Hiking California's Most Rugged Coastline

The Lost Coast in California

Up north on the California coast. There is a section of an unspoiled stretch of shoreline so rugged and so steep that modern highway builders deemed it impossible to build a road on. After seeing the terrain, the highway builders high-tailed it outta there to find an easier route. While Highway 1 could tame Big Sur. It couldn't do the same to the rugged Lost Coast as it veers inland 20 miles around this remote section of coastline.

Their retreat left a rare slice of a wilderness trail that's become one of the premier beach-hugging hikes in the world. With the King's Range National Conservation Area and the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park. It is the longest extent of coastline in the continental United States with no developed road beside it. You can tackle this 26-mile trail where you’ll straddle the seam where ocean and land meet. But be at the mercy of tidal forces and unpredictable weather.