Lost Coast; let's talk about it. Anyone want to go?

So, I've read about the Lost Coast drive and I plan on checking it out next month.

As always, when I ask about some place, I'll actually go and report back with pictures.

With that being said, I'm looking to find what's the most recommended camp spot, and which drive (scenic route) to take?

I was hoping to take a few days off; one to drive to the campground and stay the night, and the next day to get up early and drive through one of the scenic routes and drive back home.

 

Cant help, but sub'd for outcome and pics

 

Would be awesome if someone, or a couple of people, decided to come along.

 

Have you searched the dozen or so other threads asking this same question here in the NorCal section yet? There’s that.

And then on to my recommendation.

Drive and stay at Usal Beach for the first night. I like to stay off the beach and back near the creek. It’s sheltered from the wind and the asshats.

The lost coast road is usually seasonal because it’s a dirt road that is unmaintained. The locals use it daily. You will pass Subaru’s, Prius, #vanlifers, bustedass beaters and expo rigs.

I would suggest an overnight stay at Needle Rock but the road slid out and it’s closed. That place is pretty rad. There are a few campsites there but the standout is the fact that you can rent the “barn”. Super killer views.

Stay over night at Shelter Cove. Just let it be know the fishermen make a living out of that cove and they start their days at 4am. They have black sands beach which you can drive on(like Usal Beach).

If you want more fun, head up to Samoa and eat at the Famous Samoa Cookhouse.

I have more recommendations, but I don’t feel like pecking at my screen anymore.

 

Lol I did check the threads, though my google-fu sucks and I only pulled up stuff from 2015 and before.

Thanks for the recommendations on the campgrounds, that's really where the money's at.

 

I don't know about the dirt road part but I've done the Lost Coast from Avenue of the Giants to Fortuna on a motorcycle a couple times. Great ride. One lane road. Watch out for massive potholes.

 

Since the significant other won't be able to take the time off, this may get pushed back at a later date.

I'm looking at something closer like Usal Beach. Even though there was a fire out there due to fireworks, the campground is still open.

 

Parts of that road are paved and parts are just graded gravel road. The views of the ocean are unmatched. If you end up at Mattole Beach, stay overnight. The night sky is worth it.

 

This is the beginning of the Avenue of the Giants

 

I’ve got a photo of my Tacoma squeezing through there in 2015. I had about 2 inches per side and a few up top. I tried to find the pic, but damned if Apple has changed crap around on me again. Anywho, my truck would never fit through that tree nowadays.

 

Paging @MeefZah to this thread.

 

Here I is!

Here's my Lost Coast thread on T4R. You gonna have to sort through some garbage posts to get to the good shit, but it's in there: OP, Depending on when you come up I might be able to meet you. I'm in Alaska for a month starting Aug 26 though.

 

My buddies and I are doing a kayak trip at the end of the month from Shelter Cove to Usal beach. Always a crazy adventure.

 

Now that sounds like it would be worthy of the “epic” descriptor.

 

Never been but I might be down! let me know the dates!

 

My humble understanding of the Lost Coast is it is the only stretch of beach in California without Highway 1. I did it on foot. Get out of the truck and hike the damn thing! You'll see 10x more wildlife (Otters, bears, snakes, frogs...).

 

A friend said he hiked it for 3 days and didn't see another person.

 

In case it helps: when I'm watching TV in the evenings I spend a lot of time throwing interesting-looking routes into GaiaGPS in case I'm in that area looking for a trail to run. I've done that with a lot of the routes @MeefZah mentioned in his T4R thread (as best I could from the descriptions, at least) as well as with some other routes in that area from other sources. With one exception these are all described as being much more scenic than difficult... I haven't done any of them, for the record. Here's what I've got in the general Humboldt/Mendo/Lost Coast area:

Lost Coast proper:
"Lost Coast Beach" - This is the Usal Beach area
King's Peak Road - Extends trail north of Shelter Cove

Other Misc Humboldt/Mendo:
Mattole Road
"MeefZah's Route" - Bear River Ridge, Redwood House, Showers Pass
Avenue of the Giants to Dyerville Loop
Devil's Backbone - this one is supposedly a sorta difficult trail, and I'm less sure on the precise route at the south end
Sherwood Road - A little way south near Fort Bragg, but a similar area of the world

I've got a bunch more in the Del Norte/Siskiyou/Trinity area north and east of here too, if anyone is headed up there and interested in more of the area let me know and I can post some of those. Grew up in Del Norte so some of that I HAVE done.

 

Thanks for naming one for me! LOL

Devil's Backbone is mildly tricky because it has some significant hills and the trail curves through tight trees on at least one of the downhills; with any traction loss you risk sliding and hitting a tree. There's a couple spots where you need 4LO and good clearance and approach / departure angle as you enter washes at a perpendicular. I just went and powered on my GPS to check the coordinate of the waypoint at the southwest end of the trail but I apparently deleted it or something. Regardless, if you run it north to south (off of 36) you'll find your way out. It is gated in the wet season.

All the other stuff is, as noted, more scenic than hard, but you'll get dusty (or muddy if it's winter). It's fun to slide around on the gravel and every so often there's great vistas and awesome photo ops.

Usal and Ft Bragg-Sherwood are closed with gates in the wet season. Kings Peak is open year round. Most of the other roads in the King Range are dead end but all are scenic fun.

If you can expand the definition of "Lost Coast" to include areas east, the Shasta-Trinity, Mendocino, Six Rivers National Forests all have tons of dirt / fire roads for exploring.

 

I was interested in a Lost Coast Adventure a couple months ago. I would be interested in setting something up.