Lost Coast Trail

Hike Name: Lost Coast Trail Location: northwest CA Length: 24 Submitted by: DC_Carr Date Submitted: 11/21/08 Rating:	more California trail reviews California national parks California state parks
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Description
The Lost Coast is one of the jewels of California's wilderness system. The King Range Wilderness, of which it is a part, is very remote but only a five-hour drive from the Bay Area. Start in the north, at Mattole, and hike south to Black Sand Beach (BSB). You will find that, doing this, the wind will be at your back. That may sound pleasant enough... imagine what walking north on the SANDY beach in a 25-knot headwind is like!--a sandblaster! The place isn't so LOST on holiday weekends so plan ahead. BEAR CANS are required--renting them at REI or someplace ahead of time is recommended. Another odd thing... current recommendations ask that human waste--your toilet--be buried in WET SAND or gravel on the BEACH. The landscape is very steep and rocky--there just isn't anyplace else to bury it where it will decompose. Take three or four days, do a side-hike up the Rattlesnake Trail (beautiful), and be careful crossing the many streams!

Directions to Hike
From 101, get off at Garberville and drive into Redway, turning left onto the Shelter Cove Road. There are brown highway signs to direct you to King Range NCA. Shelter Cove is about 45 minutes from here, the end of the road. To get to Mattole, take the right Y at Ettersburg Road and follow this for about an hour of tortuous curves through Honeydew, and almost to Petrolia. Turn left onto Lighthouse Road. Mattole is at the end of the road.

Contact Information
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/arcata/kingrange/index.html

That's the King Range's official website. Their number is 707-986-5400. The 825 number is for the BLM office in Arcata, which can also help.

Also check out
www.myspace.com/lost_coast_trail
www.kingrange.blogspot.com

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