What is the most scenic drive in the Pacific Northwest?

Highway 101 along the Oregon coast, for sheer consistency — sea stacks, dunes and headlands for 600 km with barely a dull stretch. Drive it north to south so every viewpoint is a right turn.

When is the best time for scenic drives here?

September and early October: the fog has thinned, the passes are open, and the crowds have gone. July and August are busy and often grey until lunchtime on the coast.

Do I need winter tyres or chains?

On the mountain passes between roughly November and April, yes — Washington and Oregon both post chain requirements at short notice, and hire cars are not always equipped. Check before you commit to a pass route in winter.

Scenic Drives in the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest has the highest concentration of genuinely scenic road in the United States, and unusually little of it is dull between the good parts. Highway 101 down the Oregon coast is spectacular for its whole length; the passes over the Cascades change from rainforest to high desert in ninety minutes; and the ferry routes around Puget Sound turn a drive into something closer to island-hopping.

Below are the drives worth planning a day or a week around, each one already worked out hour by hour rather than pinned to a map.

Full routes through the Pacific Northwest

Oregon Coast Road Trip: 7-Day Itinerary, Astoria to Brookings

Sea stacks, lighthouses and dune towns down Highway 101.

AstoriaCannon BeachLincoln CityYachatsFlorenceNorth BendBandonBrookings

7 days · 291 mi

Olympic Peninsula loop

Rainforest, hot springs and wild Pacific coast.

Seattle, WAPort Angeles, WAForks, WAHoodsport, WASeattle, WA

4 days · 403 mi

Day drives from Seattle

All day trips from Seattle →

Snoqualmie Falls & North Bend Day Trip from Seattle — A 82 m waterfall and Twin Peaks diner pie, under an hour out
Leavenworth Day Trip from Seattle — A Bavarian-themed town over Stevens Pass — silly and genuinely fun
Whidbey Island & Deception Pass Day Trip from Seattle — A ferry, a cliff-edge bridge and Ebey's Landing prairie above the sea
Hurricane Ridge Day Trip from Seattle — Olympic peaks across the strait, reached by ferry and a mile-high road
Mount Rainier Day Trip from Seattle — Wildflower meadows under a glaciated volcano, two hours from downtown
Chuckanut Drive & Bellingham Day Trip from Seattle — A cliff road above Samish Bay, oysters at the bottom of it

What driving here is actually like

Two things govern driving here. Fog on the coast until midday in summer, which is why the afternoon light is the good light — and snow on the passes from November to April, when chains are legally required at times on Snoqualmie, Stevens and the road to Paradise. Ferries are part of the road network rather than an excursion: check Washington State Ferries' live wait times the morning you travel, and arrive 45–60 minutes early on a summer weekend.

Questions, answered

What is the most scenic drive in the Pacific Northwest?: Highway 101 along the Oregon coast, for sheer consistency — sea stacks, dunes and headlands for 600 km with barely a dull stretch. Drive it north to south so every viewpoint is a right turn.
When is the best time for scenic drives here?: September and early October: the fog has thinned, the passes are open, and the crowds have gone. July and August are busy and often grey until lunchtime on the coast.
Do I need winter tyres or chains?: On the mountain passes between roughly November and April, yes — Washington and Oregon both post chain requirements at short notice, and hire cars are not always equipped. Check before you commit to a pass route in winter.

Plan the trip while it's in your head

Five short questions and you get a day-by-day itinerary with real stops and honest drive times. Free to read the whole plan.

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