Four Days along northern California's Lost Coast

[OTG_1]

Most folks say the Pacific Northwest (PNW) starts at Oregon's southern border. However, there is a sizable contigent of people out there who say that PNW begins in the temperate rainforests dominated by coast redwoods in Mendocino County. The region certainly has that flannel, cruncy-granola vibe with dark and dank forests! But do you know how this 100 mile stretch of California coastline ended up with its name? Back in the 1930s when Highway 1 was being constructed, engineers decided to bypass the rugged King Range, a small but impressive subrange of the coastal ranges that thrusts violently upward from the sea. The result of the Mendocino Triple Junction, where the Juan de Fuca, Pacific, and North American Plates meet. Essentially, it's the Cascadia Subduction Zone running ********** dab into the infamous San Andreas Fault . This decision to route the highway inward, led to the depopulation of local communities, giving the region it's name, the Lost Coast.

Today, the Lost Coast is filled with hearty and quirky individuals-- The back-to-land movement is still strong out this way, while many folks still try to make a living in the marijuana industry (the region is a major producer in the Emerald Triangle with many past CannCup winners), and perhaps the heartiest of the bunch are the folks who make a living from the bounty of the sea. Local establishments like Gyppo Ale House (Shelter Cove) have fresh fish delivered daily from their local fisherman, and sometimes the Fish and Chips was caught just an hour before! The region is home to California's only off the grid public school-- Whale Gulch in northern Mendocino County.

Ever since the mid-90s, I had been eying the King Range. I'd read about the stories of folks driving down to the various beaches like Usal and Big Flat. This was before the King Range Wilderness (2006) was created, closing off large sections of the coast to motorized travel. I really wish I had a 4x4 back then, but I was going into high school with a used Mazda Sedan, and most of my exploring was done on the two wheels of my mountain bike. Looking at the topography of the land and the hiking trails and fire roads that canvassed the landscape, I imagine what it would be like to bomb down Kings Peak (elev 4,091) down to the Pacific, a short 3 miles away!

In 2019, I finished up my MBA. After 4 years of grad school, and effectively going through it while working full time and raising our son, I to spend sometime doing the things I wanted to do (which was a lot less work and school!). Finally, I made it to the Lost Coast, and I've been to half a dozen times since. Sometimes just to camp for a night, and others, like this trip where we drive 300+ miles through the region that I consider my home away from home.
So onto our current adventure! 4 full days of driving and exploring the Lost Coast and Emerald Triangle. A few weeks back I led a group of folks along the 160 mile Lost Coast 4x4 Trail. We'd extend our journey by connecting it with pieces of the Redwood Coast Adventure Trail, which would allow us to explore central Mendocino, including the coastline around Mendocino (township) and Fort Bragg, before shooting northward to the Lost Coast (effectively where the dirt begins). We met up in the old logging town of Willits, and of course it had to be at Lumberjacks restaurant. From Willits we'd head westward toward the coast. Our convoy of vehicles followed the ever meandering pavement of Highway 20 through the redwoods. Hoping to avoid an entire day of nearly pavement, I'd mapped out a short route through the redwood forest of Jackson Demonstration Forest. This was a fantastic warm up for the group, especially for the folks who came from SoCal that aren't quite as used to tall trees and dark forests. My track would lead us to highway 1, and to our first stop fo the day, Big River Beach.

Big River Beach sits just south of the village of Mendocino. It was an exquisite day as the fog had just burned off. And with mild temps in the mid 60s F, it seemed like everyone was down at the beach on this beautiful Wednesday morning. A group was practicing Tai Chi down by the river, and plenty of dogs were running and frollicking in the sand. The Mendocino Coast is hours away from the hustle and bustle of the city and rat race that has consumed the culture of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. The group of strangers was already starting to gel, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. I proposed we head to Noyo harbor for lunch, with some of the freshest sea food on the coast. Our small convoy hit the road once again, but not before making the small loop around the quaint village of Mendocino. New England style architecture dominates the homes here, and you may wonder why so many of them have water towers. Well, it's because when the town was built, locals had to source their water from the many local creeks (before larger reservoirs like Lake Mendocino were constructed), using these water towers as a form to store their drinking water.

Burning the pavement of highway 1 going north, we reached Fort Bragg, and followed the road down to Noyo Harbor, which continues to be one a working harbor with plenty of boats going in and out. The Harbor also features a small number of restaurants and markets, with the Noyo Fish Company being one of the more popular establishments. So that's where we went, enjoying fish and chips, and shrimp tacos, and a few folks may have treated themself to one of the local ales as well. And really, what better social lubrication is there than some tasty food and a tasty drink?

