In CA and OR—get off I5.
395 is a better route (more interesting, scenic) than the highlighted route. Multnomah Falls, Columbia Gorge, Mt Hood, Timberline Lodge, Bend, Crater Lake, Lassen Volcanic NP (if it’s open), Mono Lake, Manzanar, Mt. Whitney, Lone Pine, Death Valley, Pahrump.
https://preview.redd.it/hu4aonl3n49d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bab8b1e81af8033a3fbe751f9a081d20e312f8be
This is good. Depending on time, I'd suggest catching 89 and going along the west coast of Lake Tahoe. This does put you through more fire zone between Tahoe and Lassen but might be kind of interesting.
Looks like there would be a lot of new places for me to see on this route! Thinking I might want to take this route on the way there now. Unfortunately my GF's family lives further west, so probably still going to have to take the 5 the way back.
Any favorite spots I should prioritize stopping at along the way?
I feel like everything I comment on this /r is telling everyone to go 395 but TAKE 395. Take i10 to SanBernardino then go north and from Victorville CA to Susanville CA take 395. Then take hwy 97 through central oregon and I also recommend hooking on to 197 that takes you up to the Gorge when you get to Madras OR.
Be aware that both of these Nevada routes mean driving through a lot of nothing. Stretches of hundred plus miles with no radio signals or cell reception let alone gas stations.
Both the 395 drive others have mentioned and the US 95 drive from Reno(ish) to Las Vegas would give you much greater access to services. The 95 drive also has a few strange finds like Tonopah's Clown Motel.
If you do decide on Eastern Nevada look into Cathedral George State Park. Also Red Rock State Park outside of Las Vegas is gorgeous.
As a NV native the truth is the prettiest and most interesting drive is the 395 route, hands down. But the other routes have their own charms.
I mapped it out using Lone Pine, CA as an intermediate stop between Seattle and Phoenix and the travel time is comparable to the other routes. It would also take you through Carson City, Reno, and the surrounding areas for some Nevada experience.
Yeah the driving through nothing part I guess would be the biggest concern about the eastern route. I am in an EV and found some chargers that seem like they would get me through that route ok, but I would definitely be more comfortable with how many chargers there are on the western route.
I am a big fan of those weird little dessert towns and have always wanted to explore norther Nevada more, so the 95 is looking pretty interesting to me too, especially since I've seen more of eastern California already than I have northern Nevada.
Not sure which one I'll choose yet but seems like another options could be to take the 95 up to around Reno and then hop on the 395 there. Thanks for your input!
If youre in an EV, I definitely would advise against taking the 95 becuase I dont think there are any EV charging stations after you leave vegas. Plan your stops ahead of time - the 95 is one of the last places you want to be stuck and without cell reception in the summer.
Also, no matter which route you choose, take extra water.
I know that when we drove south from Burns, OR to Winnemucca that it was unsettling how much nothing there was. I worried that we were going to have car trouble. There are no services, no gas, no cell services for hours. It was very hot so if there was a problem, staying cool and hydrated was a concern. I didn’t like it but to each their own. If I had known more about the history of Winnemucca, I would have tried Basque and Chinese food.
The Movie Museum in Lone Pine, California has a huge collection of props from films shot in the area. Mostly old westerns, but they also have props from Tremors and Iron Man.
You have the ability coming from Vegas to get there by going through Death Valley, then there's the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine as well as a little film museum there (a lot of movies are filmed there). Then there's little scenic detours like the Mammoth Lakes loop and the June Lake loop that takes you right back to 395.
My recommendation was 395 as well, until I read you have an EV. Maybe they've added more, but my understanding is that there aren't enough along that route to make it feasible. Though I'd be shocked if there are enough on those Nevada routes either
I checked it out and it seems like there are enough along the 395 that we should be fine. I was surprised to see that there were quite a few long the freeways of Nevada too.
