Road Trip in the Pacific Northwest with a Dog

Traveled in May 2021

The Pacific Northwest has a bonanza of waterfalls, and the best part is that the majority of them are dog-friendly. This road trip will take you from the Bay Area through Oregon and on to Seattle, stopping at all the best waterfalls and natural wonders in between. I had heard that the natural beauty of Oregon rivals that of Iceland and while I don’t think it’s fair to compare the two, I will say that I was so enthralled by the natural wonders we saw on this trip that I did not miss traveling internationally.

We did this road trip with our dog when I was pregnant, so we purposely chose less strenuous hikes. Because of that, this itinerary could be child friendly as well. However, there are some long stretches in the car so mentally prepare for that if bringing a kiddo along. Additionally, we stayed in a different city every night because many of the waterfalls are in between cities and I did not want to lose time driving backwards. This makes it a faster moving itinerary than I would choose if bringing a small child along, but it could work for older kids.

This was the first big road trip we took our dog on and we wanted to include her in everything we did, so all the activities on this road trip are dog friendly. We found Oregon and Washington to be very dog friendly. We were pretty surprised by how welcoming many of the businesses were to dogs. Unfortunately, we had to miss some of the national parks because most of the trails there do not allow dogs. However, we were truly astounded by the waterfalls we did see in the state parks we visited, so missing the national parks did not feel like a huge loss. Read on to find out how to visit these astounding waterfalls with your furry friend!

Pacific Northwest Road Trip with a Dog Itinerary

When to Go

We traveled at the end of May. There was still some snow in the mountains so we did have to change our plans a bit. Obviously it wouldn’t be the Pacific Northwest without rain, so we definitely did some of these hikes in the rain. Bring proper gear and plan for rain and you’ll be pleasantly surprised if it ends up being dry. Also goes without saying to keep a towel in the backseat for your wet and probably muddy (but hopefully happy) doggo. I can imagine this area being very pleasant in the summer since it does not get too hot on the coast, but there is a risk of wildfires when traveling inland through California and Oregon.

How to Get Around

This road trip will take you from California to Oregon and on to Washington State, so you will need a car. Expect the car to get pretty dirty because rain + hiking + dog = a mess. If you are renting a car, check out my booking tip below.

Booking tip: if the car rental agency has a free membership program, sign up for it! Members usually get extra perks like a free additional driver, discounts, or faster reservation check ins (all very desirable things when you have an overtired toddler in tow).

Where to Stay in the Pacific Northwest with a Dog

I usually like to stay at least 2 nights in each place so that we don’t have to pack and unpack every day, but we were not able to do that on this trip because I did not want to backtrack that much in our driving. For this itinerary, we stayed 1 night in Bend, Oregon, 1 night in Mt. Hood, 2 nights in Seattle, 1 night in Portland, 1 night in Eugene, and 1 night in Medford. Since we traveled shortly after the pandemic and because we were traveling with our dog, we opted to stay in home rentals because it seemed the safest and the most dog-friendly option. Oregon and Washington state seem super dog-friendly, and we did not have trouble finding nice and clean home rentals that allowed dogs.

Bend dog-friendly rentals:

• This house with 2 bedrooms has excellent reviews. The location is great, close to downtown but in a quiet neighborhood. And there is a fenced in yard for the doggo!
• This renovated house with 2 bedrooms also has excellent reviews. The location is also very close to downtown and in a quiet neighborhood. A little cozier, so might be easier for keeping an eye on energetic toddlers!
• If neither of those fit the bill, check out these other dog-friendly rentals in the River Bend and Old Bend areas. Both of those neighborhoods were charming and convenient to both the downtown area and the highways.

Mt. Hood dog-friendly rentals:

• This cabin has 2 bedrooms but a lot of beds! It has a great location just a short drive to the village. Looks like it has a lot of character!
• This cabin in the woods really gives you that camping feel. We like the idea of camping but we are not really that outdoorsy. So the comforts of a cabin surrounded by the forest is our kind of camping! It has great outdoor areas to enjoy the nature and the inside looks very light and bright even though it is a cabin.

Seattle dog-friendly rental:

• We stayed in this cottage in the peaceful Green Lake neighborhood and loved it. It was very nicely renovated and super clean. The highlight was the bed, which is the most comfortable bed we have slept in. (I even messaged the owner months later when we were looking to replace our bed to ask about the brand of the bed!). We loved the location – it was close to the lake for walks with our dog, and only a 15-20 min drive from everywhere else we wanted to go in Seattle, without being in the hustle and bustle of downtown. We never had trouble finding street parking in front.