So far, so good, but we needed to get to our camp for the night. This would entail a 45 minute or so drive up highway 1 up towards Rockport, where Highway 1 veers inland. Except that 45 minute drive was closer to 90 minutes due to the various construction and stoppages we encountered heading north. But finally, we were within a mile of Usal Road, the short, but bumpy 6 mile track that would lead us to our camp for the night, Usal Beach. A large turnout and parking lot proved big enough for our group to pull over and air down. With our tires in full jelly mode, we burned the half mile of pavement to Usal Road and quickly began climbing. We spotted our first glimpses of the Pacific a few short minutes later, but man, were things starting to get bumpy. Coming from a Land Cruiser, sometimes it's hard to tell if the roads are rougher or if its just my truck, a 5 ton hulking beast of steel. But after two years of healthy rainfall, it definitely seemed like Usal Road had seen better times! The final two mile stretch to the beach features some of the best views along this stretch of the Lost Coast. As one descends down the mountain, the dark sand of Usal Beach comes into view. There was perhaps 1 vehicle on the beach, a good sign meaning that not many folks would be out camping that night. A good thing, because Usal Beach, like many places in the West has seen an explosion in use, and not everyone seems to be part of the Leave No Trace / TREAD Lightly crowd. Unfortunately, my favorite creekside camp was occupied. This camp sits just east of the creek on solid ground, with the best legal view of the beach and sunset. I say legal, because driving on the sand/beach is not permitted by CA State Parks, though rarely enforced.

We ended up making camp in the alders adjacent to the creek. While we didn't have an ocean view, a short 30 second walk led to the beach (and the creekside camp I was hoping to get!). The group settled into our rather cozy camp under the trees, which ended up creating a nice shelter for the fog that begin rolling in thick that evening. What's interesting about the Lost Coast is that the marine layer rolls in thick in the evening/night, but by sunrise, it's often already burnt off. Would that be the case for tomorrow? Who knows! But with cooler temps and gloomier weather, we happily settled in around the campfire asking questions, telling stories, and sharing a few laughs.

On day 2 we'll head northward along Usal Road. The big question of the day would be where to camp. In the trees of Tolkan Campground, or would we want to brave the crowds to take advantage of the amenities, and ocean views of Shelter Cove?

Watch the adventure on the YouTubez

Day 1: Willits to Usal Beach


Jackson Demo Forest was a nice softroading warm up!


It was a beautiful day at Big River Beach.


Noyo Fish Company was already packed, and it wasn't even 12pm yet!

Solid shrimp tacos, and reasonably priced given how expensive food is these days. Solid B+


Getting closer to Usal Beach!


The views only get better as you head north!


This is the creekside camp I was hoping we'd snag on a Wednesday, but it was taken.


Usal Beach, free of vehicles like it should be.


Camp under the alders.

 

[DirtWhiskey]

Awesome trip report! Magical section of country. I've done some light exploration up there but not a deep dive like this, so thank you kindly for the beta! Each little town has its gems. One of my friends runs one of the best Japanese Izakayas on the planet in Point Arena of all places. Izakaya Gama. Tell them Sean from SLC sent you!

Planning a fall trip to walk the LC trail that will sadly probably be spring. Bookend it with some driving. My rig is rather large. F450 with a flatbed hard side camper. How tight were many of the remote beach access trails?

 

[OTG_1]

@DirtWhiskey
Keep in mind, you can camp NEXT to the beach, but driving on the sand/beach of Usal Road is prohibited by CA State Parks. The road to Usal Beach is a bit rutted, but not tight. There are some overgrown sections as you head north (Usal Road and parts of the King Range NCA), but the Land Cruiser EXP made it through just fine, but definitely picked up a few pinstripes. Watch the video and you'll see

 

[OTG_1]

Day 2 finds us departing Usal Beach, and heading deeper into the Lost Coast. Sadly, or perhaps for the better, most folks very rarely venture north of Usal Beach. I don't like getting caught up in the true definition of overlanding, for one, because everyone seems to have a different idea of what qualifies as overlanding, but if you're just driving six miles down a dirt road to camp for the weekend, I'm not so sure that qualifies

The section of Usal Road from the beach to four corners is 22 miles of eroded, rutted, and bumpy dirt through a dense forest that seldom has views of the coast. Those 22 miles of being jostled around certainly take a toll, especially when you're in a 5 ton full size truck like mine! But it's much better than backtracking to the highway and burning the pavement out to Four Corners! The Four Corners area was once a bustling hub in the region known as Klondike, that featured at least a saloon, and various other amenities to the folks who lived in the area.

