Pacific Northwest RV Trip for Families

Traveling in an RV with kids is such an easy way to travel!  🙌 We explored 7 States in our RV in 20 days. This is our longest RV trip so far and we loved the relaxed life on the road.  

Our RV is a 44-foot Momentum toy hauler. We like it because it allows us to bring our SXS or other toys we choose to bring.

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We started from our home state of Arizona and stopped in Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California. We pre-booked most of our RV parks before we left but kept a few nights open so we had some flexibility. We left on June 14th and lucked out with great weather.  We didn't need any of the shorts I packed and coming from Arizona we were ok with that! 😏

day 1- Driving Day

The Reality!!! 🤣😂🤣

The first day was our longest driving day🤪.  We drove to Utah and spent the night in the Walmart parking lot in Heber, Utah. Sleeping overnight in Walmart parking lots while traveling is generally allowed at many Walmart locations across the United States. I would double-check in advance. 

Day 2- Utah

Our first stop was the UTV Utah Summer Jamboree ride in Daniels Summit outside of Heber.  It was fun to ride with a bunch of other off-road enthusiasts.  The highlight was finding snow and coming from the desert we were happy with the cooler temps.  

After our ride, Greg was interviewed by the TV show At Your Leisure... Sharing why he loves riding off-road.

day 3-4 WYOMING

Grand Teton National Park- Grand Teton National Park is a stunning natural reserve located in northwestern Wyoming. It's famous for its towering mountains, including the iconic Grand Teton peak, as well as its pristine lakes and abundant wildlife. The park offers a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, fishing, and wildlife viewing.

We spent two nights at the Gros Ventre Campground.  They have around 300 sites. We loved the location... it's the closest campground to the town of Jackson. Click here to see our itinerary for Jackson Hole, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone on a previous trip.

Our last evening was spent on a scenic float on the Snake River.  We took the 7:00 p.m. scenic float. Seeing the Tetons up close while the sun was setting was magnificent!  

Day 5-7 YELLOWSTONE

Since we arrived early in the morning at Yellowstone, we were able to find parking for our trailer at West Thumb. By the time we left (10:30) the parking lot was full.  After our visit, we drove straight through Yellowstone to our RV Park and didn't return till about 4 in the afternoon (mostly because there was no parking big enough).  In the summer it's best to arrive at Yellowstone early or come later in the afternoon when people start to leave for dinner.  We stayed till it was dark and about had the place to ourselves. 😆

Don't miss these Yellowstone highlights:

  • Old Faithful Geyser

  • Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

  • Hayden Valley

  • Mammoth Hot Springs

  • Yellowstone Lake

  • Norris Geyser Basin

  • Lamar Valley

  • West Thumb Geyser Basin

  • Grand Prismatic Spring

*I went on a tour of Old Faithful Inn and enjoyed learning more about this quaint inn.

Make reservations months in advance If you plan on staying in Yellowstone's lodges or campgrounds. Because we waited to book our campsite, all of the RV campgrounds near Yellowstone were full. We stayed at Beaver Creek Campground a 1/2 hour drive from the West Yellowstone entrance.  It's near Earthquake Lake... which became a lake after an earthquake in 1959.  It was a beautiful drive so we didn't mind the distance.  

Visit Lamar Valley in the morning or dusk for wolf sightings.  We missed a pack of wolves right before arriving at Lamar Valley.  It's a great place to get pictures as the sun sets.  

day 7- Drive to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

It was such a pretty drive to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  We did have a tire fiasco which made our day a little longer.  What's an RV trip without a little hiccup? On the same day while driving through a town in Montana we came across a low railroad underpass that we weren't sure we were going to clear.  It was a close one! 😱😳 Probably good to know your clearance in advance.  Now we know! 

We spent three nights at the Wolf Lodge RV Campground.  One of the highlights is taking kayaks on the creek that surrounds the park.  If you are extra motivated you can kayak to Lake Coeur d'Alene.  

Day 8- Route of the Hiawatha

We biked the historic Route of the Hiawatha, a 15-mile rail trail on the Montana/Idaho border.  We biked over seven trestles, through 9 tunnels, rain, and mud.  One of the old railroad tunnels was 1.7 miles long.  It was pitch black with only our bike lights to lead the way.  I can't imagine how amazing this trip must have been from the lounge of the Olympian Hiawatha train that operated this route years ago... worthy of adding to your bucket list. You can rent bikes and buy tickets through Lookout Pass.

Day 9- Coeur d'Alene & Spokane

We had a picnic at City Park and then walked along Lake Coeur d'Alene. They are right next to each other so it's easy to explore both.  I loved all the quaint homes surrounding the park.

Spokane

Our girl’s favorite activity was the Aerial Park Tour at Mica Moon. We love zip-lining whenever we get a chance!

