Thirteen
★ flagshipthe routes · pick yours
From a three-day Seattle weekend with toddlers to a twenty-one-day three-state grand tour. Pick the one that fits your time, your kids' ages, and what you want out of the trip. Every route is one I've done with my family.
This chapter is the part of the guide most people use first. Twenty-one full routes, every one tied back to the regional chapters that go deep on each stop. The routes range from three-day weekend getaways to twenty-one-day three-state grand tours, with toddler-paced loops, Twilight weekends, storm-watch winter trips, and full bucket-list epics in between.
Pick the one that matches your reality. Don't pick the trip you wish you could take. Pick the trip you can pull off this year with the kids you have, the time you have, and the budget you have. The other routes will still be here next year.
Each route card shows the days, the rough cost, the best season, the regions covered, and the must-not-skip stops. Click into any route for the day-by-day breakdown.
Days first. Region second. Everything else is a detail. Jump to the section that matches your reality.
Weekends
One region, no long drives, fly in and fly out. Four routes here.
Jump to weekendsWeek-long
One region deep or two regions at a taste. The sweet spot for most families. Seven routes.
Jump to weeksExtended
Multiple regions, road-trip style. The full PNW two-week sampler lives here. Four routes.
Jump to extendedGrand & themed
The bucket-list trips plus the themed routes for off-season, hot springs, and multi-family. Six routes.
Jump to grandthree to four days
No long drives. One region, one airport, one hotel base. These are the routes for first-timers, for grandparents flying in to help, or for that random Tuesday-to-Friday window you just realized you had.
washington · weekend
Three days of Seattle, a Bainbridge ferry, and a quick Olympic Peninsula taste. The "I've never been to the PNW" first trip.
Days
3-4 days
Best for
First-timers, fliers
Season
May-Sep · indoor-friendly all year
Fly into
SEA · Sea-Tac
The stops: Pike Place, Seattle Center, Bainbridge ferry, Bloedel Reserve, Poulsbo, Port Townsend day, back via Edmonds ferry.
oregon · weekend
Three days of Portland food, the Columbia Gorge waterfalls, and a Cannon Beach day. The most food-focused weekend in the PNW.
Days
3-4 days
Best for
Foodies, fliers
Season
Year-round
Fly into
PDX · Portland
The stops: Powell's, Salt & Straw, food carts, Multnomah Falls, Vista House, Cannon Beach Haystack Rock day trip.
olympic · weekend
Four days of full Forks immersion: Bella Italia mushroom ravioli, Forks High, Swan House, La Push beaches, Hoh Rainforest moss. The trip for the fans.
Days
4 days
Best for
Twilight fans, teens
Season
Year-round · moodier in winter
Fly into
SEA · drive 4 hrs west
The stops: Bella Italia in PA, Forks High School, Forks Chamber, Swan House, First/Second Beach, Hoh Hall of Mosses, Ruby Beach.
idaho · weekend
Three days of lake life: a Coeur d'Alene resort cruise, a Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes bike ride, downtown CdA food, and Silverwood if you have kids.
Days
3-4 days
Best for
Lake families, fliers
Season
May-Sep · winter ski option
Fly into
GEG · Spokane
The stops: CdA Resort, Lake CdA cruise, Tubbs Hill walk, Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, Silverwood Theme Park, Heyburn State Park beach.
five to seven days
The week-long trip is where the PNW opens up. You can do one region deep or two regions at a taste. This is where most of my favorite Belle Bucket trips live. Seven routes here. Read them all, then pick.
olympic peninsula · classic
The most-recommended route for first-time PNW families. A balanced mix of rainforest, coast, mountain views, and small-town magic. Seven days, anchored at the Olympic Peninsula.
Days
7 days
Best for
First-time PNW families
Season
May-Sep · prime June-Aug
Fly into
SEA · or Portland +1 hr
The stops: Seattle, Bainbridge ferry, Port Townsend, Sequim, Port Angeles, Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, Sol Duc Falls, Forks, La Push, Hoh Rainforest, Ruby Beach.
olympic · deep dive
Same Peninsula, slower pace. Six days exploring just the Olympic loop with no Seattle, no shortcuts. The version for repeat visitors or families who hate driving days.