We took the dirt road down to Needle Rock Visitor Center, which is really the old ranch house that was built by a family that once ranched the lands here. Today, lucky camp hosts get to stay at the visitor center two weeks at a time while the center is open during summer. We here the waiting list is about 6 years before your name comes up, and I can see why! We'd stop at Needle Rock for lunch, and to explore the various exhibits inside the old ranch house. If you're lucky, you may even catch some of the resident Roosevelt Elk in the area, but there were none on our visit. The views were fantastic as always!

Day 2 would be relatively short in terms of total mileage, so we definitely took our time. Next we were off to the rugged outpost of Shelter Cove. Many decades ago, Shelter Cove was touted as a coastal paradise where land could be bought on the cheap (and still can be). The lots were marketed to folks primarily in southern California, who had no idea just how remote this community is-- a 10 hour, 600 mile drive from Los Angeles! And in fact, man of the lots were deemed unbuildable, something many buyers found out upon visiting the lots they'd bought sight unseen! Today, many of those lots remain undeveloped and for sale, but man, the views of the coast are absolutely astounding! We crested the summit 2,000' above Shelter Cove as the steep ribbon of pavement descended quickly down the mountain leading us to the old Cape Mendocino lighthouse. The lighthouse once resided on Cape Mendocino, but after it fell into disrepair, it was moved to Shelter Cove via a helicoptor and renovated as a public exhibit. Just beyond the lighthouse are a series of tide pools and rocks just off shore, where seals and sea lions like to bask in the sun.

We had a decision to make. Did we want to stay in town taking advantage of the local amenities, including what should be an awesome sunset, or head up the mountain to Tolkan Campground in the trees. We decided to stay at the local campground/RV Park, and our camp just so happened to be right next door to Gyppo Ale House-- the go to drinking establishment in town. With a gap in the fence, we could walk from camp to Gyppo in about 30 seconds. Gyppo is said to be one of the most remote breweries in the state, and they have fresh sea food that's delivered to their back door on a daily basis. Gyppo also has an expansive outdoor patio overlooking the pacific, and outdoor games like cornhole, frisbee golf, and ping pong. After some fresh seafood and plenty of libations, the group was definitely gelling. Plenty of stories and laughs were had throughout the evening and into the night. The fog rolled in once again, and the sun turned into a giant fuzzy orange orb that sunk into the clouds. We vacated Gyppo ale house, and headed for camp, where we all huddled around the warm campfire.




The old ranch house turned vistior center at Needle Rock. Not long ago, you could drive all the way to Bear Habor before the road washed out.


Needle Rock.


Cape Mendocino light house at sunrise (from day 3).


Sea lions enjoying the sun.


Looking south, Usal road is somewhere in those mountains!


Habor seals, cormorants and sea lions!


We were huge fans of Gyppo ale houses super fresh sea food, great beer, and all around great vibe!


The fog and setting sun created a rather surreal sunset!

 

[nickw]

I grew up just North of there, I've done a few bicycle trips down through the area, I think 3, it's pretty wild and out there. A big portion of zone used to be Old Growth redwoods, all logged out. Looks like you guys cut over to the East up around "Murder Mountain"....it's really pretty up there too, did you come out at Bell Springs road near Leggett?

 

[smbisig]

Nice trip report!

 

[OTG_1]

I grew up just North of there, I've done a few bicycle trips down through the area, I think 3, it's pretty wild and out there. A big portion of zone used to be Old Growth redwoods, all logged out. Looks like you guys cut over to the East up around "Murder Mountain"....it's really pretty up there too, did you come out at Bell Springs road near Leggett?

View attachment 847674

We ended up cutting that leg short (more to come on the trip report) and taking Alderpoint Road down to the 101, as there was some haze and smoke coming in from a brush fire out by Indian Valley Reservoir to the east. I did do the entire Dyerville Loop + Bell Springs Road back in March, along with exploring a bunch of stuff in the Kneeland Area. Absolutely beautiful in late winter/early spring.