Portland dog-friendly rentals:

• This newly renovated 2 bedroom bungalow in the Laurelhurst neighborhood looks very cute. No reviews yet because it looks like a new listing, but great price for the area (likely since it is a new listing).
• This 3 bedroom house in the Laurelhurst neighborhood is beautifully decorated with pops of color! No reviews yet either, but it is in a great location for a great price.
• If neither of those are available, check out these other dog-friendly rentals in the Laurelhurst and Mt. Tabor neighborhoods. Both of these neighborhoods are only a couple minutes drive downtown, but in a more family-friendly and quiet area than staying in downtown itself.

Eugene dog-friendly rentals I have bookmarked:

• This cozy house near the University of Oregon is perfect for a one night stay. It’s in a great location near many restaurants and close to the freeway.
• This cute home is very nicely decorated in a great location, in a quiet street but close enough to the restaurants of downtown.

Medford dog-friendly rentals I have bookmarked:

• This newly renovated 2 bedroom cottage in Medford has excellent reviews. It is conveniently located with easy access to the freeways. Also has a fenced in yard for the doggo.
• This newly renovated 2 bedroom home is in Central Point, which is slightly north of Medford. However, it is close to Highway 5 so is very convenient for travel. This rental has excellent reviews, many of which mention that it is located in a quiet neighborhood with a park walking distance away.
• If neither of these options seem just right, check out these other dog-friendly rentals in Medford with easy access to Highway 5.

Pacific Northwest Road Trip with a Dog Itinerary at a Glance

The time in parentheses is the time it takes to drive from the previous location to the next.

Day	Activity	Sleep In
1	Drive from Bay Area to Bend, Oregon (8 hrs)	Bend
2	Tumalo Falls (30 min) Smith Rock State Park (30 min) Drive to Mt. Hood (2.5 hrs)	Mt. Hood
3	Drive to Seattle (3.5 hrs) Pike Place Market Space Needle area Sunset at Kerry Park Lookout	Seattle
4	Snoqualmie Falls (30 min) Washington Park Arboretum	Seattle
5	Drive to Historic Columbia River Highway, Multonomah Falls (3 hrs) Bridal Veil Falls (20 min) Latourell Falls (5 min) Drive to Portland (45 min)	Portland
6	Sahalie Falls and Koosah Falls (2.5 hrs) Tamolitch Blue Pool (5 min) Drive to Eugene (1.5 hrs)	Eugene
7	Toketee Falls and Watson Falls (2.5 hrs) Whitehorse Falls (7 min) Clearwater Falls (9 min) Drive to Medford (2 hrs)	Medford
8	Drive to the Bay Area (6 hrs) with a stop for lunch at Seka Hills Olive Oil Mill

If you’re interested in a shorter trip and prefer to stay in Oregon rather than going all the way to Seattle, I got you! Check out our post on how I would modify this trip to stay within Oregon without missing any of these amazing waterfalls!

Day 1: Drive to Bend, Oregon

The first day of this road trip is a loooooong driving day, but a relatively easy one since it’s just a straight shot up the 5 after leaving the Bay Area. We decided to head straight for Oregon from the Bay Area because we had limited time, but you can also stop for the night in Redding/Mt. Shasta region after 4 hours of driving to break up this drive.

We loved the vibe in Bend – it felt peaceful, like walking through a forest. Definitely get dinner at Wild Rose Thai. It was highly recommended by all of our friends and it did not disappoint. We recommend the crab fried rice and the khao soi.

Day 2: Tumalo Falls and Smith Rock State Park

Grab a pastry or breakfast sandwich at Sparrow Bakery to start your day.

Tumalo Falls

Tumalo falls is 30 min east of Bend. The parking lot is small and there is a $5 fee. There are self pay stations in the parking lot that accept credit cards.

There are 3 waterfall viewpoints where you can view the waterfall from different perspectives, and a longer hike on the Tumalo Falls Loop trail after the last viewpoint. Lower falls viewpoint is just a short walk from the parking lot.

Dogs on leash allowed at the viewpoints of the waterfall, but not in the Bend Watershed (which comprises the second half of the Tumalo Falls Loop trail). Just to be safe, we only visited the 3 waterfall viewpoints with our dog.

After Tumalo Falls we headed back to Bend to pick up lunch before heading to our next stop.

