what to do when on a 7 day California-Oregon roadtrip

  • Port Orford. Get an Oregon travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Port Orford. Get an Oregon travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • The Crazy Norwegian's Fish & Chips in Port Orford. Get an Oregon travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Port Orford. Get an Oregon travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • WildSpring Guest Habitat in Port Orford. Get an Oregon travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • WildSpring Guest Habitat in Port Orford. Get an Oregon travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Bay Point Landing. Get an Oregon travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Get an Oregon travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Jensen Blueberries. Get an Oregon travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor. Get an Oregon travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor. Get an Oregon travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Ferndale, CA. Get a Northern California travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Ferndale, CA. Get a Northern California travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Redwood National Park. Get a Northern California travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Redwood National Park. Get a Northern California travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.
  • Fern Canyon. Get a Northern California travel guide, activity recommendations, and a curated itinerary from What to When.

ITINERARY

DAY 1: Eureka, CA

  • We drove from San Francisco to Eureka (~4.5 hours) to break up the ride, and spent the night at an Airbnb in Eureka. We got there late at night, but some ideas if you arrive earlier: Ramones Bakery, Lost Coast Brewery.

DAY 2: Port Orford, OR (WildSpring Guest Habitat)

  • Drive from Eureka towards Port Orford (~3 hours). Before you officially arrive (about 30 minutes outside of Port Orford), stop at Otter Point. It’s a state park with amazing views and trails along the bluffs.

  • Lunch at The Crazy Norwegian’s Fish & Chips, which is absolutely worth the hype. I’m not a big fish & chips fan, but these I thoroughly enjoyed - fresh, delicious and not overly fried. And, the vibe of the restaurant is cool & authentic - truly a little fish hut.

  • Hike: scenic loop at Port Orford Head State Park. It’s a beautiful (and pretty easy) hike, right in town, with really awesome vista points.

  • Check-in at WildSpring Guest Habitat. Here’s what I’ll say about it: rooms are nothing special (a little outdated), but the setting is spectacular. You stay in these little cabins nestled in the woods, and it truly feels magical. They have a meditation walk and hammocks hanging in the forest - it really is a place to disconnect. They also have a kitchen that guests can use, they give you packed lunches each day and they have a hot tub & deck with gorgeous views.

  • Grab some beer/wine/snacks in town to bring to the beach & enjoy the sunset.

  • Dinner at RedFish. I'm keeping this on the list because the views are 10/10 and there are not a lot of other options around, but I’ll say not to have super high expectations - the food is pretty mediocre and is expensive for what it is.

DAY 3 - Coos Bay, OR (Bay Point Landing)

  • Hike: Blacklock Point Trail (4.2 miles) in the Floras Lake State Natural Area (note: the trails are a little confusing / unmarked so leverage All Trails to guide you)

  • Drive to Bandon and have lunch at Tony’s Crabshack. Disclaimer, it was unfortunately closed due to covid when we went, but I’ve heard good things.

  • Grab a coffee & scone from The Rolling Pin before heading to Bullards Beach.

  • If you’re in the mood for another activity, drive to Shore Acres and Cape Arago (~40 min). A few options here: Sunset Bay to Cape Arago trail (8.5 miles), Simpson Reef Overlook (prepare to see lots of seals & sea lions), or Sunset Beach & Cape Arago Lighthouse Viewpoint.

  • Head to Bay Point Landing to check-in. We stayed in an airstream, but they also have cabin options (which have amazing views). It was a really cool place (half hotel, half “upscale” RV park) - great views, cool architecture, good shop by the front desk with waters, snacks, beers, etc.

  • Dinner at Front Street Provisioners. We did take-out and ate at our airstream to watch the sunset.

DAY 4 - Coos Bay, OR (Bay Point Landing)

  • Get an early start and head to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (the earlier you get there, the better, because as the day goes on the wind picks up)

    • Park at John Dellenback Dunes Trailhead - the trail starts from there. It’s really an out-and-back type of thing, so you can just go as long as you want and turn around. Such a cool experience to be walking on these giant mountains of sand, and all you can see is miles of dunes in every direction.

  • Lunch at Clausen’s Oyster (other option is Schooner Inn Cafe - food is alright but it does have a nice view).

  • Some activity options for the afternoon: Horsfall Beach, Shore Acres & Cape Arago (if you didn’t go the day before), kayaking in the South Slough Preserve.

  • We picked up dinner from Front Street Provisioners again, but Shark Bites Cafe was another option if you’re wanting to switch it up.

DAY 5 - Ferndale, CA (Ferndale Barndominium)

  • Wake up early and drive to the Samuel Corridor (~2 hours). You could spend lots of time driving the Corridor, pulling into different viewpoints. It is absolutely beautiful. Some of the best stops include: Arch Rock Viewpoint, Secret Beach, Natural Bridges, Whaleshead Beach and Cape Ferrelo Viewpoint.

    • Tip On the way there, we drove by a bunch of blueberry farms and pulled into Jensen Blueberries to pick some. It was such a fun experience (they give you a pail and off you go) and the blueberries were delicious.

  • After Samuel Corridor, stop in Brookings for lunch at Pacific Sushi & Grill. It felt a bit random that there would be a high quality sushi restaurant here, but it was really, really good.

  • We decided to head towards Ferndale after lunch, but if you want to hit the beach: Lone Ranch Beach, Harris Beach, Indian Sands are great options to stop at if you want to sit out and relax.

  • Stop in Trinidad on the way to Ferndale, which feels like a very laid back beach-town, and explore - the beaches are really nice if you want to grab drinks/snacks and head down there.

    • Moonstone Grille for dinner if you’re staying in Trinidad.

  • Ferndale is an old Victorian town (and, fun fact, where Guy Fieri grew up) that really makes you feel like you are back in time. Explore the town & grab dinner at Tuyas.

  • The “Ferndale Barndominium" is an airbnb right in town that is owned by the former town mayor and his wife, who runs the town newspaper (the newspaper office is also on the property). It’s a really cute little house and the whole property has been done up to make it a great venue for weddings and events.

DAY 6 - Ferndale, CA (Ferndale Barndominium)

  • Walk to grab coffee & breakfast pastries at Mind’s Eye Manufactory & Coffee Lounge.

  • Drive to the Redwood National Park (keep your eyes peeled for elk!). I’d recommend grabbing a map from the trailhead house and finding a hike that looks good to you distance wise. Prepare to see some massive redwoods!

  • Head to Fern Canyon (expect a bumpy 30-minute “off-roading” adventure). I thought it was cool, but it was a bit crowded and, IMO, not an absolute must-do.

  • Moonstone Beach for sunset.

  • Dinner at Larruping Cafe.

DAY 7 - Home! (we actually lengthened the trip and went to Mendocino from Avenue of the Giants - see itinerary here)

  • On your way out, stop at Avenue of the Giants (~20 minutes from Ferndale). You can pull over at multiple locations to go for a walk in the redwoods - the most recommended is Founder’s Grove (.5 miles).