Your Guide To Hiking The Lost Coast: California’s Most Remote Beach
The Lost Coast isn’t the longest trek I’ve ever been on. Nor is it the highest, coldest, or the most rugged. But this 25.5 mile stretch of sand, rock, and standing water is the most remote experience I’ve had in my life thus far. It’s beloved enough that permits must be planned many months in advance, but you encounter very few people on the hike nonetheless. It’s easy enough that anyone in moderate shape can complete it, but misjudging the tidal zones could result in death.
Its remoteness results in a uniquely raw and undisturbed setting. Any willing hiker can complete the LCT — the 72-year-old I met on Day 2 is a testament to that. But it takes a lot of planning. I’ve compiled everything you need to know to make it from Mattole Beach to Shelter Cove. If this rundown can help just one person plan their adventure it will have been well worth my time.
Stats:
- Distance: 25.5 Miles
- Location: Northern California (about 230 miles north of San Francisco)
- Average Time To Completion: 2–4 days
- Route Type: 1-way (requires a shuttle from Shelter Cove to Mattole Beach where the hike starts)
- Elevation: <1,000 feet (mostly beach)
- Hazards (in order of concern): Impassable tidal zones, cold/wet weather, poison oak, ticks, and rattle snakes
What Is The Lost Coast?
The Lost Coast is the most undeveloped stretch of the California Coast. Most of the coast can be easily accessed using the famous Highway 1. Due to the steepness of cliffs leading to the ocean and other geotechnical challenges, this area was never developed aside from a small nearby community called Humboldt County. In recent years, the LCT has been a major draw for adventure-seekers hoping to see the Pacific Coast in all its undisturbed beauty.
How Can I Get A Permit? (or, hold up… we need permits??)
Yes, dear reader. Yes you do. Even though the LCT is still relatively unknown outside of Northern California, it is very difficult to get a permit. Only 30-60 permits are allotted per day. Permits are on a first come, first serve basis at Recreation.gov. Each permit size is limited to up to 3 persons, although certain commercial groups (non-profits, scouts, etc.) may obtain a Special Recreation Permit for up to 15 people. Crucially, permits for the upcoming calendar year are released on October 1st. They will sell out within minutes so mark your calendar!!!
We got our permits 45 minutes after the lottery opened and the best date available was March 2nd-6th. On one hand, hiking during the winter meant fewer people on the trail. On the other hand… we had to hike during winter.
How The Heck Do We Get There?
The Lost Coast Trail is located in Kings Range National Conservation Area; which is located in the northwestern corner of California. While its remoteness is part of the draw, it isn’t the easiest trail to access. Typically folks park their car at Shelter Cove and take a shuttle service up to Mattole Beach. While there are other options, having a car waiting for you when you’re tired, wet, and stinky at the end of the trek makes this the most obvious route to take. I’ve shared a few common entry points below:
- Fly to San Francisco → 4.5 hour drive to Shelter Cove(recommended)
- Fly to Eureka Airport → 1.5 hour drive to Shelter Cove (local, more expensive flights)
- Fly to Sacramento Airport → 5.5 hour drive to Shelter Cove (also an option)
As you can see, it is a roundabout journey to the start of the trail at Mattole Beach. Lost Coast Adventure is the only shuttle service I would recommend. There are 1–2 other vendors, but they offer much higher price points. Our driver, Mike, was super friendly and even gave us a tour guide of sorts as we passed through Humboldt County. We were also able to rent bear canisters through them as well, which we sized up against our food supply during the shuttle.
How Much Does It Cost?
Assuming you own all the necessary gear, there aren’t that many costs associated with this trip. Transportation is the most notable:
- Permits: $6/person
- Shuttle: $95/person + ~$15-$20 tip
- Bear Canister Rental: $20 for BV 500, $30 for BV 450. Yes, the smaller canisters cost more. We required one 500 and one 450 for three people and it was tight on the first day. The shuttle company will let you try out packaging and switch your reservation on the day of the shuttle if you need to do so
- Map: Free at trailhead! This is the most detailed map I could find. It’s not really worth buying another one online
- Misc. Costs: Car rental, flights, gear, food
So You Mentioned Gear?
