The Lost Coast is in the Kings Range National Conservation Area and is located along the Northern California coastline between Ft Bragg and Eureka. There is one section which is comprised of 24 miles of coastline which most people hike between Shelter Cove and the Mattole River. Adjacent to the south is the Siskyone Wilderness State Park. Both areas have trails inland also, but most people prefer to hike along the beach north of Shelter Cove. You'll also see local surfers hiking into Big Flat. They usually make camp in driftwood shelters along the beach. I don't recommend this after seeing the spider bites on one surfers legs. He had large bumps on his legs with rings around them. He was headed out to see a doctor. You also need to watch out for poison Oak and Timber Rattlesnakes. Take a good tent. The sign at the beginning of the trail told of 120 mile an hour winds the pervious winter. Also take a tide chart which I was able to purchase at a small store in Shelter Cove. There are several areas where you can only pass at low tide. You may want to use short gaiters to keep rocks out of your boots, and hiking poles for those times when you have to walk on the wet rocks. One warning about hiking along the coast, you can never predict Rouge Waves. These waves seemingly come up out of no where and can easily catch people on the beach. They occur in any kind of weather.

To hike the Lost Coast you only need a fire permit, which you can obtain at any BLM or Forest Service office. You can buy a map, but I obtained a free one in the mail from the BLM office in Arcata(707-822-7648). It was about a 5 hour drive to Shelter Cove from Sacramento. There are plenty of campgrounds nearby if you need a place to stay before and after your hike. Tide charts are available at bate shops and small stores in the area. Tide charts are different for different areas, so wait till you get there to buy one. You can also get tide information for Eureka by Clicking here.

If you don't want to hike from one end of the Lost Coast and back you might be interested in a shuttle. If you are willing to pay for the service check out this web site. I don't know how much they charge, but considering that it takes about two hours to drive to the other end it won't be cheap. http://www.copeaks.com/Roxanne/