No. If you are doing the whole Pacific Northwest, we give itinerary ideas for if you are beginning in Seattle or Portland.  We recommend flying into one and out the other to save on driving time but it will work if you need to fly out of the same airport.

We recommend July through September because that is the best time of year to see Mount Rainier.  Both the Columbia River Gorge and Olympic have more a more flexible travel window. Olympic is great March-October and the Columbia River Gorge is good May-early September.

Through many of our own experiences as well as talking to other travelers and area experts.

We travel with our 4 kids (who are now teens) and our retired parents so we get a lot of perspectives.

We try to add lots of variety including hikes, drives, good places to eat, and activities.  We usually give backup options for longer hikes and activities that cost.

We are of the mindset that you have a plan so you can be flexible.  

We lay out what we believe are the best activities for your time and money but we all have different preferences. 

Because each activity listed has a star rating, approximate time frame, and cost, you’ll easily be able to adjust to best suit your group’s interests. 

We surveyed our customers and they reported that our guides saved them 10-20 hours of trip planning research, on average, per guide. That means that you could be saving between 30-60 hours for this entire road trip. 

Although much of the information included in this guide can be found with significant research, this guide combines what you need to know into one place and it is from a source committed to giving you the best information.

This guide cost us over $8,000 to create when you combine travel expenses, map creation, and formatting.  In addition, we have spent hundreds of hours visiting this park and doing additional research at home.

Many of our travelers enjoy the confirmation that they have already created a good plan and may even find a thing or two to add to it.

Other travelers may find that our plan is similar to what they had already pieced together on their own.  

If you’ve already spent hours planning, you may not find maximum value in this guide.

Yes! We travel with our 4 children and both sets of our retired parents.  Although not every activity is for everyone, there are always backup suggestions.

We write these guides so all the work you should need to do is obtain your lodging, transportation, food and reservations.  We include maps, the time needed to complete drives and activities, and lodging recommendations. We also include some recommended restaurants for you to try out. We put boxes throughout the guide indicating it’s an item that you will need to take care of before you leave. We also give links to websites we think you should check before your leave (Ex: Mount Rainier Park’s website)

You will need a car to drive between the parks as well as while at the parks.

Yes. We give approximate time frames that are needed to complete an activity.  The schedule is generally not so packed that you have to be a quick traveler.  But, if you know you generally need more time, you can make adjustments. If you are quick, there are suggestions for additional activities

This is a digital download so it will be EMAILED to you. That way you can have access immediately and have the option to download it to any device you want. 

Many travelers, including us, prefer to print the itinerary and take it with us as we travel.

The itinerary is available immediately upon purchase, right on this webpage. You will also receive an email within 30 minutes with download links in case you need to revisit the links and download the items later. If you don’t receive your email, check your junk mail folder. If it’s not there, contact mattandcheryl@wereintherockies.com and we’ll be in touch with you within 1 business day. Also, the guides will be available in your account, if you choose to establish one (we highly encourage it). 

If you purchase the Pacific Northwest Bundle, the Olympic, Mount Rainier, and Columbia River Gorge are all included – plus the PNW Overview that gives you itinerary ideas to visit all 3 areas in one epic trip.  No separate purchase is necessary. (Oregon Coast is not released yet. Most likely to be released in 2026)

Guides are automatically updated to the latest version when you create an account. 

In addition to that, we also send an email notification out when a guide is updated. Just make sure to stay subscribed to our email list so we can reach you. 

Because the download is a PDF file, you can do it on any device: computer, iPhone, Android, tablet, etc.

Stuff like this happens. We get it. When you purchase a guide, you have access to 18 months of free updates.

If you created an account, just log in again and download your guides.

If you didn’t create an account or forgot your password, just email us and we can resend your links. 

For step-by-step instructions (including pictures) check out our Help With Downloads page.

If you still need help, reach out to us at mattandcheryl@wereintherockies.com We’ll get back to you as soon as possible to help. We’re even happy to jump on a phone call with you if needed. 

This guide is best for July through September.  Mount Rainier gets alot of snow and the roads may not be cleared if you go earlier or later in the year.

The best time to visit Olympic is March through October. The best time to visit the Columbia River Gorge is May through early September.

Yes!! We update our guides as needed, but write the concepts to intentionally be as timeless as possible. We encourage you to purchase the guide as soon as you know you will be traveling. It will help you determine which areas to stay and how many days to obtain lodging. Upon purchase, you’ll be guided to create an account on our website. If we update the guide, it will automatically show in your account for up to 18 months after purchase.

It is not required but is HIGHLY recommended. We encourage you to create an account when purchasing the guides because you’ll have access to the links at any time.

You will have access to the updated guide through your account (another reason to create an account) for up to 18 months. We generally send an email announcement when we do an update as well.

We put approximate price ranges on all our activities so you know what to expect.

Gas and lodging can be expensive in this area.

Although we do suggest some hikes, we offer plenty of alternatives if hiking is not desirable including viewpoints and drives.

Yes.  It would be very easy to download this itinerary and head out the door. Mount Rainier National Park currently requires some timed entry reservations. Many are available the night before. You can also enter the park before 7 am or after 3 pm (make sure to check exact entry requirements as they can change unexpectedly).

Multnomah Falls also requires parking reservations from 9-6. Visit outside of these hours if you are unable to get a reservation.