I’ve outlined all essential gear to not only survive your trip, but to enjoy it as well:
- Printed permit! (rangers will likely check that you have this)
- Sleeping bag + liner (I recommend a sleeping bag that goes down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Sleeping pad
- Pillow
- Wind-resistant, water-proof tent
- Headlamp + extra batteries
- Microfiber towel
- Cup/Bowl/Plate/Utensil
- Water containers (2 liters is plenty)
- Water filters (the Sawyer filter is my favorite)
- Hiking boots
- Wool socks
- Ponchos
- Hand warmers
- Toilet paper + shovel (this isn’t Disneyland… we’re required to bury our waste at least 200 feet from water sources and campsites)
- Fire kit (this one was a godsend with all the wet wood we had to deal with)
- Tick remover (better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it)
- Jet boil + fuel
- Hiking poles (given the rough terrain, these are well worth bringing)
- First-aid kit
- Miscellaneous gear to bring at your own discretion: A compass, phone charger, rope, electrolytes, warm/water-proof clothing, water shoes, sunglasses, brimmed hat, multi-tool
What Was Your Itinerary?
If you’re still with us, you have everything you need to know to successfully get to the start of the Lost Coast Trail. Congratulations! Our itinerary worked quite well and I’ve summarized it below.
Our permits were from March 2nd-March 6th. Closer to the date, we decided to do the trek in 3 days. On March 2nd, we left San Francisco at 7:00 AM. Our shuttle to Mattole Beach was scheduled for 12:30 PM. We set off on our hike at 3:30 PM and managed to make it to Seal Lion Gulch Camp (4.5 miles away) a half hour before the 6:10 PM sunset.
On Day 2, we made the long hike from Sea Lion Gulch Camp to Buck Creek Camp. This was about 15.5 miles and we admittedly pushed it to get into camp before this section became impassable. Finally, on Day 3, we hiked from Buck Creek Camp to Black Sand Beach (5.5 miles).
Sea Lion Gulch is probably the most beautiful campsite on the trail, so I recommend building this into your itinerary if you can. It is on a stunning cliffside with a breathtaking view of the coast and Seal Rock. In hindsight it may have been nice to camp at Mattole Beach prior to Day 1 so we could have taken our time on the first day. I certainly would have liked to better acquaint myself with the tide pools and sea lions we passed. But other than that, I don’t think we would have altered our plans much.
Can We Discuss The Elephant in the Room… The Impassable Tides??
This brings me to the section everyone who has heard of Lost Coast is dying to learn about. LCT is unique because there are 3 impassable zones making up 9.5 miles of the hike. These are stretches of the beach that become entirely covered by the tides for a portion of the day. Naturally I assumed this was overblown. If tides started lapping on my feet, I initially assumed that I could just bail to higher ground. That is not the case!! The cliffsides in these zones are massive and steep. While it is simple to plan around impassable zones, being trapped in one can very easily result in death.
Additionally, the rough terrain makes for a far slower pace than you may be accustomed to. I consider myself a fast hiker, and we clipped along at about 2 miles/hour. Most people can hit 1–1.5 mph on the trail so plan accordingly with impassable zones.
- Impassable Zone 1 starts about 1.9 miles from Mattole Beach and is a quick quarter-mile stretch just before the lighthouse. This is passable under 5 feet of tide
- Impassable Zone 2 starts about 5.30 miles from Mattole Beach and is 4 miles of rocky terrain. This is passable under 2.5 feet of tide
- Impassable Zone 3 starts about 17.5 miles from Mattole Beach and is 4 miles of rocky terrain. This is passable under 3 feet of tide
Cooskie Creek and Buck Creek are both campsites within the impassable zones. I found this was a great hedge if we had uncertainty about whether we could make it all the way out before high tide. This of course also meant that we had to learn how to read a tidal map.
How The Hell Do You Read a Tidal Map?
Impassable Zones cannot be hiked through when the tide is greater than around 3 feet above low tide. I’ve shared a tidal map below for example. There is a helpful government site which allows you to input location and dates to determine when these zones are passable. Using the below example, on 3/3 between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM the tide was forecasted to go below 3 feet. This means Impassable Zone 3 was generally safe during that window. With that being said, never turn your back to the sea!
