Trail Guides
Lost Coast Trail Backpacking Guide
Last updated: June 2026
By Brooke1 min read
Share this post
Send it to someone who's planning a trip.
Overview
Start With The Tide
Most hikers walk south from Mattole Beach to Black Sands Beach after leaving a vehicle or shuttle at Shelter Cove. BLM lists the northern section at 24.6 miles and recommends at least three days. The route is moderately level on paper, but sand, rounded rock, creek crossings, wind, and tide timing make the effort feel slower than the mileage suggests.
At a glance
Trail at a glance
Route
Mattole Beach to Black Sands Beach
Permit
King Range overnight permit
Distance
24.6 miles
Main risk
Tide-locked beach sections
Bear storage
Hard-sided canister required
Typical time
3-4 days
Permits & logistics
Permits & logistics
Permit
Overnight wilderness permits are required for King Range Wilderness trips and are booked through Recreation.gov.
Permit
Permits use a rolling reservation window, and the permit date must match the day your group starts.
Permit
Hard-sided bear canisters are required for food, scented items, and trash. Bear bags are not accepted.
Permit
Check current fire restrictions before packing a stove or planning a campfire.
Plan Around Tides
There are three places where the ocean can pin hikers against rock: near Punta Gorda, Sea Lion Gulch to Randall Creek, and Miller Flat to Gitchell Creek. Do not publish or trust sample tide times as evergreen. Check NOAA Shelter Cove station 9418024 for the exact dates, then use the current BLM and Recreation.gov passability guidance before booking a permit. Enter tide-dependent stretches on an outgoing tide and leave a buffer for slow sand, rounded cobbles, swell, and fatigue.
Permits And Rules
BLM requires overnight wilderness permits for King Range Wilderness and Backcountry Management Zone trips. Individual permits are booked through Recreation.gov on a rolling reservation system. The permit holder needs to carry the permit, group size is capped by availability, and rangers check permits at trailheads and on trail. Pack a hard-sided bear canister for food, trash, and toiletries, and verify the current fire rule before you leave home.
Route Breakdown
Southbound travel usually gives hikers a clean shuttle pattern: park near Black Sands Beach, ride to Mattole Beach, then walk back toward Shelter Cove. The miles are low, but the beach is slow. Build an itinerary around tide windows first, then plan water by source type: coastal creeks are the supported main source class, every source needs treatment, and no individual creek should be treated as guaranteed. Keep the Sinkyone Wilderness section separate from this route unless you are deliberately adding a different extension with different rules.
Trail breakdown
Trail breakdown
Mattole Beach to Punta Gorda
Ease into beach travel, pass the lighthouse area, and watch for wildlife near Punta Gorda. This first tide zone is short, but it still belongs in the tide plan.
Punta Gorda to Randall Creek
This is the section that usually controls the trip. The Sea Lion Gulch to Randall Creek zone is the long committed stretch and must be walked when the tide is low enough for safe passage.
Randall Creek to Big Flat
The route alternates beach, bluff, and creek mouths. Use coastal creeks as planning opportunities, not promises: filter every source and keep enough reserve if a creek is dry, silty, or unsafe to cross.
Big Flat to Black Sands Beach
The final major tide problem is Miller Flat to Gitchell Creek. Once through it, the last miles trend toward Shelter Cove and the Black Sands Beach trailhead.
Highlights
What you’ll remember
Punta Gorda Lighthouse
A landmark early in the southbound walk, with the first short tide-controlled passage nearby.
Sea Lion Gulch To Randall Creek
The trip's most consequential tide window, with a long exposed shoreline and no easy refuge.
Big Flat And Miller Flat
A wider coastal bench that gives many hikers their best second-night options before the final tide zone.
Hazards & safety
Hazards to plan for
Tide Windows
Do not treat low tide as automatically safe. BLM and Recreation.gov name three impassable zones, and the exact passability call belongs to your trip dates, tide chart, and marine forecast.
Sneaker Waves And Surf
The route is exposed to cold water, undertow, rip currents, and wave surge. Stay out of the water and check marine forecast, swell height, and swell period before the trip.
Creek Crossings
BLM sources support coastal creeks as the generally reliable water class on the beach route, often year-round, but they do not give a named-creek guarantee. Treat or filter every source, check current King Range conditions, avoid relying on upland springs, and do not cross above knee height.
Wildlife And Food Storage
Give elephant seals and other wildlife space, keep a hard-sided bear canister, and pack out toilet paper and wipes.
More from Trail Guides
Vermont Long Trail: The Complete Thru-Hiker's Guide
The Vermont Long Trail runs the length of Vermont along the main ridge of the Green Mountains, from the Massachusetts border to the Canadian border. It is the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States and the Green Mountain Club is still the route's central steward. The Appalachian Trai
Brooke Wilder
8 min read
PCT Washington: White Pass to Stevens Pass (Sections I and J)
The stretch of Pacific Crest Trail from White Pass to Stevens Pass covers roughly 170 miles of Washington's most varied high-country terrain. This is two full PCT sections end to end: Section I from White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass (about 98-99 miles), and Section J from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass
Brooke Wilder
31 min read
Get one honest gear take every Friday.
No spam. Just gear picks, packing lessons, and notes from this week's research.
Why trust BestForBackpacking
Honest gear advice for backpackers, researched, weighed, and recommended.
Every pick is based on deep research: a synthesis of long-term owner reports, independent reviewer tests, and manufacturer specs, weighted by source independence, specificity, and use-case match. Brooke Wilder is our gear editor, the editorial persona who turns that research into a clear recommendation.