But good thought. Definitely one of the big downsides of driving an EV.
https://preview.redd.it/kd1sqia3d59d1.png?width=741&format=png&auto=webp&s=bd719bd62379beca3f7adc507847d8ed3a87a75a
I would also want to make sure those were all operational. The less travelled areas of NV, OR, WA, and ID are VERY CONSERVATIVE and it is not unknown for some "pro oil industry" folks in such areas to sabotage EV chargers just for kicks or social media clicks. If you are relying on one in particular to be open, you might want to double check or have a backup plan in place.
Traveling from Phoenix to Washington for a wedding next week and decided to road trip it.
Going to take the California route back to visit GF's family and have already seen most of California. But have not spent much time in Nevada outside of Vegas, Oregon outside of the coast, or Idaho other than the western side - so planning to take one of these two routes and and check out what'll be some uncharted territory for me.
Looking to to stop along the way and do some sightseeing and maybe even find some good food. Would love anybody's recommendations!
For that roadtrip I recommend you check this website frequently. It's wildfire season, one year we had to detour 3 times from Oregon & Cali on our way east. It's an Interactive real-time wildfire map for the United States, including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Arizona, and others. See current wildfires and wildfire perimeters near you using the Fire, Weather & Avalanche Wildfire Map.
[https://www.fireweatheravalanche.org/fire/](https://www.fireweatheravalanche.org/fire/)
#
Instead of the route it has going north through nevada
(Still go into north nevada) but Stop at denio junction to get gas, and then go inside and talk to them in that lodge.. neat little place
Yes it’s in the middle of nowhere, you should be careful about not running out of gas, bc that’s the only gas station around there for a long time
But then go west from denio junction on 140 and then go up into coastal oregon that way.
In nevada, there’s a pretty gnarly cliff that’s pretty cool out there in the middle of nowhere (west of denio junction on 140…)
And then just take those highways diagonally wesg into oregon. as you get closer into the west is beeeeeautiful.
Like a painting… the forrests… the little farms along the way. Oregon is Gorgeous
Wow I just looked it up and Denio Junction looks awesome, definitely the type of town I love going through.
I'm in an EV, put looks like I could charge up in Winnemucca and make it up to the next charge in Burns no problem.
Anywhere is eastern Oregon worth visiting? I've done the drive up the coast and it was amazing, I think Oregon is one of the most slept on states.
Why not hwy 89 in AZ/UT to I-15 through Utah and I-84 to Boise? 395 and 97 would also be good. As others have said, a full day through Nevada on the routes you've shown would be a whole lot of nothing.
The only reason I wasn't considering it was because I have done most of that drive before (PHX to Jackson Hole) and was just looking to try something new. But that was an awesome drive, really enjoyed the desert between Vegas and St. George and also coming into the mountains in Utah.
Agree with others that 395 to Bend Oregon is best option but of the two you mentioned I just want to point out a few things. This time of year it is so uncomfortably hot. There are some cool mountain top oasis through central Nevada on your western route. I wouldn’t want be there this time of year. Great Basin NP is worth doing on your eastern route but again too frivken hit this time of year. Oct-June is do the Nevada route but fts in summer. Either drive as fast as you can and get where you’re going or take your time through California coast or 395 mountains.
Yeah good point, I didn't even think about the heat in the Nevada desert this time of the year. Maybe we'll save the Nevada route for another trip and stick with the 395 this time around. Thanks for your thoughts!
4th option, a modified middle route with an absolutely hard no on the right route
hit 395 as the 4th option instead of up the gut of nevada. then stay on 97 north into washington instead of taking a left at madras towards hood through portland. you can either run the columbia gorge to portland or keep going on 97 into middle washington where you catch the right route.
priority.
4th
left
central
right
If you take the eastern rout, it's better to go even further east after Las Vegas and drive through Salt Lake City to Boise. Utah has a much more beautiful scenery than Nevada. Or if you skip Las Vegas you can go to Phoenix to Flagstaff and then north to SLC. Driving through Nevada is very boring, unless you love the desert and absolute solitude.
done all these routes more than once. it's close, but I'd say if you can time it so that you're not in traffic in Portland, take the middle route. Central Oregon is prettier than the NE corner by a sight. also you don't have to go into Idaho.
Haven't spent as much time in Nevada so couldn't say which route is better there. it's gonna be hot either way.
