What better way to spend the Labor Day weekend than a short road trip! This time, our cousin joined us to explore the cascades from northern California to Oregon. With a full itinerary covering over 900 miles in just 4 days, we were able to visit 4 waterfalls, 2 rivers, 5 farms and a few quaint towns!

Though we’ve ticked off as many stops as we could, I would recommend taking at least 4 days just in Mount Shasta and Crater Lake alone, much like the trip we took last year! If not for our cousin’s work schedule, my husband and I would’ve spent at least a week for a similar itinerary making time for more stops. Also, due to the wildfires that ravaged California recently, Mt. Shasta remained shrouded during our visit. Similarly, Crater Lake National Park looked foggy with the smoke coming from the California wildfires.

Read "Sights and Sounds: Mount Shasta California” here!

4-Day Mount Shasta to Mount Hood Road Trip Itinerary

Day 1 Mount Shasta: McArthur Burney Falls, McCloud Falls, Hedge Creek Falls

Day 2 Crater Lake National Park, Voodoo Donuts

Day 3 Multnomah Falls, Hood River Fruit Loops Farms, Trillium Lake, Mt. Hood

Day 4 homeward bound

My trip favorites…

• Standing under the flow of Hedge Creek Falls

• Multnomah Falls

• Lavender Valley with Mt. Hood in the background

• Pick flowers at Gorge White House

• Pick pears at Mt. View Orchards

Day 1 | McArthur-Burney Falls, McCloud Series of Waterfalls, Hedge Creek Falls

With a full itinerary for the day, we left Sacramento early at 7 AM. Our first stop was the grand McArthur-Burney Falls. Perhaps, California’s most impressive falls featuring cascades as tall as 130 feet! From here, we drove about 45 minutes to get to McCloud series of waterfalls: the upper, middle and lower falls. While many prefer hiking 4 miles to see all 3, we opted to drive to each one. There’s plenty of parking spaces on each fall with a short and easy hike. From McCloud waterfalls, we drove 30 minutes west to Hedge Creek Falls where we took a refreshing dip.

Less than a mile from Hedge Creek Falls is Mossbrae Falls. Unfortunately, we arrived late in the day and didn’t want to hike back in the dark, so we skipped it! Also, unlike our visit the year before, the flow of the water on all falls we visited was much smaller. I can imagine springtime would be the best time to visit. As for our campsite for the night, I planned on spending it at my favorite boondocking site near Castle Lake, however, we ended up staying at Evergreen Lodge due to the wildfire smoke. The air condition was not suitable for camping out, even in the van!

Noteworthy tips: It cost $10 to get in the McArthur-Burney Falls. Wear comfortable shoes on your walk down the ramp. Also, to experience the strongest water flow on all falls, consider visiting during springtime.

Day 2 | Crater Lake National Park & Voodoo Donuts

From our hotel Evergreen Lodge near Mt. Shasta, we drove 2 hours north to Crater Lake National Park. The best way to experience the park is by driving the loop road. The rim drive is a 33-mile loop that follows the Caldera Rim which takes approximately 2 hours or more to complete depending on the stops you take. Along the route are many different overlooks of the lake. I planned on hiking the Watchman Peak Trail but it was too hot for a hike when we arrived. There are also boat tours available but were sadly closed because of Covid-19. Unfortunately, due to the California wildfires nearby, the views of Crater Lake was hazy during our visit but still quite picturesque.

After driving through the Caldera Rim, we started heading north to Eugene for a Voodoo Donuts pit stop. The rest of the day was spent resting at our hotel, Holiday Express Inn, right next to Clackamas River.

Noteworthy tips: If you plan on visiting multiple national parks, I highly recommend purchasing the “America the Beautiful” annual park pass for $85. Lastly, Voodoo Donuts are bigger than the average donut. We got carried away and ordered a dozen that we couldn't finish.

Day 3 | Mt Hood Scenic Loop

Multnomah Falls, Cascade Locks, Hood River Fruit Loop Farms (The Gorge White House, Packer Orchards, Smiley’s Red Barn, Lavender Valley, Mt. View Orchards), Trillium Lake

We had a full itinerary on Day 3 driving through Mt. Hood Scenic Loop. We started on Highway 84 making stops at the stunning Multnomah Falls and the quaint town, Cascade Locks. While in Cascade Locks, we crossed the “Bridge of the Gods” which connects Oregon and the state of Washington. Then we continued on Highway 84 stopping by Hood River for lunch. On the menu were rice bowls and sushi from Wicked Sushi.

From Hood River, we took Highway 35 to get to Hood River’s Fruit Loop passing by many farms and vineyards in the area. Fruit Loop is a 35 scenic meander through fruit farms, small towns and orchards. We made stops at the Gorge White House, Packer Orchards, Smiley’s Red Barn, Lavender Valley and Mt. View Orchards. I planned a hike to Tamanawas Falls but later canceled because my husband twisted his ankle the night before. A 4-mile hike would put a lot of strain on his mildly swollen ankle.

After exploring a portion of the Fruit Loop, we took Highway 26 to see more of Mt. Hood and Trillium Lake. Views of the towering snow-capped peak are inescapable in Highway 26 so be prepared to make stops for photo ops.

Noteworthy tips: My must-see Mt. Hood Scenic Loop stops are Multnomah Falls, Lavender Valley and Mt. View Orchards. The “Bridge of the Gods” is a toll bridge charging $2 each way.

Day 4 | Homeward Bound

We covered quite a lot of miles in just 3 days and home is a long 9-hour drive! Only making stops for gas and meals, we made it back to Sacramento in 11 hours. Though with a few bumps on the road (smoky Mt. Shasta and Crater Lake as well as the heatwave in both states), we’ve had an awesome trip overall. Thankfulky, Mt. Shasta briefly appeared on Highway 5 on our way back home! Among my favorite parts of the trip are the Hedge Creek Falls dip, farm stops at the Fruit Loop with Mt. Hood in the background and seeing Multnomah Falls.

I hope you found some inspiration for your next trip! Upstate California is underrated, for the lack of better term! And Oregon… oh what a lovely state! I love the green and mossy trees, as well as the Switzerland-feel of the Mt. Hood and Columbia Gorge River area! I’m currently planning our trip back to Oregon, this time taking the coastal highway. Cheers!

Also, check out our recent 30-day road trip visiting 9 states!