San Francisco to Oregon Family Road Trip: 10-day Itinerary

Hey fellow family travel enthusiasts! If you’ve read my post on the 👉Ultimate West Coast Road Trip from SF to Vancouver (14 days), this post is a slightly more manageable, more relaxed version of that epic trip (it still took me days to write 💀). This San Francisco to Oregon Family road trip covers all of the most scenic spots with 20 fewer hours of driving!

The hotel recommendations are around ~$250 per night or less, because road trips are supposed to be affordable! I only recommend hotels with at least a 4.4 rating on Google, and 9.0+ rating on Hotels.com. Many of them have free amenities for families, such as bike rentals, indoor pool, cribs, etc.

This itinerary for a family road trip from San Francisco to Oregon will take you through the entire Oregon coast, from Redwoods, to beaches, to cliffs and sand dunes 😍. Let’s make some core memories!

If you are into glamping or camping, 👉check out these places to glamp near San Francisco.

Day 1: Redwoods and the Rugged Coast

Drive Time to Brookings: Approximately 5.5-7 hours (7 am departure from SF)

The first day includes a long drive to get us out of San Francisco and into Oregon, with some breathtakingly beautiful stop along the way. My favorite is the Trillium Falls Hike, especially when the flowers are in bloom, but the sight of all of the Redwoods along the way are unmatched. This is one of my favorite stretches from San Francisco to Oregon.

What to Do:

• Morning: Drive ~3h through the Chandelier Tree in Leggett.
• Late Morning: Drive ~30min the Avenue of the Giants, Humboldt Redwoods State Park (southern entrance).
• Afternoon: Short walk at Founder’s Grove Nature Loop Trail, Humboldt Redwoods State Park ~25 min.
• Late Afternoon: Drive ~1.5h to Redwood National Park for the Trillium Falls Hike.
• Evening: Arrive in Brookings for the night.

Where to Stay:

Day 2: Brookings State Parks to Oregon Dunes

Drive Time to Astoria: Approximately 5 hours 38 minutes (from Brookings, with stops)

Again we cover a lot of ground today to take us to north Oregon, before making our way back down. This stretch is one of the most scenic stretches of the West Coast, with several state parks in the itinerary. This stretch is also in my top two most favorite stretches of the San Francisco to Oregon drive.

What to Do:

• Morning: Explore Brookings. You can spend all morning here – it is really a beautiful stretch of coastline, which can be mystical and moody on foggy days.
  • Secret Beach trailhead (steep, low tide recommended)
  • Samuel H. Boardman State Park Scenic Corridor (various viewpoints with short trails)
  • Natural Bridges (part of Samuel H. Boardman)
• Late Morning
  • Jerry’s Rogue Jets in Gold Beach (2 hours ride, 6 years and up)
  • Drive ~2.5h to Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
• Afternoon: Lots of stops but some of them can be quick!
  • Drive ~30min to Florence for Sea Lion Caves
  • Heceta Head Lighthouse – you can see this from the caves
  • Thor’s Well (near Yachats)
  • Hobbit Beach Trail
  • Devil’s Punchbowl State Natural Area, Otter Rock (best at low tide)
• Evening: Drive ~3h to stay at Seaside, Cannon Beach or the surrounding area, option to have dinner in Newport on the way

Where to Stay:

The best option is to stay on Cannon Beach. The properties here are on the beach, so you get the full sea view which is amazing. The plan is to explore Cannon beach the next morning, so you are perfectly located here.

However, beachfront properties are expensive, so just 14 minutes drive north, in the town of Seaside, you can find some cheaper options. All of which are listed here.

Day 3: Tillamook, Cannon Beach, Ecola State Park

Drive Time to Portland: ~1.5h from Astoria area to Portland.

Today we take it easy on the driving and enjoy the northern Oregon coast.