And lol, murder mountain. That whole area has been the wild west for the last 25 years. Hopefully that's changing a bit as more "normal" folks are buying land up that way these days. I may be one of them if the prices keep falling

 

[OTG_1]

Day 3
After a relatively easy day (in terms of miles driven) on Day 2, we'd be hitting the dirt heading into the heart of the King Range. It's a shame so many folks think driving 6 miles on a dirt road to Usal Beach qualifies as overlanding, when there's so much more to see along the Lost Coast, and the north Coast and North State in general!

The King Range National Conservation Area goes through the heart of the King Range. This is where the Lost Coast is at its most rugged. Kings Peak juts abruptly from the friged waters of the Pacific , reaching 4,091' in less than three miles from the water, and many lesser known peaks and ridges top at at nearly 3k feet less than a mile from the Ocean. The end result is some of the most dramatic geological coastal uplift in the lower 48. One can think the tectonic activity and violent collisions three major plates, and where the San Andreas effectively meets the Cascadia subduction zone (Juan de Fuca / Gorda plate).
The few who do venture north of Usal typically make the mistake of driving Kings Peak Road all the way through. If you're visiting the King Range NCA, you absolutely must drive Saddle Mountain Road up to Horse Ridge, which features spectacular views of the King Range, the azure waters of the Pacific, and the coastal ranges to the east. Stick to Kings Peak Road, and you're bound to miss these impressive views that sit 3,000' above the sea.

But one can only sit and watch views for so long, so northward we went once again! We'd make a quick stop at the Honeydew store, with many folks in the group picking up ice cream and popsicles, as the temps were pushing into the mid-90s, and we heard Garberville and the 101 corridor was 105 F just over the mountain! We'd swing by the county campground along the Mattole River to secure camp, but with temps still hovering around 90F, about half the group decided to stick around rather than make the trek out to Mattole Beach and Windy point. Our original plan was to drive to Windy Point, taking in the views of Propser Ridge along the way, but the cool waters of the Mattole just sounded too damn good on a hot summer day like this one!

Departing AW Way County Park, we continued west bound towards Mattole Beach, veering onto Prosper Ridge that would take us up the mountain. Prosper Ridge features incredible views of Mattole Beach and river mouth, and the Lost Coast looking north towards Cape Mendocino. Unlike the heavily forest ridge lines and mountains of the King Range, this section of the coast is dominated by headlands, with plenty of grass, coyote brush, and some small trees. The wind was really blowing, as evidenced by the thousands of white caps scattered across the ocean. Upon reaching the top of the hill, we began the rapid descent down to windy point. Fully engaged in 4-low and working our way down a series of steep and loose switchbacks, 5 minutes later, we'd arrived at the incredibly picturesque, and aptly named Windy Point.

Holy CRAP was the wind blowing. And yes, Windy Point is aplty named . I'm guessing the constant wind speed was around 25 knots, with some gusts reaching 35-40 knots. I started opening my truck door, which violently flew open-- to the point I was concerned I may have damanged the hinge (luckily it was fine)! With gale force winds in full effect, we lined the 4 vehicles up side-by-side, snapped some photos, and jumped back in our rigs and made our way back up the mountain. Now, the hike to the abandoned Punta Gorda Lighthouse is highly recommended, and once you drop down from Windy Point to the coast, the winds die down dramatically. So if you get the chance to check the lighthouse out, it's well worth it and theere's a resident elephant seal colony right next to it!

If you've ever visited Humboldt County, then you know it's one of the weirder locations in California, and folks along the Lost Coast totally embrace that spirit. Our final stop of the day before camp would be Dr ********'s famous (at least around these parts) truck-in-a-tree. Dr ********, the local physicial was tired of folks not being able to find his house. So he decided to mark the driveway by hanging an old Ford in a tree! 5 minutes later, we were back at camp, pulling cervezas out of the fridge and making our way down to the banks of the Mattole River. It seemed like half the campground was down at the river, and could you blame them? With it's clear emerald waters lazily drifting by, a 6' swimming hole and a nice small cliff to jump from, this was the place to be!


Day 3: Shelter Cove to the Mattole River Valley


View from Horse ridge along Saddle Mountain Road.

The foliage and undergrowth gets pretty darn thick along this section through the King Range NCA!


The road to Windy Point.






Windy Point


Looking north towards Sugarloaf Island and Cape Mendocino.

Dr ******** placed this truck in a tree, simply because he could (and to mark the entrance of one of his many driveways!).


