National Parks of the Northwest US — Self-Launched Road Trip
15 days · Pacific Northwest, United States
G Adventures charges £2,400
No-markup version: ~£1,030 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on G Adventures' 15-day Seattle-to-Portland national parks loop — minus the group van, the CEO and the participation camping. You rent a compact car (shared if you team up with other travellers), sleep in hostel dorms, budget motels and a couple of nights in national park campgrounds, and self-drive the same arc through Mount Rainier, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Craters of the Moon and Crater Lake before finishing on the Oregon coast. All hikes and scenic drives are free or self-bookable; the only paid extras are optional (Glacier helicopter, horseback riding in Jackson). Costs are rough backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP and assume shared car and fuel.
Day-by-day
Arrive Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Land at Sea-Tac and take the Link Light Rail downtown (around $3 / £2.40, ~40 mins) rather than a $50 taxi — buy an ORCA card from the machine if you'll use transit again. Check into a hostel in Belltown or the Pike Place area. Evening: walk Pike Place Market (closes early, but the waterfront is lovely), grab a cheap bowl of chowder or a banh mi, and orient yourself for tomorrow's pick-up of your rental car.
🚌Link Light Rail from Sea-Tac, ~£2.50
🛏Hostel dorm, Belltown/Pike Place (e.g. Green Tortoise Hostel), £30-40
- →Link Light Rail into downtown
- →Pike Place Market wander
- →Waterfront sunset walk
Mount Rainier National Park — Skyline Trail
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Pick up a rental car (book ahead — a compact for 13 days is roughly £450-600 total, split between travellers). Drive ~2 hrs to the Paradise entrance of Mount Rainier NP ($30/£24 per vehicle, valid 7 days). Hike the Skyline Trail loop (5.5 miles, ~1,700 ft gain — the classic wildflower-and-glacier view) or the easier Nisqually Vista Trail (1.2 miles). Camp at Cougar Rock or Ohanapecosh campground (£15-20 pitch, reserve on recreation.gov) or head back to a motel in Ashford/Packwood.
🚌Self-drive ~£15 fuel share
🛏National park campground pitch (Cougar Rock) or Ashford motel, £18-30
- →Skyline Trail hike
- →Nisqually Vista Trail
- →Paradise visitor centre
Coeur d'Alene & quirky Wallace
Wallace, Idaho
A long driving day east through Washington into Idaho (~5 hrs). Stop at Coeur d'Alene for a lakeside walk and a cheap lunch, then carry on to Wallace — a tiny silver-mining town with a preserved historic district. Free self-guided walking tour of the old town (the Sierra Silver Mine tour is ~$20/£16 if you want it). Overnight in a Wallace guesthouse or the Stardust Motel.
🚌Self-drive ~£18 fuel share
🛏Wallace guesthouse/motel, £30-40
- →Coeur d'Alene lakefront walk
- →Self-guided Wallace historic district walk
- →Optional Sierra Silver Mine tour
Into Montana — Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park, Montana
Drive ~3 hrs into Montana and Big Sky Country. Enter Glacier NP (vehicle pass ~$35/£28, 7 days). Set up camp at Apgar or St Mary campground (reserve early — Glacier books out), or grab a motel in West Glacier/Whitefish if you're not camping. Sunset over Lake McDonald is the classic intro.
🚌Self-drive ~£15 fuel share
🛏Apgar/St Mary campground pitch, £18-25
- →Lake McDonald shoreline walk
- →Apgar campground evening
Going-to-the-Sun Road & Continental Divide
Glacier National Park, Montana
Full day in Glacier. Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass to the Continental Divide (free with your park pass; the road is seasonal, roughly June-Oct). Hike the Highline Trail or the shorter Hidden Lake Overlook from Logan Pass. Optional splurge: a Glacier helicopter flight (~$260-1000) — skip it if you're budgeting. Second night camping or in West Glacier.
🚌Self-drive ~£8 fuel share
🛏Campground pitch or West Glacier motel, £18-30
- →Going-to-the-Sun Road drive
- →Highline Trail hike
- →Hidden Lake Overlook
- →Optional Glacier helicopter tour
Glacier to Bozeman
Bozeman, Montana
Drive south ~4.5 hrs to Bozeman, a lively university town. Afternoon free: wander Main Street, hit a coffee shop, or rent a bike. Bozeman is a good laundry-and-resupply stop. Overnight in a budget motel or hostel-style lodging near downtown.
🚌Self-drive ~£16 fuel share
🛏Budget motel/hostel, Bozeman, £35-45
- →Bozeman Main Street wander
- →Laundry & resupply
- →Optional brewery visit
Yellowstone — northern loop
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Drive ~1.5 hrs to Yellowstone's north entrance ($35/£28 vehicle pass, 7 days). Do the northern section slowly — Mammoth Hot Springs terraces, Lamar Valley for bison, elk and bears (go early or late for wildlife). Camp at Mammoth or Tower Fall campground (book on recreation.gov as soon as dates open) or in Gardiner just outside the park.