What to Do:

• Morning:
  • Cannon Beach, walk to Haystack Rock at low tide (~8am, check online)
  • Ecola State Park – short trail with views of Haystack Rock
  • Cape Meares lighthouse and octopus tree – really cool looking tree!
• Afternoon:
  • Tillamook Creamery – have lunch at the restaurant and take the self-guided tour
• Evening:
  • Drive to Portland. Try one of the world’s best restaurants Lang Baan if you can get a reservation!

Where to Stay:

We’ll be staying a couple of nights in Portland.

The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel

Mark Spencer Hotel

Residence Inn Portland Downtown

Day 4: Portland Exploration

No driving today – yay! We will spend all day exploring the city of Portland, where the unofficial motto is “Keep Portland Weird”. Love it.

What to Do:

•  Morning:
  • Washington Park is a huge park with multiple sub-areas and trails – Scenic Overlook trail, World Forestry Center (small museum, great for kids), Redwoods Observation deck, Japanese garden, International rose test garden. There is a free shuttle that goes around the park too.
• Afternoon:
  • Ground Control arcade – for retro games and lunch
  • Powell Bookstore – very large building, with several floors of books for bookworms
  • Oregon Zoo – a highly rated zoo spanning 64 acres which even includes polar bears

Where to Stay:

Same as the previous night!

Day 5: Portland to Bend

Drive Time to Bend: Approximately 3.5 hours

What to Do:

• Morning:
  • Multnomah Falls (~45 min) – requires timed reservations between May and September, nice easy walk up to see falls, with small stream for kids to splash in leading up to it. There are several falls worth seeing in this area if you don’t get a permit for Multnomah, such as Bridal Veil
  • Hood River Fruit Loop: 32 on-the-farm fruit stands, wineries, breweries, cideries, and fields of flowers such as Hood River Lavender farm. Check each farm’s website for open season dates and times.
• Afternoon:
  • Drive ~3.5h south from Mt. Hood
  • Tamolitch Falls (Blue Pool) – 2.4 miles from the parking lot, hike to see the pool. Off Hwy 126, look for Blue Pool Trailhead sign (small service road shared with Carmen Hydroelectric plant). Limited parallel parking on the side of the service road. Trail starts to the left of the restroom by the road. The trail is a little over 2 miles one way from the Trailhead to Blue Pool; starts out flat but gets very rocky and slippery halfway.
  • McKenzie River Trails – Waterfalls are found on this trail which is easy to walk, however parking may be difficult to find.

Where to Stay:

We’ll be staying 3 nights in Bend until we head for Crater Lake on Day 8, so choose somewhere comfortable!

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bend South

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Bend

Riverhouse on the Deschutes

Campfire Hotel

Day 6: North Bend

No driving today! Start by exploring Bend proper, then venture out to see the stunning landscapes in North or West Bend.

What to Do:

• Morning:
  • Grab breakfast and coffee at one of the many highly rated cafes on either side of the river
  • Deschutes Trail – walk the trail that leads to the Farewell Bend Park. If you decide to go Tubing, you can walk back to your car, or take the efficient tubing shuttles. Ask the tube rentals for more information.
  • Farewell Bend Park – Like multiple other points along the river, there is a beach area where you can rent inflatables and swim, and it is also an entry point for tubing – there are even some man made baby rapids that are super fun. There is a playground in the park too.
• Afternoon:
  • If you don’t spend the day tubing down the river, here are some scenic viewpoints and hiking options
  • North of Bend
  • Smith Rock State Park (30-40 minutes north). Stunning park!
  • Crescent Moon Ranch – feed llamas (10 am-4 pm). Check it out in the AM before the park.
  • West of Bend
  • Lakes: If you don’t spend the day tubing down the river, or prefer hiking, check out the trails around Elk Lake and Devil’s Lake, which are about ~1.5h drive west of Bend

Where to Stay:

Same hotels as Day 6.

Day 7: South Bend

Another day to explore beautiful Bend and its surroundings. Today, you can explore West Bend if you haven’t done that already, or spend a day in south bend at an awesome water park.

