Preserving the Lost Coast, California

If you’re 18 to 35, you may be able to go on this trip for $300 off the listed price, thanks to the Sharon Churchwell Fund. To sign up and get your discount, please call 415-977-5522. No application is necessary. For a full list of Sharon Churchwell trips and other opportunities for young travelers, visit our trips for young participants page.

The Trip

On the northern shore of California stretches the legendary Lost Coast, where the 4,000-foot King Range rises precipitously above the wild Pacific. This dramatic meeting of land and sea is one of the longest segments of undeveloped coastline in the continental United States.

In 1970, an act of Congress made the King Range the nation's first National Conservation Area (NCA), administered by the Bureau of Land Management. In 2006, two-thirds of this NCA -- more than 42,000 acres -- were designated as wilderness, with 35 miles of Pacific coastline as its western border.

Only a few back roads access the area, with coastal Highway 101 and Highway 1 forced inland by the rugged landscape. But the area has become a mecca for backpackers, surfers, abalone divers, mountain bikers and others who brave its far reaches for adventure.

We will be camping and working on lands traditionally used by Mattole and Sinkyone tribes for thousands of years. Occupation of these lands was ceded under duress by treaties in the 1850s. The Bear River Band of Mattole is federally recognized and continues to try and advocate for the land and cultural heritage.

The Project

We will help to maintain the Lost Coast Trail, which is exposed to rain, wind, and the effects of earthquakes, seasonal conditions that yearly reshape the Trail. Snow and rain run-off also affect surrounding creek valleys and the trails that wind through them. Our goal will be to make the trek from King Peak or along the ocean easier to identify and safer for visitors. Along the beach, we will remove marine debris and maintain campsites. As we work we may see gray whales migrating north along shoreline and seabirds skimming waves.

We'll meet Saturday afternoon by 3 p.m. at the Bureau of Land Management's King Range field office near Thorn Junction, California, which is roughly 4.5 hours north of San Francisco or 2 hours south of Eureka by car. An orientation session and dinner that evening will serve as a general trip introduction, and we'll set up an overnight camp in the trees by the bunkhouse. 

The first work day will be Sunday, working with the local Friends of the Lost Coast group removing invasive plants from the beach or working in their native plant garden. We will stay another night in the trees by the bunkhouse, and on Monday morning we will depart for the trailhead and our first coastal campsite.

The following is our planned itinerary; it may be changed in the spring after the BLM has established its projects for the season or based on tidal constraints. The leader will contact participants with a set itinerary prior to the start of the trip.

Monday will be spent getting to our campsite, and the day will be strenuous! We will most likely start with a two-hour or so drive to a trailhead. We will then backpack down to the shoreline (up to five miles) and along the coastline for a mile or two. There we'll set up our first base camp for the week from which we’ll enjoy delicious meals, a variety of work, fine camaraderie, and great coastal views. We may need to move to a different base camp during the week depending on where the agency needs us to work. The Lost Coast Trail has stretches of sand and boulders that are difficult to walk on with a heavy pack and moving camp could be a strenuous four-mile hike. The exact parameters of the trip itinerary will be discussed with each participant before they are finalized.

We’ll spend the rest of the week working on projects, with some time off to relax or explore. We’ll work on the beach and terrace along a wide stretch, cleaning marine debris, maintaining campsites, and doing re-construction on the Lost Coast Trail.

Friday afternoon and Saturday morning will be spent hiking south toward Black Sands Beach, packing out our gear and collective garbage. Depending on our camp location, this will most likely be less strenuous than our hike in. We will return to the BLM field office bunkhouse where everyone is invited to unwind over a celebratory BBQ meal and cold beverages.

Getting There

The closest airport to the Lost Coast is in Eureka, which is served primarily by United Airlines. It's about a 2-hour drive to our meeting place. Other airports include San Francisco and Sacramento (4.5 hours), or Medford, Oregon (5 hours). Return flights should be planned for late Saturday at the earliest. Traveling from any of these airports to our meeting location, participants may be able to arrange carpool rides among themselves.

We recommend coordinating with the trip leader before purchasing non-refundable tickets. The leader will also share information to facilitate carpooling and other coordination among trip participants.

Accommodations and Food

We'll be backpacking into a wilderness area, setting up camps that will serve as our home bases. Participants will carry their own gear and tents, as well as another 10-15 pounds of shared supplies. Food and other odiferous items will be stored in bear canisters, which will be supplied by the BLM.

