Backpack the Lost Coast (North Section) - Mattole to Black Sands Beach

The Lost Coast is truly special but requires proper planning on organization. I highly suggest doing this in the spring or summer as the weather and tides are best for this trip. However, I have done this both in January and June. It is significantly easier and more enjoyable during the spring or summer. 

This is a point to point trip so you either have to shuttle cars or hire a shuttle from Black Sands Beach (trail-end). It is widely suggested to hike north to south for wind reasons, so parking you car at Black Sands Beach and shuttling north. You can hire shuttles for around $100 and it takes about two hours to get to Mattole Trailhead where you start the hike. Contact Blu at lostcoastadventuretours@gmail.com, he took care of us and was both fun and informative. 

Also, you can grab a map at the BLM Center located on the drive into Black Sands Beach or the General Store in Shelter Cove. This proves useful as the trail and camp areas are not marked.

Please remember to practice Leave No Trace (LNT) on this adventure as it is truly a beautiful place and should stay that way!

The great thing about this trip is there is plenty of options for camping at night. Almost every 2 miles is a fresh water source in the form of river or stream that allows you to filter and use water. Therefore you can determine where to camp based on pace, comfort, and how you are feeling each day. You will see lots of wildlife including deer, elephant seals, whales, otters, sea lions, and potentially bears and orcas. Please bring a bear canister as they are required for this trip.

For our trip, we shuttled out of Black Sands Beach with Blue at 7am. We arrived around 9:30am to Mattole Trailhead where there is a bathroom, campsites, and potable water. You need to fill out a backcountry registration tag and attach it to your pack. We then hiked to Spanish Ridge ~9.5 miles to a wonderful river and spent the night in one of the many driftwood shelters you find along the beach. Along the way you will pass a cool lighthouse about 2 miles in and then go through a impassable at high tide section (See below note regarding tides). 

We arrived around 3PM to Spanish Ridge so we had plenty of time to catch the sunset and swim in the river. There are also great campsites before this if you want a shorter first day.

The second day we hiked 6 miles to Big Flat Beach which is a popular second night campground. No tide issues between Spanish Ridge and Big Flat. Most of it is hard pack off the beaches. Similar to Spanish Ridge, Big Flat is a large river that feeds into the ocean and provides water, shelter, and an incredible break for surfers or boogie boards. Each site has plenty of opportunity to explore around. 

We concluded the trip by hiking 8.5 miles to Black Sands Beach on our final day. I thought this was a solid way to break up the days as it gave us a good chunk of time to swim and hang out at Big Flat. (see below regarding tide schedules as you encounter a section that is impassable during high tide).

The last few miles are all on sand so be prepared to grind it out before reaching Black Sands Beach parking lot. There is a loading area below the area where you park your car so you can hike up the road a bit to grab your car and bring it down to load up the troops.

Overall, a truly incredible hike. Hit the general store after for a gatorade and snacks, there is also a gift shop for local gear. Hit me up with any additional questions and happy backpacking!

WARNING - PLEASE CHECK THE TIDE CHARTS! There are two section which you run into on the first and last days that need to be approached at low tide. This is key as you can get stuck or hurt by incoming waves.