A few of our friends enjoying the clear cool waters of the Mattole-- one of my favorite places on terra firma 100%

 

[OTG_1]

Day 4
And so here we are, our final day on the trail, which would also be our biggest, by far. Luckily, it ended up being a big shorter than planned upon finding the night's camp, but more on that as our story progresses to its conclusion

Ahhh, the Mattole Valley. One of my favorite places in this corner of the world, heck, not just this corner, but just about anywhere. I'd last visited the Mattole during a deluge of rain in late March. The hills were painted a vibrant emerald hue, and pockets of mist clung to the higher slopes below the grey rain clouds that smothered the sky. Being firmly rooted in the middle of the dry season, those green hills had turned gold with the departure of the rains. These hills had given California its name as the golden state. And as we headed north, I'd be reminded of that name as we zoomed up Mattole Road, passing the coyote bush and other shruberry that clung to the steep golden slopes.

Folks that have been doing this for a long time, especially long distance travel, know that pavement is a vital part of the journey. And while we certainly relish our time on dirt and exploring and finding those places that few others have witnessed, the pavement and civiliation often affords experiences not found in the backcountry. The pavement from Petrolia to Cape Mendocino is in god awful condition, even by California standards (but hey guess what, our roads, especially highways have been getting a lot better the last 10 years). But the views, THE VIEWS-- this stretch of pavement is some of the most awe-inspiring in the lower 48. Don't get me wrong, Big Sur is beautiful, but the Mattole feels wild, feral, ready to fall of the edge off the continent and into the sea from the ever present seismic activity. And if you get a chance to drive the stretch in late winter or early spring, those same golden hills glow a vibrant emerald hue.

A giant rock in the sea marks the location of Cape Mendocino. Sugarloaf Rock, and the Cape mark the westernmost point in California, and this is where Mattole Road begins its ascent up the mountain. Quickly gaining elevation via a series of switchback, the light marine layer transformed into a thick and wet fog. The fog was now in full drizzle mode, and wind wipers were engaged. I had hoped the warm air o the interior would keep the fog at bay as we turned onto Bear River Ridge, passing through a cattle gate only to encounter our first traffic of the day-- stubborn cow who needed a bit of prodding from a 5 ton Ram and its horn (the audible kind of horn!). The cows scurried off but the fog remained. A few miles later the pavement had turned to dirt and gravel. With a group of 8 vehicles, the fog kept the trail nice and wet, effectively keeping the dust down. We were closing in on the summit at around 2500', and the fog was thick as ever.

I was going to be really disappointed if the group didn't get to see the views that surrounded us, especially the east side of Kings Peak and the King Range. And then, the fog broke. The warm air of the Eel River canyon acted as a giant barrier right at the summit. Within a few hundred yards, we'd completely emerged from the fog and into the warm sun, and we could tell it was going to be another scorcher! But the views, there they were. For folks who've lived in fog heavy environments like San Francisco's Sunset or Richmond districts, or along the central and north coast, then you know the rejuvenating feeling of emerging from a dense, gloomy fog into the California sunshine. It re-energizes the soul, and in this instance, it seemed to have done the same for the surrounding landsacpe. Bear River Ridge's golden hills descended down to the Bear River, and on the other side of the watershed lie the King Range. Nearly completely cloaked in a dark green of Doug Fir and Tan Oak, a few mountaintop prairies could be seen that only added to the juxtaposition of gold on dark green.
Down the mountain we'd go, and into Rio Dell, where the group decided to refuel. We'd head south on Highway 101, and take the scenic route via Avenue of the Giants that would lead us to Dyerville Bar. While Avenue of the Giants is a nice scenic drive, I'll give you a small tip that all of the locals seem to know about. Take Mattole Road heading west from Dyerville Bar through Bull Creek Flats. This redwood forest is the most impressive on earth. It's the largest contiguous stand of old growth redwoods, which has the highest concentration of 350' trees on earth, and also happens to be the densest known biomass on earth. But we were off to Dyerville Bar. Dyerville Bar is a large gravel area at the confluence of the south fork and main fork of the Eel River. Upstream sits the old Dyerville Truss, which creates a fantastic backshot for photos.