What to Do:

• Morning:
  • Aquatic park SHARC – This is an affordable ($20pp) giant aquatic park with indoor and outdoor areas with a lazy river! They are designed for families with young kids with a zero-level entry zone, fenced tot pool, spinners, and even a hot tub for adults
• Afternoon:
  • If you don’t spend all day at SHARC, you might be able to squeeze in a short hike and sightseeing West of Bend, or do the Lava River Cave that’s close to SHARC
  • West of Bend
  • Lakes: If you don’t spend the day tubing down the river, or prefer hiking, check out the trails around Elk Lake and Devil’s Lake, which are about ~1.5h drive west of Bend
  • South of Bend
  • Lava River Cave/Trail of molten land – May be closed, but this is a shaded hiking option

Where to Stay:

Same hotels as Day 6.

Day 8: Crater Lake and Ashland

Drive Time to Ashland: ~3.5h, with stop in between

The main attraction of the day is Crater lake, so we want to get there early in order to spend the day there hiking trails, or swimming and fishing in the lake.

There isn’t much around Crater Lake, so I suggest driving ~2.5h down to Ashland, which is a really quaint town, famous for Shakespeare festivals.

What to Do:

• Morning:
  • High Desert Museum – this is closer to Bend than SHARC, and it opens at 9am so you could swing a visit before lunch
  • Diamond Lake Resort – pit stop for lunch by the lake
• Late Morning – Afternoon:
  • Crater Lake ~2h15min drive from Diamond Lake
    • Get the free junior ranger program booklet, which you can also get online, and earn badges
    • The only way to hike down to swim or fish is via the Cleetwood cove trail, however it is steep and rocky, and may be dangerous for little ones
    • Easier hikes for little ones include the Discovery Point Trail and Sun Notch Trail
    • Visit the visitor center first for gifts, before shopping at the gift shop (separate businesses with different selections)
    • There is a trolley service if your family decides not to hike
  • Drive ~2.5h to Ashland for dinner and overnight stay. There aren’t really many great options to stay around the Crater Lake area, unless you try camping, and airbnbs nearby can be very expensive. Highly do not recommend.

Where to Stay:

Green Springs Inn

Lithia Springs Resort

Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites

Day 9: Ashland and Mt. Shasta

We explore Ashland today, which is a cute town that is home to the Shakespeare theatre. You may be able to catch a show if the timing is right. After that, we drive down to Mt. Shasta and spend time at a beautiful lake with views of Mt. Shasta in the background. Another perfect day.

What to Do:

• Morning:
  • Check out downtown Ashland, which has a cute downtown along E Main St. with interesting shops like Fun Again Games and the Paddington shops
  • Lithia Park is a beautiful park with a playground and Japanese Garden
• Afternoon:
  • River rafting tour down the Rogue river. There are several companies that offer rafting tours suitable for kids
  • Drive 1.5h to Mt. Shasta, which is a scenic drive. Shasta Lake is wonderfully hot in the summer, and there are floating gyms in the water and lots of space on the beach for a fun-filled afternoon

Where to Stay:

Last stay of the trip!

Americana Modern Hotel

Home2 Suites By Hilton Redding

Oxford Suites Redding

Day 10: Home to San Francisco

We’ve reached the final day of our 10-day family road trip from San Francisco to Oregon and back! Today, we have time for a fun water park, or you can spend more time in Nature exploring the Lassen Volcanic National Park.

What to Do:

• Morning:
  • WaterWorks park – a large and affordable water park with a big wave pool, long lazy river, multiple slides and a splash area for toddlers. There are a lot of places to sit under shade inside, but I would recommend bringing your own water and food as options are limited.
• Late Morning – Afternoon:
  • Lassen Volcanic National Park – If you didn’t spend all day at the water park, drive 50mins East to Lassen Volcanic National Park. There are multiple beautiful lakes there, such as Summit, and Manzanita
  • Drive to home to San Francisco (~4.5h). You may be surprised how much you’ve missed the fog and cooler weather 🙂

Where to stay

Return home to San Francisco! 👉 Or find a family hotel in San Francisco!

So, what do you think?

Let me know in the comments if you’ve done this or parts of this trip!

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