Days
6-7 days
Best for
Slow travelers, hikers
Season
May-Oct · best Jun-Sep
Fly into
SEA · or PDX +1 hr
The stops: Edmonds-Kingston ferry, Port Townsend overnight, Hood Canal, Hurricane Ridge sunrise, Sol Duc soak, Lake Crescent, Forks, La Push three nights, Hoh, Ruby Beach.
oregon coast
Astoria to Bandon in seven days. Lighthouses, sea stacks, tide pools, cheese factories, and the coastline that ends up on every Oregon postcard. The PNW road trip people post about.
Days
7 days
Best for
Drive-loving families
Season
Year-round · mild winter
Fly into
PDX · end at Eugene
The stops: Astoria Column, Cannon Beach Haystack, Tillamook Cheese, Cape Kiwanda, Newport, Yachats, Cape Perpetua, Thor's Well, Florence dunes, Bandon.
mt rainier · cascades
Six days circling Mount Rainier with side trips to Crystal Mountain and Mt St Helens. Wildflower meadows, glacier views, alpine lakes. The volcano-focused trip.
Days
6-7 days
Best for
Hikers, geology fans
Season
Jul-Sep prime · Aug wildflowers
Fly into
SEA · drive 2 hrs south
The stops: Paradise, Skyline Trail, Reflection Lakes, Sunrise side, Naches Peak Loop, Crystal Mountain gondola, Mt St Helens Johnston Ridge.
idaho · sawtooths
Four to five days in the wildest mountains in the PNW. Redfish Lake, alpine hikes, Stanley hot springs, Galena Summit. The Idaho introduction.
Days
4-5 days
Best for
Mountain families, hikers
Season
Jul-Sep only · summer-window
Fly into
BOI · Boise · 3 hr drive
The stops: Stanley, Redfish Lake, Bench Lakes Trail, Sawtooth Lake hike, Stanley Lake, Sunbeam Hot Springs, Galena Summit, Ketchum dinner.
washington + oregon
Seven days of Washington and Oregon at a taste each. Seattle, Olympic Peninsula highlights, Portland, Columbia Gorge, Cannon Beach. The greatest-hits week.
Days
7 days
Best for
First-timers wanting it all
Season
May-Sep prime
Fly into
SEA · out of PDX
The stops: Seattle, Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, Hoh Rainforest, Cannon Beach, Multnomah Falls, Portland.
kid-focused · gentle
Six days designed for families with toddlers and young kids. Easy pacing, short drives, kid-friendly stops, aquariums, beaches, lots of nap-ready downtime.
Days
5-6 days
Best for
Toddlers, young kids
Season
Year-round · best May-Oct
Fly into
SEA · stay in SEA-tac area
The stops: Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Science Center, Bainbridge ferry, Bloedel Reserve, Tacoma Children's Museum, Point Defiance Zoo, Hurricane Ridge picnic, Lake Crescent paddleboard.
eight to fourteen days
This is where it stops being a trip and starts being an experience. Multiple regions, road-trip pacing, the kind of drive where you watch your kids fall asleep on the third sunset of the week.
washington + oregon · full
Fourteen days of everything we love in Washington and Oregon. Seattle to Portland to the Olympic Peninsula to the Oregon Coast to Crater Lake. The trip you'll remember forever.
Days
14 days
Best for
The big family road trip
Season
Jun-Sep prime
Fly into
SEA in · PDX out
The stops: Seattle, Bainbridge, Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, Forks, La Push, Hoh, Ruby Beach, Astoria, Cannon Beach, Cape Kiwanda, Newport, Florence, Bandon, Crater Lake, Portland.
central idaho · combo
Seven to ten days connecting the Sawtooth wilderness with Sun Valley resort comfort. Galena Summit hot springs corridor between the two. The full central Idaho.
Days
7-10 days
Best for
Mountain families, foodies
Season
Jul-Sep · Aug prime
Fly into
BOI · or SUN regional
The stops: Stanley, Redfish Lake, Sawtooth Lake, Stanley Lake, Sunbeam Hot Springs, Russian John Hot Springs, Galena Summit, Ketchum, Sun Valley Lodge, Pioneer Cabin Trail, Adams Gulch, Hemingway grave.
three-state · sampler
Ten days hitting Washington, Oregon, and Idaho at a taste each. Seattle, Crater Lake, Sawtooths. The trip that proves the PNW is bigger than you think.