After enjoying a few snacks and snapping a few photos, we were on our way to Dyerville Bar, at least I thought. Well, when you've got folks from southern California in the group, they definitely want the opportunity to snap a few photos with this majestic giants. So we pulled over at Founders Grove, and did just that. 20 minutes later, the convoy of 8 was on the move again along the Dyerville Loop. The ADV Bike crowd has long known about the wonderous dirt roads that wrap, twist, and meander through the heart of the Emerald Triangle. It's certainly true the region has an incredibly dark underbelly, but beauty is quintessential California, with golden rolling hills that top out at over 4,000 feet. Dyerville Bar starts in the lowlands of the Eel River canyon, and quickly climbs its way through the Doug Fir and Tan Oak forests, eventually following the ridgelines, where oak trees begin to take over. I had hoped to launch the drone, but I began to notice a haze in the
distance to our east. That would certainly put a damper on the quality of the videos, especially with the bright, summer sky.

Upon reaching Alderpoint, I knew we had a lot more mileage to burn along Bell Springs, and then potentially back out to the Mendocino Coast or out to Mendocino National Forest for camp, and it was already 2pm. I told the group the terrain along Bell Springs would be very similar to Dyerville Loop (which it is), and that we could drop down to the highway and begin searching for camp. The group eagerly obliged to the second option of searching for camp. Even with marijuana prices in freefall, you'd have almost no idea in these parts, as greenhouses dot the open landscape and seem to be around just about every turn. But I assure you, a lot of folks are getting out of the industry as evidenced by the lisings of land and homesteads you'll find on Zillow these days. I'd been eying a spot along the Eel River south of Garberville for a few years now. I'd zoom by on the 101 and see a few vehicles, maybe even canopies popped up on a bar next to the river. I'd done some sleuthing on Google Maps and figured out the likely route to the bar, so we took a gamble and jumped on one of the side roads. And what do you know, there it was, a dirt road completely ungated, without any no camping signs that led right down to the river.

Upon emerging from the forest, we could see a large group of about a dozen vehicles was already set up next to a nice swimming hole. I was concerned they'd be partying into the night, and that any left over space for our group would put us far away from the cool waters of the Eel. I spotted well worn tire tracks that led downstream through the brush, and so I followed it. It lead to a much smaller river bar about 250 yards downstream, but just big enough for our group. I radioed back to the group to come on over, and we quickly set up camp. It was cerveza time! The water next to camp got to maybe 36" at its deepest, but one of the locals came over looking for their teenage daughters, who they thought had moved downstream to the rope swing. Say what?!

We had to investigate, and 70 yard or so hike downstream led us to the highway overpass, and from it hung a massive rope and a much deeper pool of water (probably 10' deep). And so we spent a good couple hours of our evening swing from the rope, laughing, and recounting our journey thus far. With temps in the mid 90s that day, it was a nice mild evening and we settled in camp around another fire. One might think camping within 100 yards of a highway might be a bit disconcerting, but the 101 really doesn't see much traffic at night in this part of the state. And the occassional droning of vehicle passing by, felt more like white noise than an annoyance. It was a good trip!




This is what Mattole Road looks like in late March! I didn't manage to get many photos on this trip


Emerging from the fog along Bear River Ridge.


Bear River Ridge



Another old photo from a past trip (and my old Lux Cruiser!), this time Dyerville Bar. This shot really shows off the old truss in all its glory!


Quick stop at Founders Grove.


Our private beach along the Eel!


This is how every trip should end!


By far, the best campsite I've ever had that's next to a highway/freeway!

 

[Jupiter58]

Awesome trip, report, and photos. Truly the lost coast. Definitely wish I had done this while on the west coast.

 

[OTG_1]

Awesome trip, report, and photos. Truly the lost coast. Definitely wish I had done this while on the west coast.

And not a single photo of vehicles camping on Usal Beach (which isn't even allowed BTW!)

 

[OTG_1]

Well something cool happened this week after publish the Return to the Lost Coast video on Youtube. A local reached out, and shared with me that his grandfather was actually born at Usal Beach in 1895, a full 12 years before the Eureka-Marin rail line would be completed. His grandfather went on to become the mayor of Fort Bragg, and a park in town bears his name. A park which we'd taken my son when he was 3-4 yo while visiting town! I love stories like these

 

[OTG_1]

And the Gold Medal for trip reports goes to @OTG_1 !!

Take a bow. Terrific contributions to the site. 👏

Thank you, thank you! Wait, you mean there's no REAL prize?! I'm outta here

I'll have to post my 10 days in southern Oregon trip sometime soon. Also heading to the great basin in October for some crazy 1500+ mile journey. Should be a good one as well