🚌Self-drive ~£10 fuel share
🛏Campground pitch or Gardiner motel, £18-30
- →Mammoth Hot Springs
- →Lamar Valley wildlife spotting
- →Self-drive wildlife watching
Yellowstone geysers & waterfalls
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Second Yellowstone day: Old Faithful (erupts roughly every 90 mins — check the predicted time at the visitor centre), Grand Prismatic Spring, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Artist Point, plus short hikes like the Fairy Falls or Mystic Falls trails. Second night at camp or in West Yellowstone.
🚌Self-drive ~£8 fuel share
🛏Campground pitch or West Yellowstone motel, £18-32
- →Old Faithful
- →Grand Prismatic Spring
- →Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
- →Fairy Falls hike
Grand Teton & Jackson Hole
Jackson, Wyoming
Drive south through Grand Teton NP (included in your Yellowstone pass if entered within validity) — stop at Jenny Lake and consider the shuttle boat ($19/£15) to save time on the Cascade Canyon hike, or hike the easier Taggart Lake loop for free. Continue to Jackson, a cow-town-turned-resort. Optional horseback riding ($35-85/£28-68) or a drink at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. Overnight in a Jackson hostel/dorm or a cheaper motel in Victor or Driggs over the pass.
🚌Self-drive ~£12 fuel share
🛏Jackson hostel dorm or Victor/Driggs motel, £35-50
- →Grand Teton scenic drive
- →Jenny Lake / Taggart Lake hike
- →Optional Jackson horseback riding
- →Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
Craters of the Moon & Boise
Boise, Idaho
Long westward drive (~6 hrs) with a stop at Craters of the Moon National Monument — a weird black lava landscape where you can walk through lava tubes for free (vehicle fee ~$15/£12 if you don't have an America the Beautiful pass). Arrive Boise in the evening; downtown is walkable and has good cheap tacos and breweries.
🚌Self-drive ~£20 fuel share
🛏Boise budget motel/hostel, £35-45
- →Craters of the Moon lava tube walk
- →Boise downtown evening
Boise to Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon
Drive ~5 hrs west into Oregon. Bend is craft-beer central — self-book a small brewery walking tour or just do your own crawl (Bend Brewing, Deschutes, Crux). Optional kayaking on the Deschutes (~$20-90/£16-72) or a sunset paddle. Overnight in a Bend hostel or budget motel.
🚌Self-drive ~£18 fuel share
🛏Bend hostel/budget motel, £35-50
- →Self-guided Bend brewery crawl
- →Optional Deschutes kayaking
- →Downtown Bend wander
Crater Lake National Park & Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Leave early for Crater Lake NP (~2.5 hrs) — the deepest lake in the US and an absurd shade of blue. Vehicle pass ~$30/£24. Hike part of the Rim Trail or the short Cleetwood Cove trail down to the water (seasonal). Continue ~2.5 hrs to Eugene, a relaxed university town, for the night.
🚌Self-drive ~£16 fuel share
🛏Eugene hostel/budget motel, £30-45
- →Crater Lake Rim Trail
- →Cleetwood Cove trail
- →Eugene downtown evening
Oregon Coast — Florence & Heceta Head
Florence, Oregon
Drive west to the coast (~1.5 hrs). Explore the Oregon Dunes near Florence (Honeyman Memorial State Park is free to walk, small day-use fee for parking), then continue north to the picture-perfect Heceta Head Lighthouse (free viewpoint and short trail). Optional ATV rental on the dunes ($50-300/£40-240). Overnight in a Florence hostel or budget motel, or camp at Honeyman.
🚌Self-drive ~£10 fuel share
🛏Florence hostel/motel or Honeyman campground, £18-40
- →Honeyman Memorial State Park dunes
- →Heceta Head Lighthouse walk
- →Optional ATV rental
Coast road to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Take the scenic Highway 101/18 route north and inland to Portland (~3.5 hrs), stopping at a coastal viewpoint or two for a toe-dip in the Pacific. Drop the rental car in Portland. Afternoon and evening in Portland: Powell's Books, the food carts on Hawthorne or downtown, and a craft brewery. Overnight in a Portland hostel (NW Portland or Hawthorne).
🚌Self-drive ~£14 fuel share + car return
🛏Portland hostel dorm, £30-40
- →Pacific coast viewpoints
- →Powell's Books
- →Portland food carts
- →Craft brewery visit
Portland & depart
Portland, Oregon
Last morning for artisanal donuts (Voodoo or Blue Star), a Saturday Market browse if it's the weekend, or the Japanese Garden if you have time. Take the MAX light rail to PDX airport (~$5/£4, 40 mins). Trip ends.
🚌MAX light rail to PDX, ~£4
🛏None (departure day)
- →Donut crawl
- →Saturday Market or Japanese Garden
- →MAX light rail to airport
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,030 | £2,400 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,370 per person (57%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,030
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does National Parks of the Northwest US — Self-Launched Road Trip cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,030 per person for 15 days in Pacific Northwest, United States. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,400 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,030 — a saving of roughly £1,370 (57%) per person.
How long is the Pacific Northwest, United States trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 day-by-day stops through Pacific Northwest, United States.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a road-trip, adventure, hiking trip through Pacific Northwest, United States, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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