades, which felt incredibly refreshing. Our last waterfall stop was Latourell Falls—highly accessible from the viewpoint, with stunning basalt columns framing the drop.

By late morning, we were in Portland on a dedicated donut and food crawl:

Pip’s Original Doughnuts: We ordered a box of six mini, made-to-order fried donuts in assorted flavors. They were unbelievably good—crisp, hot, and light. Pair them with their house-crafted chai (the Pandan Thai Tea Chai smells incredible and has a wonderfully complex flavor).

Doe Donuts: We met up with our friends, Ben and June, to catch up and try a couple of creative vegan flavors: Portland Fog and Mango Sticky Rice. They were beautifully presented and inventive, though a bit lighter on flavor profiles compared to the traditional options.

Lily’s Thai Market: Per June’s excellent recommendation, we picked up some authentic Thai curries, rice, and cold sides for later.

Before leaving town, we strolled through the spectacular International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park and caught a panoramic view of Mount Hood rising over the city from the lawns of the historic Pittock Mansion.

By mid-afternoon, we officially turned toward the Pacific Ocean, tracking U.S. Route 101 South along the famous Oregon Coast all the way down to the California border.

Along the way, we hiked down the massive dunes at Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (which we found much more scenic and expansive than Indiana Dunes!).

We also made a stop at Arch Rock State Park to view the offshore sea arches, and caught a gorgeous sunset over the sea stacks at Bandon Beach. We ended our night at the Bay View Inn in Crescent City, California, watching the salty ocean mist roll in over the harbor.

July 6: Walking Among Giants & A Tuscan Finale

Our final day started underneath the deep, foggy canopy of Redwood National and State Parks.

First thing in the morning, we hiked the Grove of Titans Trail. Because we entered early, the forest was completely quiet, raw, and mystical—just us, towering carpets of ferns, hanging moss, and some of the widest trees on earth. We also stopped by the Corkscrew Tree and the Big Tree Wayside to stand next to giant trunks with unfathomable diameters. A quick stop at the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center secured our park stamps and custom magnets.

On our drive back toward Sacramento, we grabbed a classic West Coast lunch at In-N-Out, and paid a quick $20 detour fee to visit the touristy Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree in Leggett—a fun photo-op and a great spot to stretch our legs.

To wrap up an incredible week, we made one final stop in Napa Valley: Castello di Amorosa. Sipping a flight of five premium wines inside an incredibly authentic, multi-story Tuscan castle was the ultimate way to celebrate the end of our road trip.

Before heading to the Sacramento airport to catch our flight back to Chicago, we stopped at Sit Lo Saigon in Davis for a phenomenal, comforting bowl of authentic Pho. We highly recommend it to anyone flying out of SMF!