Spokane River Centennial Trail

We had dinner in Spokane and walked around Riverfront Park. Spokane is one of my favorite work layovers.  I'm a sucker for a town with a river running through it.  Spokane has many family-friendly activities... bike the Centennial Trail, take the Skyride over Spokane River, and visit Manito Park and Botanical Gardens.

Historic Davenport Hotel

Visit the famous Historic Davenport Hotel. Get a brochure at the front desk, take a self-guided tour, and try their soft Peanut Brittle in the gift shop.  The Historic Davenport Architectural Tour takes place on Wednesdays from 6 pm- 6:20 pm.

Day 10- Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

We drove from Coeur'd Laine to the Cascade Locks KOA in Oregon.  We loved our time here and wished we could have spent another day on the Columbia River.  The views are stunning! There are stops along the way where you can view the river, waterfalls, and beautiful scenery.

We stopped at the Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery. It has fish ladders to assist salmon and other fish species migrating upstream. It’s worth a visit, especially since it was free. You can purchase food to feed the trout, which our kids enjoyed. Seeing a sturgeon in the sturgeon center was amazing! Gates close at dusk.

Next, we went to the nearby Multnomah Falls. Multnomah Falls is a breathtaking waterfall located in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. It's one of the tallest waterfalls in the United States, plunging in two major steps, dropping a total of 620 feet in height. The falls are easily accessible from the Historic Columbia River Highway.

Bridge of the Gods

Day 11-17 OREGON COAST

We drove down the Oregon Coast and stopped a few times before arriving at Coos Bay.  Click here to see our Oregon Coast Itinerary on a previous trip. We stayed at the Box Car Hill Campground for a week for the UTV Takeover (SXS event) at the Oregon Dunes.  Greg worked (MTS Off-Road) while the girls played. 😏

We were so excited to tour the Umpqua River Lighthouse.  This is one of the few working lighthouses that you can still go in. The red glass inside is so pretty! After our tour, we went to nearby Lake Marie and walked around while it poured on us.💦 Don't miss a walk along this lake it was so dreamy!

Oregon has the biggest area of coastal dunes in North America and they are breathtaking!  We drove through coastal shrubs and trees, and our favorite was finding our way to the beach.

Tour companies take tours through the dunes or you can rent a quad, RZR, or side-by-side. Click here to rent an ATV and experience the thrill of riding over the dunes on the Oregon Coast. We usually go to the Imperial Sand Dunes in California but it's too hot in the summer so it was fun to ride during our summer vacation in Oregon!

Video from UTV Takeover at the Oregon Dunes

My girls enjoyed the Oregon Coast Historical Railway.  It's free and has some cool old trains.  Open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Next, we went to Mingas Park to check out the Japanese Garden.  We loved the playground and hiking trails along the pond.  They have a disc golf course, tennis courts, and a community pool that my girls enjoy!

Sunset Bay State ParkWe loved Sunset Bay!  We came twice and spent several hours here.  This beach is shallow which makes it a great beach for kids. My girls spent hours digging in the sand for clams and were fascinated with the tide pools.  Great Bay for watching the sunset.

Just down the street from Sunset Bay is Shore Acres State Park.  This was the home of a lumber magnate.  They have a garden full of plants and flowers from all over the world. After visiting the garden we took the path to Simpson Beach.  Beautiful... don't miss it if you're in the area.  

And a little further down the road from the garden is Cape Arago State Park.  The endless views and waves at Cape Arago are some of the best attractions in Coos Bay. We saw sea lions and harbor seals...  Spectacular views along the walking paths.

Day 17- Klamath River RV Park

We headed South on Highway 101 and stopped at Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint in Bandon. Look for a large sea stack that resembles a human face when viewed from certain angles. Other notable sea stacks in the area include Elephant Rock, Cat and Kittens Rocks.

Next, we stopped at the West Coast Game Park Safari. It was a hit! We fed the free-roaming deer, goats, sheep, llamas, and donkeys.  The highlight was petting a Siberian baby bear, lynx, skunk, and raccoon.

This evening we stayed at the Klamath River RV Park.  It was right on the river and so peaceful!  I felt like I was in a postcard.  So many beautiful hikes nearby I only wish we could have spent more time here... We'll be back!

Day 18- Redwoods

We took the 31-mile Redwood Drive called Avenue of the Giants in our RV 😬.  Happy our RV survived the giants!  We were surrounded by some of the oldest and largest trees in the world.  

It was an unforgettable experience driving through the Avenues with my little sloths. 🙊🙊

Day 19-20 Drive Home

We spent our last evening in a Walmart parking lot in Los Banos, California.  The rest of the drive home to Arizona is a blur after driving through LA traffic... We were stuck in it for several hours!  I was hangry and had to pee!⇧😂 Not a good combination.  But we arrived home safely! 

Taking this RV trip was an investment in our family... Lots of quality time in nature! Experiencing this kind of freedom showed us how simple life can be!  

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