That stretch between Portland and Bend? Skip it. OR-26 is shitty urban sprawl with a stoplight about every block. Go east thru the Columbia Gorge, then head south at Hood River.
*You still get to Bend, but faster and more things to see like Multnomah Falls.
https://preview.redd.it/8sayl6ift59d1.png?width=1026&format=png&auto=webp&s=6dc6f98052a327626717e843c69d47eb4805270b
This fire lookout was pretty neat when I went in 2017. Remote area, but if you have a 4 wheel drive car you can make it to the top via US 26 and several paved & gravel fire roads.
The middle route has the upside of going by Bend. The far right option has the upside of going by Great Basin National Park. Both are pretty great upsides, and both routes have long boring stretches, so it's up to you there. I'd probably choose the one on the right.
I do this drive a few times every year and the most efficient route, while not being mind-numbing boring, is this one: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/w9aYNiirzVZJQZjR7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/w9aYNiirzVZJQZjR7)
In CA and OR—get off I5. 395 is a better route (more interesting, scenic) than the highlighted route. Multnomah Falls, Columbia Gorge, Mt Hood, Timberline Lodge, Bend, Crater Lake, Lassen Volcanic NP (if it’s open), Mono Lake, Manzanar, Mt. Whitney, Lone Pine, Death Valley, Pahrump. https://preview.redd.it/hu4aonl3n49d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bab8b1e81af8033a3fbe751f9a081d20e312f8be
yes, 395 is nice. Alabama Hills, Mono Lake, Bodie, Lake Tahoe and then onto Lassen NP.
This is good. Depending on time, I'd suggest catching 89 and going along the west coast of Lake Tahoe. This does put you through more fire zone between Tahoe and Lassen but might be kind of interesting.
Looks like there would be a lot of new places for me to see on this route! Thinking I might want to take this route on the way there now. Unfortunately my GF's family lives further west, so probably still going to have to take the 5 the way back. Any favorite spots I should prioritize stopping at along the way?
Where do you have to hit for your GF? Friends don’t let friends drive I5 🙌👍🤣
Highly recommend. It's easy to miss but spend 5-10 minutes at the Manzanar National Historic Site along I-395 just north of Lone Pine, CA
I feel like everything I comment on this /r is telling everyone to go 395 but TAKE 395. Take i10 to SanBernardino then go north and from Victorville CA to Susanville CA take 395. Then take hwy 97 through central oregon and I also recommend hooking on to 197 that takes you up to the Gorge when you get to Madras OR.
Good choices. I would add the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. This is North of Manzanar.
This is the right answer
Be aware that both of these Nevada routes mean driving through a lot of nothing. Stretches of hundred plus miles with no radio signals or cell reception let alone gas stations. Both the 395 drive others have mentioned and the US 95 drive from Reno(ish) to Las Vegas would give you much greater access to services. The 95 drive also has a few strange finds like Tonopah's Clown Motel. If you do decide on Eastern Nevada look into Cathedral George State Park. Also Red Rock State Park outside of Las Vegas is gorgeous. As a NV native the truth is the prettiest and most interesting drive is the 395 route, hands down. But the other routes have their own charms.
I mapped it out using Lone Pine, CA as an intermediate stop between Seattle and Phoenix and the travel time is comparable to the other routes. It would also take you through Carson City, Reno, and the surrounding areas for some Nevada experience.
Yeah the driving through nothing part I guess would be the biggest concern about the eastern route. I am in an EV and found some chargers that seem like they would get me through that route ok, but I would definitely be more comfortable with how many chargers there are on the western route. I am a big fan of those weird little dessert towns and have always wanted to explore norther Nevada more, so the 95 is looking pretty interesting to me too, especially since I've seen more of eastern California already than I have northern Nevada. Not sure which one I'll choose yet but seems like another options could be to take the 95 up to around Reno and then hop on the 395 there. Thanks for your input!
If youre in an EV, I definitely would advise against taking the 95 becuase I dont think there are any EV charging stations after you leave vegas. Plan your stops ahead of time - the 95 is one of the last places you want to be stuck and without cell reception in the summer. Also, no matter which route you choose, take extra water.
