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Pacific Northwest U.S. Route 101 Popular Road Trip, Overnight Camping, and Visitation Spots
Route 101, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, runs a total of 1,650 miles along the western coast of the United States from its northern tip at Port Townsend, Washington to San Diego, California. This north-south highway traverses Washington, Oregon, and California. Along this stretch, many scenic camping, sightseeing, and visitation spots can be found and visited for West Coast road trip excursions. The Pacific Northwest states, Oregon and Washington, have a unique breadth of lush forest and coastline to explore.

Background
Along the Pacific Coast route in the Northwest, four national parks are located along the way with countless beaches, forests, and popular sightseeing locations. These include Crater Lake, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. The Pacific Coast Highway is a famous roadway because of its magnificent views and the accessibility it lends to visiting the many national parks and scenic spots along the West Coast.

Washington
The northern point of Route 101 highway begins near Olympic National Park, a national park nestled within the Olympic Peninsula region of western Washington state. Founded in 1938, the park stretches over 1,441 square miles and is visited by over 2.4 million travelers each year. The national park contains over 60 named glaciers, 600 miles of trails, and countless scenic spots to hike, camp, fish, and bike.

Mount Rainier is a well-known national park located in west-central Washington. The park overflows with waterfalls, hiking trails, and snowshoe paths and is visited by over 1.5 million hikers yearly. For travelers visiting Mount Rainier, the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is a popular visitation site dedicated to park conservation efforts and education regarding native Pacific Northwest wildlife. Popular waterfalls to visit include the Little Mashel Falls Hike, Christine Falls, and Narada Falls. Several hiking trails can be found around the mountain, including a short and popular loop, the Pinnacle Peak Loop Trail, which is a 1.8-mile loop surrounding a former volcanic cinder cone on the mountain.

The San Juan Islands are a group of 172 individual islands accessible by ferry off the coast of Washington within the Salish Sea. Just north of Seattle, these islands are a popular travel destination for outdoor explorers and vacationing families. Only four of the islands are ferry-served, including San Juan Island, Orcas Island, Lopez Island, and Shaw Island. A vast range of lodging, dining, hiking, and tourism activities exist on the islands, making them common spots for day trips or summer vacations.

The San Juans are known for whale watching. Whale watching is a multi-billion-dollar tourist industry and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Salish Sea and San Juan Island Region. Anacortes, Washington, the home port to the San Juan Islands, is a popular location for whale-watching tours in the area. In addition to frequent sightings of killer whales, native wildlife from the area is enjoyed aboard the sealife-watching cruises including seals, sea lions, otters, porpoises, and birds.

Oregon
The state of Oregon contains countless spots to encounter the lush greenery, ocean views, and mountainous lookouts of the Pacific Northwest. Along the coastline that stretches Highway 101, several road trip spots can be found for overnight camping and day visits. A few popular beaches with campsites include Dunes Recreational Area, Fort Stevens, Yachats, Lincoln City, and Coos Bay.

Hiking is a common attraction along the Oregon coastline. At Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, visitors can find the highest accessible viewpoint by car for spectacular views of dense forest leading into the Pacific Ocean. Whispering Spruce Trail and the Giant Spruce Trail are lush hiking paths for exploring Cape Perpetua. Two miles north, Yachats, Oregon is a small coastal city visited by many road trippers. Visitors often walk the 804 trail, a seven-mile strip of coastline named after the earliest road preceding Highway 101. The area is also known for breweries and many delectable spots for food and wine.

When travelers are looking for a glorious scenic lookout, they often visit God's thumb. God's Thumb is a 3.9-mile out-and-back trail with moderately steep hills, meant for novice to intermediate hikers. The trail ends at a grand cliff jutting into the Pacific coastline with panoramic views. A few of the other very popular hikes along the Oregon coast include Cape Lookout, Samuel H Boardman State Scenic Corridor, Cape Sebastian, Neahkahnie Mountain, Cape Kiwanda, and Ecola State Park.

The major tourist attractions of the Oregon Pacific Coastline include Cannon Beach and Astoria. At Cannon Beach, visitors can enjoy campfires and kites with views of Haystack Rock. Bruce's Candy Kitchen and Mo's Seafood and Chowder are iconic Cannon Beach sites for visitors to enjoy fresh and local treats and cuisine. These beaches are common spots for surfing trips and family weekend excursions to enjoy good food, hike, and relax at the beach.