Smith Rock State Park

Smith Rock State Park is 30 min north of Bend. The big draw of Smith Rock State Park is the rock climbing. Even those of us who enjoy keeping our feet firmly planted on the ground can marvel at these views of the river snaking through the cliffs, while watching the climbers make their way up the cliff faces.

There is a steep trail that heads down from the parking lot to the river, and a flat path (the River Trail) that follows the river. Dogs allowed on leash. There is a $5 day use fee, which can be paid at self pay stations in the parking lot.

The drive from Smith Rock State Park to the Mt. Hood area takes 2.5 hours. We originally planned to take a detour to Trillium Lake on the way, but we had to skip this because the roads were closed due to snow.

In the Mt. Hood area we picked up dinner at Al Forno Ferruza, which had surprisingly good pizza! This pizza is BIG (we were expecting fancy Bay Area pizza size and this was much bigger) and heats up great for breakfast the next day.

Day 3: Explore Seattle

The drive from Mt. Hood to Seattle takes about 3.5 hours, so we headed out right after breakfast.

Since we got to Seattle around midday, the Pike Place Market was our first stop to grab some food. Dogs are not allowed inside the market, so we mostly walked along the outside of the market and hit a couple of the eateries. From Pike Place market we walked to the Space Needle and peeped at what we could see of the Chihuly Gardens from the outside since dogs are not allowed inside. 

We ended our day in Seattle at the Kerry Park Lookout. The sunset here is spectacular with beautiful views of the city.

Day 4: Snoqualmie Falls and Washington Park Arboretum

If you want a break from waterfalls, you can spend this day doing a day trip to Vancouver (which is 2.5 hours away). The borders were still closed due to the pandemic when we did this road trip. Otherwise, we were planning on spending this day in Vancouver.

Snoqualmie Falls

Snoqualmie Falls is just a 30 min drive outside of Seattle. This is a super easy to access waterfall with 2 viewpoints. Parking in the upper lot is free, there is a short walk across a sky bridge connecting the parking lot to the viewpoints.

Washington Park Arboretum

Washington Park Arboretum is part of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens. It has an easy paved loop walk that meanders through the arboretum. We saw a lot of dog walkers here enjoying the flowers and plants around the arboretum. Dogs allowed on leash, but not allowed in the Japanese garden. Parking is free in the lot at the Graham Visitors Center.

Day 5: Historic Columbia River Highway

The Historic Columbia River Highway runs parallel to the highway and connects a series of jaw dropping waterfalls. Many folks just go to Multnomah Falls, but you would be missing out on one of the most amazing waterfalls of your life if you did not also check out Latourell Falls while in the area. The pictures speak for themselves! From Seattle the drive to Multnomah Falls takes 3 hrs.

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls is the most well-known and accessible waterfall in this area. There is a small parking lot right next to the waterfall, or overflow parking is located across the highway. There is a walkway that connects the overflow parking to the waterfall. A timed use permit is required from late May to early September, which can be reserved here.

The best view of the waterfall is a large, round viewpoint within a very short walk from the parking lot. From there, a paved path leads up to a viewpoint at the top overlooking the entire waterfall as it rushes down the cliff.

Dogs allowed on leash.

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls is a 20 min drive east from Multnomah Falls.

Parking is free. The Bridal Veil Falls trail is a 0.6 mile hike down to the base of the Bridal Veil Falls. This aptly named cascading waterfall resembles a bridal veil. The best view of the Bridal Veil Falls is located at a wooden viewpoint half a mile in.

Dogs allowed on leash.

Latourell Falls

Latourell Falls is a 5 min drive east from Bridal Veil Falls. This was our favorite waterfall of the entire trip because you could walk right up to the base of the waterfall and feel fully enveloped by the power of it.

Parking is free. There is a viewing platform right off the parking lot. There is also a 2 mile Latourell Falls loop trail accessed from the viewing platform that will take you to the top of the upper falls, but it is an uphill hike and this pregnant lady was too tired to attempt it after a day full of waterfalls. 

To get to the base of the Lower Falls look for the path to the right, it is a short flat 1 mile walk to the base of the falls.

Dogs allowed on leash.

Other waterfalls along the Columbia River Highway that allow dogs on leash:

• Wahkeena falls
• Elowah falls

From Latourell Falls it is about a 30-45 min drive to Portland, depending on traffic.

With extra time in Portland:

• Sugarpine Drive-In – This cute drive in restaurant is on the way from the waterfalls to Portland. Their soft serve looks amazing – this would make a delicious treat after a day of waterfall chasing! Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• International rose test garden – We didn’t make it here, but I included it in our list because I was pleasantly surprised that it is dog friendly. This is a test garden for new rose varieties.