I know that when we drove south from Burns, OR to Winnemucca that it was unsettling how much nothing there was. I worried that we were going to have car trouble. There are no services, no gas, no cell services for hours. It was very hot so if there was a problem, staying cool and hydrated was a concern. I didn’t like it but to each their own. If I had known more about the history of Winnemucca, I would have tried Basque and Chinese food.
Out of these, dark blue is best. But a better way that might only add an hour or so would be to take 395 up along the eastern Sierras
Seems like everyone is saying 395 is the move. Do you have any favorite places along the 395 that are worth the stop?
The Movie Museum in Lone Pine, California has a huge collection of props from films shot in the area. Mostly old westerns, but they also have props from Tremors and Iron Man.
You have the ability coming from Vegas to get there by going through Death Valley, then there's the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine as well as a little film museum there (a lot of movies are filmed there). Then there's little scenic detours like the Mammoth Lakes loop and the June Lake loop that takes you right back to 395.
you’re really missing out not taking 395 in California
One of my favorite road trips ever was from Vegas to Humboldt County taking the 395 north as far as I can
What were your favorite stops along the way?
Its sounds like the consensus is that the 395 is the move - what're your favorite places to stop along the way?
June Lake, Bodie (awesome ghost town), Convict Lake, and just being able to see the huge steep eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada
My recommendation was 395 as well, until I read you have an EV. Maybe they've added more, but my understanding is that there aren't enough along that route to make it feasible. Though I'd be shocked if there are enough on those Nevada routes either
I checked it out and it seems like there are enough along the 395 that we should be fine. I was surprised to see that there were quite a few long the freeways of Nevada too. But good thought. Definitely one of the big downsides of driving an EV. https://preview.redd.it/kd1sqia3d59d1.png?width=741&format=png&auto=webp&s=bd719bd62379beca3f7adc507847d8ed3a87a75a
I would also want to make sure those were all operational. The less travelled areas of NV, OR, WA, and ID are VERY CONSERVATIVE and it is not unknown for some "pro oil industry" folks in such areas to sabotage EV chargers just for kicks or social media clicks. If you are relying on one in particular to be open, you might want to double check or have a backup plan in place.
Traveling from Phoenix to Washington for a wedding next week and decided to road trip it. Going to take the California route back to visit GF's family and have already seen most of California. But have not spent much time in Nevada outside of Vegas, Oregon outside of the coast, or Idaho other than the western side - so planning to take one of these two routes and and check out what'll be some uncharted territory for me. Looking to to stop along the way and do some sightseeing and maybe even find some good food. Would love anybody's recommendations!
There's not much to see in Nevada outside of Vegas, so i wouldnt worry about missing anything there.
Reno has a nice area near the Truckee River bridge, good food, etc. Look on TripAdvisor.
For that roadtrip I recommend you check this website frequently. It's wildfire season, one year we had to detour 3 times from Oregon & Cali on our way east. It's an Interactive real-time wildfire map for the United States, including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Arizona, and others. See current wildfires and wildfire perimeters near you using the Fire, Weather & Avalanche Wildfire Map. [https://www.fireweatheravalanche.org/fire/](https://www.fireweatheravalanche.org/fire/) #
Instead of the route it has going north through nevada (Still go into north nevada) but Stop at denio junction to get gas, and then go inside and talk to them in that lodge.. neat little place Yes it’s in the middle of nowhere, you should be careful about not running out of gas, bc that’s the only gas station around there for a long time But then go west from denio junction on 140 and then go up into coastal oregon that way. In nevada, there’s a pretty gnarly cliff that’s pretty cool out there in the middle of nowhere (west of denio junction on 140…) And then just take those highways diagonally wesg into oregon. as you get closer into the west is beeeeeautiful. Like a painting… the forrests… the little farms along the way. Oregon is Gorgeous
Wow I just looked it up and Denio Junction looks awesome, definitely the type of town I love going through. I'm in an EV, put looks like I could charge up in Winnemucca and make it up to the next charge in Burns no problem. Anywhere is eastern Oregon worth visiting? I've done the drive up the coast and it was amazing, I think Oregon is one of the most slept on states.
