Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Best routes to Redwood National Park (Read 625 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Best routes to Redwood National Park

Yahoo Message Number: 32828
We are leaving this weekend for the Redwood National Park and Gold Beach Oregon, driving a 40 ft. Allure and towing a Jeep.
We will be coming up the I5 heading North.
Any recommendations on roads to avoid or the best road to cut over from the I5? It doesn't matter in what order we visit these 2 places.

Adriane Stoller
Allure 430 "05
cc 31157

Re: Best routes to Redwood National Park

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 32833
Don't know where you're coming from, but our favorite route is I-5 to Williams, take Route 20 over to 101...it's a nice route...plenty of pullouts to let folks pass if needed, then 101 north is lovely. We've stayed at the Willits-Ukiah KOA which has a nice 'nature trail' to work the kinks out after a day of driving, or the Golden Rule RV Park which is teeny, but a nice stayover. Make sure to stop and visit (by toad) the Avenue of the Giants which is a short drive from Garberville area to Weott area on your map. I liked it better than the Redwood NP, although both are lovely. Along the coast, it's an easy drive on 101 and spectacular. Enjoy your trip!

Jan McNeill

2001 Intrigue 11320

Heading from OR to MT tomorrow

Re: Best routes to Redwood National Park

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 32835
I like to get off five as soon as possible, so I take highway 20 through Clearlake. Get on 101 below Willits and head north. I've never been on 36 out of Red Bluff and it's been 30 years since I've been on 299 out of Redding, so I really can't compare those roads. I know 299 has a reputation as not being motorhome friendly. Have a great trip. My wife and I love the area you're going to.

Dan & Kelly

06 Intrigue 11936

Quote from: adriane_stoller

Re: Best routes to Redwood National Park

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 32839
Quote from: adriane_stoller"
r />]
Adriane,

The simple answer is: there is no good way!. We just completed the reverse course in our 40 ft. Intrigue. We left Gold Beach on 101 and drove south to Acata (Eureka) then took 299 to Redding and south on I5 to Red Bluff on our way to Reno. The alternative was to take 101 to Crescent City, then 199 back north to Grants Pass and then I5 south.
So, how was 299? Some said "awful", some said "doable but slow". The truth is somewhere in between. We drive a lot of mountain roads so we chose the 299 route. A really pretty drive. A couple of tough passes and more than enough up grades and slow down grades. But we enjoyed it. The alternative route would have taken us about 40-50 miles north out of our way with not sterling roads all the way. Hiway 199 has some tough portions not too far out of Crescent City and then the Siskiyou (sp?) pass south from Grants Pass is reported to be a bear.
So, no recomendation from us. It depends on your driving preferences and abilities and how quick you want to get where you are going. On the tecnical side, your Allure should do well but watch your temps in this hot weather. Keep the RPM's up and if you have Silverleaf watch it for coolant temp. Good luck and let us now which way you go and how you did.

Lyle Wetherholt
04 Intrigue 11740

Re: Best routes to Redwood National Park

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 32848
Since you said "the I5" I would assume you are leaving from SoCal.

You might consider using Hwy 12 from Lodi, north of Stockton, to Fairfield, 80W to Vallejo, then Hwy 37 to Hwy 101 near Petaluma.
This route is all good roads but one probably should depart Lodi exit no later than noon to avoid the Bay Area rush hour traffic scenarios. 101N is quite slow during the afternoon rush hour.
Yahoo maps will route you this way also.

If you cannot beat the rush hour limits, then use the suggested routes from Hwy 5 north of Sacramento.

Dean

95 CC Magna

Quote from: Lyle Wetherholt
[quote author=adriane_stoller"

Adriane,

The simple answer is: there is no good way!. We just completed the > reverse course in our 40 ft. Intrigue. We left Gold Beach on 101

and

Quote
drove south to Acata (Eureka) then took 299 to Redding and south on

I5

Quote
to Red Bluff on our way to Reno. The alternative was to take 101 to > Crescent City, then 199 back north to Grants Pass and then I5 south.
So, how was 299? Some said "awful", some said "doable but slow".

The

Quote
truth is somewhere in between. We drive a lot of mountain roads so

we

Quote
chose the 299 route. A really pretty drive. A couple of tough

passes

Quote
and more than enough up grades and slow down grades. But we enjoyed > it. The alternative route would have taken us about 40-50 miles

north

Quote
out of our way with not sterling roads all the way. Hiway 199 has > some tough portions not too far out of Crescent City and then the > Siskiyou (sp?) pass south from Grants Pass is reported to be a

bear.

Quote
So, no recomendation from us. It depends on your driving

preferences

Quote
and abilities and how quick you want to get where you are going. On > the tecnical side, your Allure should do well but watch your temps

in

Quote
this hot weather. Keep the RPM's up and if you have Silverleaf

watch

Quote
it for coolant temp. Good luck and let us now which way you go and

how

Quote
you did.
Lyle Wetherholt
04 Intrigue 11740

>

> We are leaving this weekend for the Redwood National Park and

Gold

Quote
Beach Oregon, driving a 40 ft. Allure and towing a Jeep.
> We will be coming up the I5 heading North.
> Any recommendations on roads to avoid or the best road to cut

over

Quote
from the I5? It doesn't matter in what order we visit these 2

places.

Re: Best routes to Redwood National Park

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 32855
Don't do this! It is not often I totally disagree with suggestions but this one is not a good one.

 We travel this route a lot, with MH and TOAD as it is the only direct route to the destination we want but if there was a choice we would avoid it.

 First, Hwy 12 from Lodi to Rio Vista is a two lane highway that is very busy and has a really bad road surface with many bumps. The section from Rio to Fairfield isn't bad but still has only two lanes most of the way. Highway 80 is busy day and night and has a wash board surface for many miles.

 The good news is that 37 through Vallejo has been improved recently but this is only a short section.

 Don't get me wrong, size wise the route is quite OK for a big rigs and TOAD, no major hills or sharp turns but the road surface is pretty poor in places and there will be lots of traffic including many trucks.

 For my money the better route would be to stay on 5 and join 20 as suggested by Jan McNeil.

My 2 cents.

David, 2006 Allure 31383

Re: Best routes to Redwood National Park

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 32876
Quote
You might consider using Hwy 12 from Lodi, north of Stockton, to > Fairfield, 80W to Vallejo..
If you choose this route, remember the Jelly Belly Factory is just off 12 before you get to I-80! A must stop for us! (if we go this way, we'll route ourselves via Napa/Sonoma from I-80, then to 101).

Jan McNeill

2001 Intrigue 11320