As a Northwest Montana elopement photographer, one of the most unexpected blessings of living near Glacier National Park is being just a day’s drive from some of the most unreal places. Most recently, my husband (and our pup, Hatcher) packed up our car and made the 8 hour drive from Kalispell to Oregon for a long weekend. It was such a fun, quick trip filled with camping, fishing, and site seeing. Whether you are eloping in Glacier National Park and want to make the most out of your time in the Northwest, or you’re just curious about my travels, keep on reading! I love sharing about my adventures through a fun little series here on the blog called “Wander with Me”. So welcome to the latest installment, and get ready to Wander with Me: Glacier National Park to the Oregon Coast.  

If you’re new here, my husband and I relocated from the Midwest to Montana a few years ago. My days have been spent documenting love stories in the mountains and exploring with my little family every chance we get. As much as we love going back home to see our families, there’s just something about having the opportunity to hop in our car and head to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, or even Canada within about 10 hours. Something about Ethan and me is that we are not a “let’s go to the beach” kinda couple. But I must say, the beaches along the Oregon Coast did not disappoint (and we’ll definitely make our way back). 

Wander with Me: Glacier National Park to the Oregon Coast

Day 1: Kalispell, Montana to Paterson, Washington

Ethan and I are both fortunate enough to have flexible jobs, so after work on a Thursday, we hit the road with our pup in tow! Neither of us like to fly, so we are always down for a roadtrip. It took just about 8 hours to get from Kalispell to our campsite in Crow Butte Campground. Just as much as we love a good roadtrip, we also love a good camping-moment. Staying at Crowe Butte Campground was the perfect way to kick-off our long-weekend.

Day 2: Oregon Coast

Our second day was dedicated to Multnomah Falls and driving down the Oregon Coast. Traveling the Oregon Coast has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, so it was so fulfilling to finally cross it off the list. Once we left Crow Butte Campground in the morning, we stopped at the iconic Multnomah Falls to marvel in the beauty. Pictures simply don’t do this place justice. Standing at over 600-feet, this monstrous waterfall left me speechless. Each rock within the spray of the waterfall was covered with fuzzy green moss, and an earthy, sweet smell to boot. The overcast skies were welcomed as Ethan and I just stood in awe of the entire experience. 

After soaking in as much time as we could at Multnomah Falls, we hopped back into our car and headed up to Cannon Beach and Indian Beach. Despite the gloomy skies at Multnomah Falls, we were greeted by golden sunshine on the coast. We then headed down to our campsite at Cape Lookout State Park to get settled in. Ever since we got our pup, Hatcher, we worked with him to get him comfortable with camping atop our vehicle. At this point, he’s a professional. Ethan and I hung our string lights, got a campfire going, and tucked in for a peaceful night beneath the towering pines. 

Day 3: Cape Lookout State Park to Sisters Creekside Campground

On our third day, which was Saturday, we awoke to a damp and dreary morning. After Ethan heated up some breakfast for us, we took a stroll down to Cape Lookout Beach before packing up. We then drove over to Cape Kiwanda and McPhillips Beach to let Hatcher run. Despite the gloomy morning, blue skies emerged from the misty skies at McPhillips Beach. Like I mentioned, we aren’t big “tropical” people, so we loved just taking in the sights around us and letting our pup frolic. If you have a dog, you already know: a sleepy puppy is a happy puppy. 

Once our tuckered-out pup was settled in the backseat, we said “goodbye” to the coast dnd traveled further inland. As a Montana elopement photographer, I’m no stranger to breathtaking mountain views, but I will never take a view for-granted. As we drove past Detroit Lake and Mount Washington, I told Ethan that we need to make our way back out to Oregon for some more recreating. Mount Washington looked like the perfect spot to do some backpacking. The 4 hour drive flew by, with views in every direction we looked. 

We set up camp at Sisters Creekside Campground for the evening. The campground was actually tucked inside the town for a fun change of pace. But this place definitely made me feel like we were little Keebler elves with just how cute the campground was! A little creek ran through the camground, complete with a sweet foot bridge that lead down to a nearby park. 

Day 4: Fishing and Tumalo State Park

Our fourth and final full day during our Oregon Coast trip was spent doing our favorite thing: fishing. We fished both the Fall River and Metolius River. Hatcher kept me such good company while Ethan fly-fished; we enjoyed hiking around, catching glimpses of the wildlife. 

We grabbed food in Bend at Mountain Burger before setting up camp for our final night. We stayed at Tumalo State Park, right off the Deschutes River — which made for the most peaceful night’s sleep. 

Day 5: Smith Rock State Park to Kalispell, Montana

We woke up bright and early to head to Smith Rock State Park. If you’ve ever visited South Dakota, Smith Rock State Park felt like a combination of Custer State Park and Needles Highway. The giant cliffs emerging from the dry valleys below felt otherworldly, especially compared to the lush greenery we had spent the past few days swooning over. After giving Hatcher plenty of time to stretch his little legs, we then made the 10 hour drive back to Kalispell, Montana. 

Tips for Traveling the Oregon Coast

It’s no secret that I am not an expert in visiting the Oregon Coast. I only spent a couple days visiting, but here’s a few things I learned:

• Give yourself plenty of time. While we didn’t travel the entirety of the Oregon Coast, I would highly recommend giving yourself plenty of time if you intend to. If you made no stops, it would take you about 7 hours to drive from Northern Oregon to Southern Oregon. If I was to travel solely up or down the Oregon Coast, I would give myself 5-7 days to allow a stress-free trip. 
• Save money by camping! I could not recommend camping enough. Having a rooftop tent has been a game changer. Obviously living in close(ish) proximity to Oregon was a huge bonus, since we were able to utilize our own vehicle and rooftop tent. But even if we didn’t have a rooftop tent, I would still camp. Not only do you save time by not checking in and out of hotels, you save a ton of money. Accommodations at most campsites are $30 or less per night (depending on hookups and accessibility). 
• Embrace shoulder season. You will never catch me recommending travel during peak season anywhere (lol, no but really). Ethan and I love visiting popular places during the least popular time of the year. I mean, who likes dealing with crowds!? Not us. Having Multnomah Falls and Cannon Beach mostly to ourselves was incredible — and would’ve never happened in the middle of June or July. 
• Dress for the weather.  The weather can be deceiving along the coast. While it might be full sunshine, you will still probably want a jacket or a hat. Similarly, just because it’s sunny when you wake up doesn’t mean it will be sunny all day. Thunderstorms or a light drizzle can come out of nowhere, so be prepared with rain gear and light layers. 

Pacific Northwest Roadtrip Itinerary | Sydney Breann Photography

Looking for more itineraries and recaps from the Wander with Me series? Check ‘em out below! And of course, you can keep up with my travels in real time over on the ‘Gram (@sydneybreannphoto). Thanks for reading the latest installment of Wander with Me: Glacier National Park to the Oregon Coast — I can’t wait for you to see where my little family is headed next. Until then, are you ready to wander?

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