Lost Coast backpacking

The Lost Coast is a stretch of California coastline so rugged that roads have not conquered it. The remoteness is a rare respite from the rest of the state. There are no mansions tucked along hillsides or congested lines of traffic winding along the cliffs. Here crumbling gashes of the King Range tower from the sea, blocking the way of everyone not on foot.

Between the cliffs and the sea, the Lost Coast Trail passes along the narrow band of tortured beach. It is the domain of the hiker, a desolate and severe landscape draped by a pristine ecosystem. The path leads from hidden beaches to expansive vistas at dizzying heights above the surf. Apart from sea lions and the occasional troop of Scouts, hikers discover pure solitude. The Lost Coast Trail is one of the finest beach backpacking trips found in the United States, and it has steadily grown in fame and popularity over the years.

Good thing we are not hiking the entire trail in one day! 😀 We will start our backpacking adventure from Mattole to end at Black Sand Beach. The trail is also dog-friendly.

We will head to Wailaki Campground and stay the night there (camping fee: $8) on Friday. The sooner we get there the better as the sites are non-reservable, and will be available on a first come first serve basis! The campground is just 15 minutes from Black Sand Beach where we will park our cars and take the shuttles to Mattole, the starting point of our backpacking trip! Shuttle leaves at 7 am, and it takes about 2 hours to get to the trailhead at Mattole.

We gather our belongings and start the hike around 9:30 am, on 7/1. The first few miles are all deep sand. The sand, gravel, and cobblestones are the reasons that make this hike moderately strenuous. Depending on how many miles we hike, we make sure to camp early to avoid hiking while tides are at their highest. This is a very important concept to understand. If we hike around 6.5 -7 miles, we get to Cooskie Creek which could be a good location for camping, but we would still be in impassable zones. If we still have enough energy to hike 2 more miles, we get to Randall Creek, which is recommended for setting our camps. (approximately 9 miles, 4 hours).

We may need to wake up early in the dark about 1:00 am to pass the impassable zone while the tides are receding.

You need to have headlamps and should feel comfortable to walk along the ocean in the dark. We’ll keep walking till we get to the beginning of impassable zone 3. Depending on when we get to Big Flats, we may have to take a break, and enjoy watching whales and sea lions till the tides recede. It is very important to not hike the impassable zones while the tides are high; otherwise, we will be forced to scramble for higher grounds!

On the 3rd day, we’ll be hiking the shortest distance and we’ll be heading back to Black Sands Beach.

What to bring: bear canister (possible to rent at the offices), instant oatmeals, finger food/snack, hiking/backpacking gears, rain jacket, tent.  Along our route, there are numerous little fresh water springs available, hence, no need to carry so much water with ourselves. It is instead recommended to bring water filters.

You’ll be joining this event knowing that it is NOT a commercial camping event, and you’ll be only paying for the permits and their associated costs . All the other costs such as shuttling to Mattole, food, drinks, is on you.

This is an adventurous hike and you should be aware of all the potential dangers. We highly recommend you read about the Lost Coast trail.

Suggested links

https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/northern-california-hikes/how-to-hike-the-lost-coast-trail/

https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/california/king-range-national-conservation-area