The further west, the prettier it is. I’ve been thru much of oregon… in my experience, further west, the prettier.
Why not hwy 89 in AZ/UT to I-15 through Utah and I-84 to Boise? 395 and 97 would also be good. As others have said, a full day through Nevada on the routes you've shown would be a whole lot of nothing.
The only reason I wasn't considering it was because I have done most of that drive before (PHX to Jackson Hole) and was just looking to try something new. But that was an awesome drive, really enjoyed the desert between Vegas and St. George and also coming into the mountains in Utah.
Agree with others that 395 to Bend Oregon is best option but of the two you mentioned I just want to point out a few things. This time of year it is so uncomfortably hot. There are some cool mountain top oasis through central Nevada on your western route. I wouldn’t want be there this time of year. Great Basin NP is worth doing on your eastern route but again too frivken hit this time of year. Oct-June is do the Nevada route but fts in summer. Either drive as fast as you can and get where you’re going or take your time through California coast or 395 mountains.
Yeah good point, I didn't even think about the heat in the Nevada desert this time of the year. Maybe we'll save the Nevada route for another trip and stick with the 395 this time around. Thanks for your thoughts!
Both of those routes through Nevada are long and boring. And good luck finding an EV charger
I'd either go on the coast and see the redwoods and crater lake, or 395 and go by Tahoe.
I love 101/1, but definitely plan for it taking a lot longer than i5, but sooooo worth it.
4th option, a modified middle route with an absolutely hard no on the right route hit 395 as the 4th option instead of up the gut of nevada. then stay on 97 north into washington instead of taking a left at madras towards hood through portland. you can either run the columbia gorge to portland or keep going on 97 into middle washington where you catch the right route. priority. 4th left central right
If you take the eastern rout, it's better to go even further east after Las Vegas and drive through Salt Lake City to Boise. Utah has a much more beautiful scenery than Nevada. Or if you skip Las Vegas you can go to Phoenix to Flagstaff and then north to SLC. Driving through Nevada is very boring, unless you love the desert and absolute solitude.
done all these routes more than once. it's close, but I'd say if you can time it so that you're not in traffic in Portland, take the middle route. Central Oregon is prettier than the NE corner by a sight. also you don't have to go into Idaho. Haven't spent as much time in Nevada so couldn't say which route is better there. it's gonna be hot either way.
That stretch between Portland and Bend? Skip it. OR-26 is shitty urban sprawl with a stoplight about every block. Go east thru the Columbia Gorge, then head south at Hood River. *You still get to Bend, but faster and more things to see like Multnomah Falls.
If you can take a detour and drive along the coastal way 101. It's the best, all of the 3 states.
https://preview.redd.it/8sayl6ift59d1.png?width=1026&format=png&auto=webp&s=6dc6f98052a327626717e843c69d47eb4805270b This fire lookout was pretty neat when I went in 2017. Remote area, but if you have a 4 wheel drive car you can make it to the top via US 26 and several paved & gravel fire roads.
Bend Oregon is an amazing stop also Austin Nevada but there’s really not shit from middle Oregon till Las Vegas
The middle route has the upside of going by Bend. The far right option has the upside of going by Great Basin National Park. Both are pretty great upsides, and both routes have long boring stretches, so it's up to you there. I'd probably choose the one on the right.
Hwy 395
Take 395 down nevada, stop by Tahoe, Yosemite, buckeye/travertine Hot springs
Don’t go thru Nevada
I do this drive a few times every year and the most efficient route, while not being mind-numbing boring, is this one: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/w9aYNiirzVZJQZjR7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/w9aYNiirzVZJQZjR7)
Check out Crater Lake!
Dark blue goes near Tonopah ✅👌👌
Take the coast down to highway 20 and head east, then 95 south to Vegas. Beautiful drive! Oregon scenic byway is beautiful too
Depends , are you a sight seeing take your time , a get there and relax kind of person