Days
10 days
Best for
Bucket-list samplers
Season
Jul-Sep only · summer window
Fly into
SEA in · BOI out
The stops: Seattle, Mount Rainier Paradise, Portland, Multnomah Falls, Bend, Crater Lake, Sun Valley, Stanley, Redfish Lake, Boise.
hells canyon + wallowas
Six days in the deepest river gorge in North America plus the Wallowa Mountains. Jet boats, rim drives, Joseph bronze foundries, Wallowa Lake. The cross-border canyon trip.
Days
6-7 days
Best for
Off-the-radar families
Season
May-Oct · prime Jun-Sep
Fly into
BOI · or Lewiston regional
The stops: Riggins, jet boat tour, Hells Canyon Dam, Joseph, Wallowa Lake Lodge, Wallowa Lake Tramway, Hells Canyon Overlook, Hat Point.
grand & themed
The grand routes are the trips you tell people about for the rest of your life. The themed routes solve specific situations: storm watching, fall color, hot springs, multi-family reunions. Six routes here.
three-state · epic
Twenty-one days. Every region, all the big stops, plus the spots most people drive right past. This is the trip of a lifetime, the one I'd take on a sabbatical or a long summer. Pull-out-all-the-stops version.
Days
21 days
Best for
Bucket-list families
Season
Jul-Sep · 3-week summer window
Fly into
SEA in · BOI or PDX out
The stops: Seattle, Olympic Peninsula, La Push, Hoh, Oregon Coast, Crater Lake, Bend, Sun Valley, Stanley, Sawtooth Lake, Coeur d'Alene, Spokane, North Cascades.
idaho · full
Fourteen days covering all four Idaho areas: Sawtooths, Sun Valley, Coeur d'Alene, and Hells Canyon. The PNW state most people never see properly.
Days
14 days
Best for
Idaho completists
Season
Jul-Sep only
Fly into
BOI in · GEG out
The stops: Stanley, Sawtooths, Sun Valley, Galena Summit, Riggins, Hells Canyon jet boat, Hat Point, Lewiston, Coeur d'Alene, Trail of the CdA, Silverwood, Heyburn State Park.
themed · winter
Five to seven days of the Oregon Coast in winter. Storm-watching from oceanfront rooms, empty beaches, moody photography, Tillamook cheese, soup-and-fireplace evenings.
Days
5-7 days
Best for
Couples, slow travelers
Season
Nov-Mar · peak storm season
Fly into
PDX · drive 90 min west
The stops: Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Tillamook, Pacific City, Lincoln City, Yachats, Cape Perpetua, Thor's Well (storm-amped).
themed · shoulder
Seven days of October PNW: Hood River fruit harvest, the Columbia Gorge waterfalls without crowds, golden larches in the North Cascades, vineyard country.
Days
7 days
Best for
Shoulder-season travelers
Season
Mid-Sep to mid-Oct · peak window
Fly into
PDX or SEA
The stops: Hood River fruit loop, Multnomah Falls, Vista House, Mount Hood, Leavenworth, Stevens Pass, Lake Wenatchee golden larches.
themed · hot springs
Seven to ten days of natural hot springs across Idaho and Oregon. Sol Duc, Bagby, Umpqua, Sunbeam, Russian John, Frenchman's Bend. The hot springs run.
Days
7-10 days
Best for
Couples, soakers, teens
Season
Year-round · best Sep-Oct or May
Fly into
PDX · loop east to Idaho
The stops: Sol Duc Hot Springs, Bagby Hot Springs (OR), Umpqua Hot Springs, Crater Lake, Stanley, Sunbeam, Russian John, Frenchman's Bend, Galena Summit corridor.
themed · multi-family
Seven days for 8+ travelers across multiple families. Lake-house base, day trips, big group dinners, kid-friendly central location. The reunion that doesn't feel like work.
Days
7 days
Best for
Cousins, grandparents, groups
Season
Jul-Sep · prime summer
Fly into
GEG or BOI · regional
The stops: Coeur d'Alene lake house base · Silverwood day · Lake CdA cruise · Trail of the CdA bikes · Schweitzer day trip · Spokane day · big family dinners at the house.
The routes are starting points, not gospel. Use them the way I do: as a structure to build your real trip around.
Don't pick the route you want. Pick the one that matches the days you have. The Three-State Epic is amazing, but if you only have a week off, it's not your trip this year.
Every stop on every route links back to a deep regional page in this guide. Read those before you finalize. You'll find things to add and things to skip.
I've done these routes with kids ranging from babies to teenagers. Cut the long drives if you have toddlers. Add the harder hikes if you have teens. Make it yours.