Day 6: Sahalie Falls, Koosah Falls, and Tamolitch Blue Pool

More beautiful waterfalls on the agenda today as we head back down to California through Oregon.

Sahalie Falls and Koosah Falls

From Portland, it is a 2.5 hour drive to Sahalie Falls and Koosah Falls. Parking is free. The parking lot at Koosah falls is bigger and less frequented if the lot in Sahalie Falls is full. Park at either lot. There is a short hiking trail that connects the two waterfalls.

We parked in the lot next to Sahalie Falls. There is a paved path to the observation deck for Sahalie Falls. From the observation deck, hike 1 mile south to Koosah Falls following the McKenzie river. There is a 2.4 mile loop trail that takes you to the other side of the McKenzie river, but we opted to just go back the way we came in the interest of time. Dogs allowed on leash. 

Tamolitch Blue Pool

Tamolitch blue pool is a 5 min drive away. This pool is the color of blue Gatorade and was well worth the 2 mile muddy hike in the rain with our white dog. This was probably the most strenuous hike we did on this trip because it was over rocky terrain, but may also have been because it was raining and muddy. We saw some people continuing the hike over the waterfall ledge to get to the edge of the pool itself. It is important to realize that the water itself is freezing and the hike down to the pool seems pretty treacherous, so we skipped that in the interest of not dying. Parking is free. Dogs allowed on leash.

From the Tamolitch Blue Pool it is a 1.5 hour drive to Eugene. The 5th Street Public Market in Eugene is a great place to pick up dinner. Dogs allowed on leash in the common areas.

Other dog friendly waterfalls along the way that we did not have time/energy for:

• Proxy falls – On hwy 242. Road may be closed due to snow.
• Salt creek falls – South from Eugene
• A note about the Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park – we would have loved to do this hike, but unfortunately dogs are not allowed on the Canyon Trail (which is where the majority of the waterfalls are) so we decided to skip this one. Dogs allowed at the Upper North Falls.

Day 7: Toketee Falls, Watson Falls, Whitehorse Falls, and Clearwater Falls

One more day of waterfalls before we get back to California. From Eugene to Toketee and Watson Falls it is a 2.5 hour drive.

Toketee Falls

The trail to Toketee Falls is a 0.4 mile down and back trail that includes over 200 steps. The trail ends at a viewing platform that overlooks the waterfall, which plunges over a wall of basalt columns. We saw some daring youths who somehow climbed over the safety fencing and made it to the side of the waterfall where they could jump into the pool. Overall, it looked very dangerous and not worth dying over just for that insta photo.  Parking is free. Dogs allowed on leash.

Watson Falls

Watson Falls is just down the road from Toketee Falls and worth the trek because you can get closer to the base of this waterfall. The trail is a 1 mile loop, and although it can get steep in certain spots it was one of the most enjoyable hikes because of the many smaller waterfalls along the hike. Parking is free. From the parking lot, go uphill and cross the road to get to the trailhead.  Dogs allowed on leash. 

Whitehorse Falls

Whitehorse Falls is a 7 min drive from Watson Falls. It is a very short walk from the parking lot to this waterfall.

Clearwater Falls

Clearwater Falls is a 9 min drive from Whitehorse Falls. The parking lot is off highway 138 near mile marker 69 (don’t follow google maps to forest road). This waterfall is another short walk from the parking lot, so it is a quick and easy stop. 

From Clearwater Falls it is a 2 hr drive to Medford. If you’re hungry for a snack then stop at Beckie’s Cafe in Prospect for some pie on the way. Medford is the last stop in Oregon before heading home to California. Shopping in Oregon is tax free and there is a Costco in Medford, so if there are any big ticket items you were eyeing then this would be a good opportunity to save!

Day 8: Drive Home

The drive from Medford to the Bay Area takes about 6 hours. To break up the drive, stop at Seka Hills Olive Oil Mill for lunch (4.5 hrs from Eugene). This was a bit of a detour, but I was lured by the promise of excellent sandwiches and olive oil after reading this SFGate article about it. I probably would not drive out here just for this, but since we were passing close by and needed to stop to eat anyway it was an opportunity to try something new. 

Now that your dog has gotten a sniff of road trip life, check out my posts with dog-friendly itineraries to the Central California Coast, Mendocino, or San Diego to keep exploring as a family!