VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
The Pacific Northwest by campervan from Seattle
Campervan trip from Seattle: Olympic National Park, the Hoh Rain Forest, Mount Rainier and the Oregon coast to Portland — route, campgrounds and weather windows.
The Pacific Northwest is campervan country par excellence: rain forests, wild beaches strewn with giant driftwood, glaciated volcanoes and a coffee-and-outdoors culture built for van life. The ideal start is Seattle, where Indie Campers and Roadsurfer both have depots, with a possible one-way drop-off in Portland.
The Olympic Peninsula loop (5–7 days)
From Seattle, take the ferry to Bainbridge Island (vans welcome, $25–40 depending on length), then US-101 rings Olympic National Park: Hurricane Ridge and its summit views, Lake Crescent, the moss-draped Hoh Rain Forest, and the beaches of Rialto and Ruby Beach. Park campgrounds (Kalaloch facing the ocean, $25–40) book on recreation.gov and summer sells out months ahead; Hoh remains partly first-come, first-served — aim to arrive before noon.
Extending into Oregon (4–5 more days)
Head down the coast: Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock, Cape Lookout, the dunes at Florence. Oregon lines up superbly equipped coastal state parks ($30 to $45 with electricity) and one welcome rule: no sales tax, and gas is often cheaper than in Washington. Drop the van in Portland, or loop back via Mount Rainier (Cougar Rock campground, booked on recreation.gov) to close the circle in Seattle.
The weather, the only real difficulty
Here, rain is part of the journey: the coast takes over 3 meters of water a year, mostly from October to May. The golden window runs July to September — nearly dry, 20–25 °C. A van with an awning and good ventilation beats a big RV: forest roads and tree-covered campgrounds are unforgiving to 30-footers.
Budget
Class B campervan: $130 to $260 per day in summer, ferries and park fees on top (the $80 America the Beautiful pass pays off from three entries). A 10-day loop for two runs $2,000–3,200 all-in. Before setting off, run through our departure checklist.