These are only forecasts. Inclement weather may alter patterns and there isn’t cell service on the hike. We completed impassable zone 3 about 30 minutes before the window closed and it was rather scary. There were portions where the entire beach was covered with ocean. All this talk about tidal zones and death is not meant to scare you away from the Lost Coast. As a rule-of-thumb, if you plan to be out of the tidal zones an hour before the window closes you should be in the clear. With that covered, let’s focus on a more fun topic.
What Fun Wildlife Can We Expect?
There is a stunning array of wildlife spread across the hike. My favorite was the stretch of sea lions near the Punta Gorda Lighthouse. We were minding our business; paying little heed to our surroundings when I nearly ran face-first into a seal lying on the path. Until he began yelping I assumed he was just another rock! Over the next 2 miles we saw over a hundred sea lions on the beach. At Sea Lion Gulch Camp there was a rock in the ocean with dozens more below us. They had a very different bed time than us but other than that they were lovely neighbors.
Tidal Pools were also very frequent along the hike. These were crawling with star fish, sea enemas, birds, and fish. Like most other hikers, we saw bear tracks but did not encounter any furry friends. Bear spray is not necessary. Deer, cows, and coyotes are also very prevalent on the hike. I’m told that whale sitings are also very common off the coast.
Is There Any Not So Fun Wildlife?
There are 3 hazards you’re most likely to encounter:
- Deer Ticks: The trail has a lot hiding out in the tall grass. I highly recommend a tick removal kit, tick spray, and hiking pants/socks that don’t leave open skin below the waist
- Poison Oak: I fell victim to this terrible fate. In hindsight I wish I did a better job of studying what it looks like (since it was winter the plant didn’t have leaves). I also wish I made a bigger point of washing my hands and legs throughout the day
- Rattle Snakes: We didn’t see any, but most hikers reported encounters. They warn you from a long ways off, so as long as you’re paying attention, rattle snakes should not pose a serious risk
What Is The Weather Like?
Any time of the year, you will likely encounter a roller coaster of weather patterns on the Lost Coast. Since we were still technically in the winter season, we experienced temperatures in the 30s-40s (Fahrenheit) along with heavy rain and even hail one evening. It was also sunny and warm at other times. Windiness is very common, although typically it goes from North to South so you can expect a tailwind at your back the entire hike.
Layers are key since you may need to switch outfits multiple times a day. Between the rain and the tides it is also a rather wet hike. A micro-fiber towel, tent tarps, and ponchos are great for ensuring your gear doesn’t get soaked. The only weather you likely won’t need to worry about is extreme heat.
Is Water Readily Available?
Like all treks, you will need to filter your water. There are many streams on the hike, so we did not need to plan out filtration spots. Since it was so cool, we also didn’t need to filter water through out the day. I drank 1 liter in the morning, 1–2 liters on the hike, and 1 liter in the evening. We filtered water at camp in both the morning and the evening each day.
FAQs
- Are dogs allowed? Yes. Just be sure your canine can handle the rough terrain
- Can I surf? There is some gnarly swell, but people (way cooler than me) do bring their boards here
- Are permits transferrable? No
- What do I do in case of an emergency? Service is non-existent, so your best option is to have satellite (now included on iPhone!)
Closing Thoughts
My most serene moment came on Day 2 after waking up before sunrise on Sea Lion Gulch. The cliffside 100 feet from our tents dropped off onto a beach below that was entirely impassable for half of the day. A quarter-mile into the ocean, 50 sea lions vied for real estate on a massive rock sitting in the Pacific. The sun slowly edged over the mountains and brightened everything the eye could see.
While sipping instant coffee from my metallic REI mug I was overfilled with joy. I felt so lucky to be in such a remote space with people I cared about. The day ahead was certain to be full of varied and exotic beauty. Other than the two hikers we encountered several hours later, all of this was ours. In a world where everything is accessible, crowded, and commoditized this remote paradise was patiently waiting for those willing to seek it out. My advice to you… take the time to plan your adventure to The Lost Coast. I promise you won’t regret it!
