Wander the West

Mattole Beach - Lost Coast of California

	Sunset at Mattole Beach

January 2007

I made a stunning discovery on my last road trip that I hesitate to write about. It's one of those spots that is so amazing, and so little known, that I kind of want to keep it a secret. This is a small site so I'll go ahead and reveal the location and we'll keep it among ourselves, OK? Mattole Beach on the northern part of the Lost Coast of California is the spot I am referring to, and quite a spot it is!

I was in Ferndale, California and needed a dog-friendly campground, which was hard to find in the area. On the map, Mattole Beach campground looked like a good option that wasn't too far away. This is a perfect example of how lines on a map do not tell the entire story. Mattole road between Ferndale and the beach was the steepest, windiest paved road I have ever traveled. At one point, the road was so steep and rough that my anti-lock brakes would engage as my wheels skipped off the ground as I was bouncing down the grade. Finally after about an hour of treacherous driving I reached the tiny town of Petrolia, then made a right on lighthouse road and finished the drive to Mattole Beach.

I have read that the Lost Coast can be a bit busy at times - this is California after all. My visit was in early October and there were only a few people at the campground and I never saw another soul on the beach. The weather was near perfect as well. The campground has 14 sites and is just 8 dollars per night. I got up early the next morning and went for a long run down the beach. There is a trail that starts at the campground that leads to the adjacent Kings Range National Conservation Area. The trail runs through grassy areas of the dunes in some places which are packed enough for decent running, but spills out onto open beach in other places which isn't the greatest running surface but the awesome scenery made the effort worthwhile. At one point, a group of sea lions were floating about 50 feet out with just their heads visible above the water. Diego took a long look at them and decided that the scene of these strange creatures staring at him and bobbing up and down in the water was a little scary, so he trotted off and saved face by just pretending like he didn't see anything unusual. Farther up the beach I could see the Punta Gorda Lighthouse Ruins but it was too far for me to run to on this day.

My short stay at the beach was really wonderful. I was tempted to stay for a few days but I had places to be so I had to leave after just a single night. The Lost Coast has a lot to explore and I hope to be back next summer for an extended stay.

Mattole road makes a loop and intersects Highway 101 at Humboldt Redwoods State Park. I figured that the drive from the beach to Highway 101 must be better than the stretch of road from Ferndale but I was wrong. It's nearly as steep and windy in both directions. I guess that's why it is called the Lost Coast - it's nearly impossible to get to!

- Aaron Walton