Last month, I needed a perspective shift. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for six years. During that time, I’ve frequently traveled back and forth to my hometown of Seattle, Washington. While a plane ride between LA and Seattle can take less time than driving across LA in rush-hour traffic, the transition of environments and climate can be physically jarring. I didn’t want to blink and go from palm trees to evergreens. I craved an adventure at a slower pace. The antidote: a road trip.
Despite growing up in Washington, I never traveled down state Route 1, known for its scenic coastline. (The route is often referred to as the Pacific Coast Highway.) So when my friend Amy Enser, a camping expert and video producer for REI Co-op, invited me on a road trip down state Route 1 in July, I said yes. As a kid, my family liked to camp. (REI member since 1991.) But as an adult, I was limited by my lack of gear and knowledge. Amy provided the foundation for our journey by planning the route and bringing most of the gear. Still, we had some special considerations. We had to accommodate two adults and two dogs (one of which we’d be picking up at the end of the trip) in a van with bare-bones amenities. Not to mention, we were traveling during a peak time of year for vacationers and anticipated needing to make last-minute changes to our plans and route. How would that all work? The answer was Hipcamp.
Hipcamp is an online site and app that enables people to discover unique places to stay on private and public land and, in some cases, find real-time availability. With Hipcamp, the anxiety of finding a place to camp along our route evaporated. Last-minute changes and detours? We easily found same-day spots. Dog-friendly locations that also had toilets? Camping with pups was easy thanks to Hipcamp’s canine-friendly search settings. Campgrounds with epic views and local flavor? The myriad options offered a choose-your-own experience, with everything from remote and rustic campsites to communal glamping. It was exactly what we needed to let go and get outside.
In case you need some campsite inspiration, here are our favorite sleep spots from the trip.
Day 1: Stevenson, Washington
We spent our first night of the road trip near the Washington-Oregon border. We awoke to lush greenery and solitude in the woods of the private property. Despite seeing a couple other campers in the area, the Hipcamp site felt secluded. Like me, Amy’s dog Ray was also on his first road trip, and he brought all the excitement and support for the journey. Even with a little bit of rain in the morning, the rushing water, moss-covered rocks and deep blues of the nearby Washougal River gave us life.
Day 2: Westfir, Oregon
On to Oregon. We ended our day at a beautiful glamping site next to a riverside geodesic dome on the hosts’ private property (we camped in our van, but the dome and rushing water provided a beautiful backdrop). This site offered plush amenities like a dry sauna and an outdoor bathroom with a bidet and rainfall shower. It was quite the transition from the outhouse we had at our last campsite. The curated location was thoughtfully designed by our hosts, who welcomed us like guests into their home and even helped us back our van into their site. We wished we could have stayed even longer.
Day 3: Shady Cove, Oregon
The host at our next Hipcamp location had to cancel at the last minute due to an emergency, so we stayed in Westfir a little longer to access Wi-Fi and find an alternative location for the night. But this is the great thing about Hipcamp: When plans change, you can pivot. Using the app, we found a spot about three hours away in Southern Oregon where we could set up our tent for the night. Our campsite sat on a remote 200 acres of land with stunning views of Mount Thielsen. We also visited a few farm animals on the property, including horses.
Day 4: Del Norte County, California
On day four, we made it to Northern California to explore Del Norte and Humboldt Counties, which are home to coastal redwoods. Our first order of business: visiting the Redwood National and State Parks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. Walking into the forest felt like stepping back in time—the giant redwood trees can live up to 2,000 years. Seeing them was emotional and humbling. Their immensity left me speechless, and my heart was full of gratitude for experiencing this with Amy and Ray. We continued to immerse ourselves in the landscape at our Hipcamp site, on a private patch of property nestled on a mountainside among redwood trees. With a compostable toilet and a thick canopy for shade, we couldn’t have asked for a better location.
Day 5: Mendocino County, California
We continued to drive south along U.S. 101 and eventually jumped onto Route 1. After a day of driving, our next Hipcamp stay was in Mendocino County. This location didn’t disappoint. After driving all day along the coastline, we were excited to have a water view at our campsite. Located on a cliffside, but sheltered from high winds by trees, the area offered wonderful lookout points to the ocean below. It’s not the most private location (though still on private property), but with amenities like clean outhouses and potable water, this Hipcamp site was exactly what we needed for a quick overnight.
Day 6: Half Moon Bay, California
After driving on and through San Francisco, we arrived at our next Hipcamp site near Half Moon Bay. The area overlooked the lush valley of Lobitos Creek. We basked in sunshine during the afternoon, but after the sun set, a mist enveloped our campsite. My skin was happy for the moisture, but the thick marine layer made it difficult to see. The next day, we decided to wait until late morning for the sun to come out and cut through the mist before packing up our tent. That was fine, though. Slow mornings can be nice.
Day 7: San Luis Obispo, California
Our final Hipcamp location had all the amenities two tired road trippers could want: a soaking tub (pictured) and off-grid showers for cleaning up; a cute A-frame cabin to stretch out in; and a wood-fired pizza oven for late-night noshing. It was the full glamping experience. Pro tip: Plan the final stay of your road trip at a place like this where you can clean up and feel cozy.