This area is so remote that there is only one
organized community: Shelter Cove. The rest of the
conservation area is virtually uninhabited with the King
Mountains sealing it off from the east. Hiking, fishing,
sea-watching and camping are the reasons people come to
visit the Lost Coast. Those who take the trouble to
venture into this area are impressed with rugged beauty
and the truly spectacular vistas along the coastline. A
16-mile trail, in several sections, takes hikers along
the coast.
Getting There
There are three ways to drive into the Lost Coast.
From the south, Usal Road branches off Highway 1,
three miles north of the hamlet and ghost town of
Rockport. This road is unsigned and unpaved. For the
first six miles, Usal Road winds and rises to more than
1,000 feet and then descends to the Usal Beach Campsite.
From the east and Highway 101, take either the
Garberville or Redway exits, drive through Redway and
turn west on Briceland Road. After 12 miles of
driving, turn on the left fork to the hamlet of
Whitethorn. One mile past Whitethorn the pavement ends
but you can continue on the dirt road for another 3.5
miles to the Four Corners, a junction. Left is Usal Rd.
Right is a road climbing into the mountains. Drive
straight ahead and you come -- in another 3.5 miles -- to
the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park Visitor Center.
This last part of the road may be impassable during
winter months. The state park headquarters has trail maps
and camp site information. There are camping areas at Needle Rock near the visitor center where trails
lead to the beach and at the Jones Beach site.
There are drive-in campsites four miles south of Needle
Rock -- at Bear Harbor. This is where the road ends and
the Lost Coast Trail begins. For advance information,
write to the California Dept. of Parks & Recreation,
Eel River District, P.O. Box 100, Weott, CA 95571.
The third access route is from the north, but this
route is recommended only for intrepid drivers with
4-wheel-drive or high-clearance vehicles, and then only
during the dry summer and fall months. Mattole
Road runs south from the Victorian town of Ferndale,
past Cape Mendocino and on toward the only community on
the Lost Coast.
Shelter Cove
Shelter Cove is the only community on this 100-mile
stretch of pristine wilderness. Founded around 1855 as a
seaport to service the farms and interior Humboldt
communities, Shelter Cove became a fishing village in
1928, when the San Francisco Fish Company bought the pier
and surrounding land and started landing salmon for
shipping to San Francisco. The Machi family bought the
company's 40 acres and set up their own fish house.
Anglers come to the cove for many reasons: deep sea
fishing for salmon, ling, rock cod, red & black
snapper, abalone, crab and other shellfish, as well as
surf-fishing for ocean perch and rock fish. There's a
sheltered boat ramp in the cove.
Shelter Cove Road provides access to the King Range
Conservation Area. For current information on the
trail network, contact the BLM offices in Arcata or
Ukiah. The Chemise Mountain Trail is reached via Shelter
Cove Rd. and Chemise Rd. Park at the Wailaki Recreation
Site. The upper trail (3 miles round trip) crosses over
Bear Creek and ascends 1/4 mile along a ridgetop to the
top of Chemise Mtn. (2,596 feet). The trail wanders down
the slope, through an old-growth Douglas fir forest and
ends 1/4 mile from the beach, stopped by landslides. The
walk back is a stiff climb.
The King Crest Trail is reached by taking
Shelter Cove Road to Horse Mountain Road Drive continung
another seven miles and turning on Saddle Mountain Road
for another seven miles to the trailhead. The path leads
along a ridge, through a madrone forest and up through
several switchbacks. At a junction, the right fork leads
to Maple Camp and water. The left fork leads to the
summit and magnificent views -- a five-mile round trip.
Shelter Cove Motor Inn (707-986-7521) on
Wave Drive, has ocean-front units with a view ($$).
Shelter Cove Beachcomber Inn (707-986-7733) has
units with brass beds, fireplaces, stoves and kitchens on
Shelter Cove Rd. ($$).
Mario's Marina (707-986-7432) has a nine-unit
motel in addition to trailer units with kitchens beside
the marina that services sport fishermen with gas,
supplies and bait ($$).
Camping
People with trailers and RVs head for the Shelter
Cove Campground (707-986-7474) which has 100 serviced
sites.
Those who prefer to camp in public campgrounds should
head for Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, or to a
more primitive campsite in the King Range Wilderness.