Come with the attitude that food is part of the adventure. Though we try to satisfy our trip members with the variety and quality of our meals, we will not have access to refrigeration and our food cache must be protected from animals. These considerations affect our menu planning. We serve a delicious, nutritious, vegetarian-friendly menu with a variety of meat, nut, dairy, and soy products to provide ample protein. 

Before applying for the trip, people with food allergies or strong food preferences should contact the cook to see whether reasonable accommodation can be made.

In our group commissary everyone takes a turn assisting the cook in food preparation and cleanup. All meals are included in the trip price, beginning with dinner on the first day and ending with lunch on the final day, our farewell BBQ with our BLM work crew. 

Trip Difficulty

This trip is considered strenuous and best suited for experienced backpackers. Hiking while carrying heavy loads across rocky trail and sandy beaches is challenging! Even when the terrain is flat. Trail maintenance and beach cleanup is demanding physical work, but work usually includes a range of tasks to fit varying abilities. The meandering weeklong hike covers varying distances each day from the trip starting to ending points. 

The shoreline and coastal plains and mountains make for a beautiful setting, but coastal camping and work is exposed to the elements -- wind, sun, and moisture. It's a rich and remarkable environment, but much different from spending time in a forest! To protect this ecosystem and the limited areas available for camping, human waste must be deposited and buried below the high-tide line, which will be another new experience for most of us.

Weather conditions can be variable in the spring, but temperatures are mostly mild. Be prepared for everything from 80 degrees and sunny to socked-in fog. Rain, in typical North Coast fashion, is quite possible -- and windy conditions are almost certain. Nights and mornings can be chilly and damp.

Health and safety are high priorities on our outings, and we find that self-awareness and preparation by everyone involved can help to ensure a successful and enjoyable week for the entire group. With these concerns in mind, the leader will document for you well in advance how to protect yourself from poison oak, ticks, sun and other hazards of the coastal environment. Due to the remote location for this trip, evacuation insurance is strongly recommended.

Equipment and Clothing

The Bureau of Land Management will provide the tools and training for the work project. In addition to your regular camping gear, come prepared to work with sturdy boots, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and leather work gloves. Your backpack will double as a day pack to carry your lunch, water, raingear, sunscreen, etc. Both your leader and BLM staff recommend that you bring and use trekking poles. They can be indispensable during our hikes, even for the most seasoned hiker. Consider them a tool to ensure your safety and a means to prevent sprained ankles.

You must bring personal eating utensils, such as bowl, cup, and spoon. A plastic food container or two with tight-fitting lids is necessary for carrying your lunch to the work site each day.

The leader will carry a first-aid kit for emergencies, but you should bring your own first-aid kit, including personal medications. A full equipment list will be sent to you after you've been accepted onto the trip. If you have questions, please contact the trip leader.

References

• BLM: King Range National Conservation Area: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/california/king-range-national-conservation-area
• Wikipedia: King Range Wilderness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Range_Wilderness
• Lost Coast Trails: Website/Blog from the Lost Coast Ranger: https://lostcoasttrails.wordpress.com/

Conservation

Land in the King Range was first set aside for public ownership in the 1920s. Congress has subsequently declared the Range a National Conservation Area, designating two-thirds of its 68,000 acres as wilderness. It is a uniquely wild stretch of California coastline for all to enjoy. 

Even in so remote a setting, we'll have a close-up view of how pollution -- in the form of marine debris -- knows no international boundaries. Plastics and other materials from throughout the coastal Pacific and oceangoing vessels continuously wash ashore and threaten many types of marine life.

In addition to helping remove some of this ocean-borne trash, we'll learn from local stewards about the challenges of managing public lands and balancing competing demands upon these shared resources -- particularly given the growing popularity of the King Range and Lost Coast.

Since its founding in 1892, The Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our own backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

Service outings, in particular, stand out as one of the Sierra Club’s most important “boots on the ground” conservation efforts. The work done by service trip participants in our nation’s public lands is a way of practicing conservation in the most direct way possible, whether it’s improving access while preserving wilderness values, restoring wildlife habitat, or repairing human-caused damage to a natural area. Service trips are a great way to pitch in and do something tangible to make the world a better place; they’re a way to go beyond just talking about conservation; a way to get out there and experience conservation with your whole being.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.