Roaming the West Coast: An RV Journey Through the Pacific Northwest

Northwest Washington

Olympic National Park

Spread across nearly a million acres with Pacific coastline, alpine forests, and wildflower meadows, Olympic National Park is an outdoor paradise. Staying in an RV at Quileute Oceanside Resort (located on the outside of the western section of the park) or Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground (located inside the park) puts you steps from trails, beaches, and waterfalls. Wake up to the sound of the ocean, hike during the day, and return to your mobile base at night—no long drives to and from required.

Space Needle and Museum of Flight

Take your RV just outside Seattle and enjoy the flexibility of city sightseeing without the stress of downtown parking. Visit the Space Needle for sweeping city and mountain views, or explore the Museum of Flight, home to hundreds of planes, helicopters, and spacecraft. After a full day of exploring, drive back to your campground and enjoy the comforts of home on the road.

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

View the 920-foot lava dome and crater, accessible by scenic drives where an RV gives you flexibility to stop at overlooks and pull-outs along the way.

National Neon Sign Museum

Located in a historic former Elks building in The Dalles, Oregon, the National Neon Sign Museum officially opened for tours in 2018. The 20,000-square-foot museum’s impressive collection—one of the largest in the world—spans the evolution of electrified signage, including animated pieces, rare enamel petroliana, and full-scale storefront recreations.

North Washington and Idaho

Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture

This Smithsonian-affiliated museum welcomes more than 100,000 visitors a year, making it the largest cultural organization in the Inland Northwest. Founded in 1916, the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture is located in Spokane’s historic Browne’s Addition neighborhood and comprises more than one million artifacts, including the largest collection of Plateau Indian art in the world.

With your RV nearby at Spokane KOA Journey, you can explore the region’s Indigenous art collections at your own pace, then retreat to your personal space on wheels to relax and plan the next day’s itinerary.

Kootenai National Forest

RVing lets you stay close to rivers, trails, and wildlife in this 2.2-million-acre forest near the Canadian border in the northwest corner of Montana/eastern edge of the Idaho panhandle. Camp at Farragut State Park or Blackwell Island RV Park and bring everything you need with you—gear, food, and even pets—so your adventure is seamless from morning to night.

Omak Stampede Rodeo

Founded in the early 1930s as an attempt to draw visitors to the small north-central Washington town of Omak, this annual rodeo is now one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest. The stampede is best known for its controversial Native-inspired “suicide race,” a course that has riders racing 225 feet down a bluff, swimming or wading across a river, and then making a mad 500-yard dash to the finish line.

Southwest Oregon’s Quirky Stops and Crater Lakes

Crater Lake National Park

Formed more than 7,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption, the star of Crater Lake National Park is also the deepest lake in the U.S. with a maximum depth of nearly 2,000 feet. The park has two very drastic seasons—winter and summer—and conditions can change quickly, so make sure to plan your visit accordingly (check one of the park’s three webcams to ensure your views of the lake will be picture-perfect). Even better is that there are plenty of comfortable RV campgrounds like Mazama Campground nearby to limit travel time and increase rest and adventure time.

Siskiyou Smokejumper Museum

The Pacific Northwest is known for its expanses of old-growth forests and unfortunately that also means the region is at risk for frequent wildfires; lesser known are the brave people who risk their lives fighting those fires at the Siskiyou Smokejumper Museum. Located at the Illinois Valley Airport in Cave Junction, Oregon—an active smokejumper base until the 1980s—the museum offers free tours daily from mid-March to mid-November.

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Constructed in the late 1800s, the Cape Blanco lighthouse sits on nearly 50 acres and includes a two-family keepers' quarters and several small storage buildings. The brick structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993; it is Oregon’s oldest continually operating light, and was home to Cape Blanco’s first woman keeper in 1903.

Central Oregon

Crooked Wild and Scenic River

If your RV road trip takes you fly fishing, biking, hiking, or paddling, this river canyon area offers you all of that and more. Making history, Crooked River became a part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1988 as designated by the Omnibus Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1988 for its recreational, scenic, fishery, and geological values.

High Desert Museum

Just outside of Bend, OR, and serving families since 1982, High Desert Museum offers visitors an immersive experience to see native wildlife, learn about early Oregon homesteaders, and engage your children in hands-on activities blending history and science–the perfect companion to an RV vacation. With a variety of year-round exhibitions, there is something for every interest, every age, and every learning preference.

Last Blockbuster

Does your RV have a video player or need to add to its candy drawer? Travel back in time to the late 80s in Bend, OR, home to the last remaining Blockbuster video store. Operating as part of the now-iconic franchise since 2000, this store has really leaned into its last-man-standing designation; featured in the 2020 documentary The Last Blockbuster, the store stays in business by selling nostalgic merchandise, boxes of theater candy, and, of course, collecting rental fees on more than 20,000 movies.

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Because the PNW is known for its volcanic history, we wanted to offer another active volcano, also known as Newberry Crater, to visit in Oregon. Newberry, a 1,200 square mile volcano, became a part of US history in 1990 when it was added to the national registry of 54,000 acres of crater lakes, caves, lava flows, and unique geologic features.

Redmond Caves

Formed from the Newberry Crater are five caves known as Redmond Caves that trace back over 6,000 years, when Native Americans used them for shelter, sacred practices, and mining resources. Open year-round, the caves are located within the city limits of Redmond and offer family-friendly exploration and educational opportunities.

Stargazing from the comfort of your RV at Prineville Reservoir State Park

Situated in Oregon’s first International Dark Sky Park, Prineville Reservoir offers some of the clearest night skies in the Pacific Northwest. RV travelers have the advantage of parking right at the campground (Prineville Reservoir State Park Campground), meaning you can enjoy evening stargazing without worrying about late-night drives or finding a safe spot to pull over. After a day of rockhounding, birdwatching, or hiking, you can settle in at your RV site and step outside whenever the sky is at its darkest—making it easy to catch meteor showers, planets, and the Milky Way in comfort.

Southeast Oregon / West Idaho

Lava Hot Springs

Located two hours north of Salt Lake City, UT, the tiny town of Lava Hot Springs has been attracting travelers for more than a century with its eponymous geothermal waters. Weary visitors can seek solace with a soak in one of several indoor and outdoor pools where temperatures range from 102˚ to 112˚F. If you’re feeling adventurous (or have antsy kids needing to get the wiggles out after being buckled up in the RV), blow off steam in the outdoor Olympic pool, on water slides, or from diving platforms.

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve

You don’t have to go far to feel like you’re on the Moon—this national monument and preserve located in southern Idaho’s Snake River Plain offers otherworldly vistas rooted firmly on Earth. The park comprises grasslands and lava fields, the oldest of which was formed more than 15,000 years ago.

Idaho Potato Museum

One of the best RV road trip snacks is the classic potato chip. Pay tribute to Idaho’s famous tuber at this museum located in a former Oregon Short Line Railroad Depot in Blackfoot, Idaho. After you learn about the spud’s history—don’t miss the world’s largest potato chip—stock up on souvenirs in the gift shop, refuel at the Potato Station Café, and snap a photo with the museum’s iconic sign (affixed to a larger-than-life baked potato, naturally).

Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area

Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, this southern Idaho expanse provides refuge to one of the densest concentrations of nesting raptors. Don’t worry, though— the 15 species of birds of prey (including falcons, hawks, eagles, and owls) are kept full by a large population of ground squirrels, jackrabbits, and badgers.