Hiking the Lost Coast in Northern California
The 'Lost Coast' refers to an undeveloped and remote portion of the California coastline. It's the only significant section on the American western coastline without highway access. The rugged terrain, steepness, and related geotechnical challenges of the coastal mountains made this stretch of land too costly for established routes through the area.
Driving to the northern trailhead (Mattole) introduces you to the communities of Mattole, Ferndale, Petrolia, and Humbolt. The trail is mainly situated on federal land, operated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and known as the King Range National Conservation Area. Though very few people still own private land and fulfill the definition of living "off the grid."
The trail is 40 km (25 miles) and usually takes 3 days to complete. The hiking is slower than usual due to the soft sand, but this itinerary can easily be shortened or extended. However, it is essential to plan according to the local tides as many parts of the trail is on the beach and only accessible during low tide. The BLM does provide you with this information on their website when you register for the permit. I stopped by the Arcata Field Office to get this information and purchase a topographic map (highly recommended as the maps available online are very poor).
The southern trailhead (Black Sands Beach) is right in the town of Shelter Cove and has all amenities (though expect high prices) including lodging. If you are just hiking one way then they also have a shuttle service here.
This is about to make things confusing. When people refer to "the lost coast trail" they are usually talking about the 25 mile stretch between Mattole and Black Sands Beach in Shelter Cove, but the official lost coast does continue southbound into the Sinkyone Wilderness which is no longer in the BLM land. It's important to understand these land distinctions when researching and applying for overnight permits.
Continue reading and you will see that my trip was a mixed bag of everything over 5 days: hiking southbound to Shelter Cove, starting the southern section of the lost coast trail, and returning northbound to my car which was parked at the Mattole trailhead. Hopefully in the future I can arrange a one way long day trip along the Southern portion of the lost coast trail through the Sinkyone Wilderness to Usal Beach, but finding rides would be tricky.
You know you are in Humbolt Country when cows are spontaneously running across the road.
The drive along these remote coastal roads was amazing. I met another hiker from Norway and he said this drive felt driving through the local mountains over there.
A great place to camp for solitude, unlike the other trailhead. The BLM manages this campsite through a self registration system. I think it was $10 per night.
I never saw any black bears and therefore didn't have any problems with them, but heard they can be found in the meadows and at popular campsites. They are apparently well adapted to humans so it's essential to properly store your food and garbage. Someone from the BLM said bear spray is not necessary as they are curious instead of aggresive, but I carried some just in case as I started solo and am not familiar with the wildlife in this region. If I was doing the trail again though, I would not carry any.
If you are hiking southbound, be sure to take your time at the start of the trail and not fly through these sections too quickly as I definitely enjoyed the beaches and scenery more on the northern half of the trail.
Punta Gorda Lighthouse would be great place to take a break or turn around if you are just out for the day from Mattole. Expect tons of elephant seals after this point. There is a cool historical reference of an old horse which made frequent trips to and from this lighthouse when it was staffed.
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| Sea Lion Gulch - this section was loud! |
The first of a few private residences. These people are definitely choosing to live off the grid and continue refusing to sell their property to the BLM. There are some very old deactivated forest service roads in the region but I doubt any would be drivable anymore.
Lots of the hiking was up and down from the beach to the hills and back again. Pay close attention to the tide chart and always give yourself at least a 2 hour window before or after high tide when crossing.
The majority of the recommended campsites are at these creeks. When the wind picks up, travel deeper into the forest to get more shelter. I think this photo is at Spanish Creek, which was a great and spacious location to camp.
It's day 2 now and I tagged along with another hiker from Pennsylvania for next couple days until Shelter Cove. Her gear was probably 1/3 the weight of mine.
This private mansion near Big Flats had it's own airstrip and everything. Tons of dear patrolling the mountains and tidal areas. Big Flats is a common place to camp and nearby to a popular surfer beach. I expect there are lots of issues with the public trespassing in this area.
Expect lots of creek crossings, especially if you are hiking in the early season like I was. There were about 4-5 creeks where I removed shoes and waded through the water. The highest one was up to my knees. Use them an opportunity to clean your feet and take a break!
The final push along the beach to Black Sands and Shelter Cove. I could smell the fresh coffee and limited weekend food availability. The general store is about 2.5 km from the trailhead up a hill, but hitch hiking is very common so that is always an option for resupply (I definitely carried way too much food).
Done the section from Mattole to Black Sands - wahoo! I explored the town for a bit, splurged on fresh coffee and baked goods, then got a ride through town to the start of the southern section of trail.
The southern section of trail feels very different compared to the coastal atmosphere of the northern area. You are walking through dense trees at higher elevations and get occasional views of the ocean.
I chose to sleep at an established campsite which were located a few kilometers from the trail instead of Nick's Camp. While this section of the lost coast trail is rarely used, you can expect to see many people car camping.
Now I'm back in Shelter Cove and returning northbound to my car at the Mattole trailhead. It was a different and beneficial experience hiking the trail in the opposite direction of most other people. Especially fun meeting people at the Black Sands Beach trailhead who were arriving, leaving their cars, and boarding the shuttle.
This old steam engine and army barracks are apparently artifacts left over from the World War (but don't quote me on that).
My favourite photo from the trip - thanks for making it to the end! Hard to tell from the picture, but a southern wind pattern was howling and it was pretty miserable. But this elephant seal was happy as can be, taking a nap in the middle of the trail.
