Today was our fourth and final day on the Lost Coast Trail. The last day of any backpacking trip is always bittersweet. We looked forward to sleeping in a bed and eating a meal that wasn’t rehydrated. Yet we want to linger and savor the sense of peace and connectedness we’ve enjoyed on the trail.
Time: 5 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation gain: 75 ft
Dogs: Yes
When to go: Year-round
Our tide chart told us that high tide peaked at 7:45am. We broke camp in the morning mist and headed south down Miller Flat. One mile south of Big Flat Creek, the terrace ends and the trail heads down to the beach. We arrived a bit early, and the surf still lapped the rock outcrops. We dropped our packs and enjoyed the smell of the salt air and the sound of the waves crashing. The cobbled beach stones chattered as the surf pushed and pulled them down the beach.
Soon we were joined by two other groups of backpackers. The first — an older group of four brothers and their father; the second a group of three twenty-somethings — one hiking barefoot. One by one each group started back down the Lost Coast as the tide began to recede. We unconsciously created space between each party, so we still had the sense of having the trail mostly to ourselves.
The entire Lost Coast Trail is beautiful and surprisingly diverse. But this 4.5 mile section from the south end of Miller Flat to Gitchell Creek may have been my favorite section of the trail. You walk on the beach. The mountains and the forest drop precipitously down to the beach itself. At high tide, the surf meets the forest.
The close proximity of thick forested hills provides hiding spots for the deer, bear and other creatures whose prints you will often see in the sand. It’s odd to think of a bear or a deer on the beach, but here its quite normal. And who can blame them!? The scenery is absolutely breathtaking.
Along this section are two popular camp areas at Shipman Creek and Buck Creek. These often fill up, which was one reason we stayed at Miller Flat.
The next mile beyond Gitchell Creek shows signs of signifcant erosion — a reminder that the sea is continually reshaping the coastline.
At mile 8.2 there are two significant boulders on the beach. When you reach these, you’re in the home stretch. Beyond these rocks the beach widens, and on a clear day you can pick out a few homes on the bluffs of Shelter Cove two miles away.
The Black Sands Beach trailhead parking is on a bluff between Telegraph and Humboldt Creeks. Continue past Telegraph Creek, then head up the north side of Humboldt Creek and you’ll see the walkway.
Lost Coast Trail: Day Four Trail Map
Day Four on the Lost Coast: Photo Gallery
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After the Hike
We stowed our gear and I put on a fresh shirt that I left in the car, then headed for lunch in Shelter Cove. From there, we drove the long, windy road back to the 101 and turned south. Our destination? A civilized finish to the trip with a stay at the Glendeven Inn in Mendocino. Highly recommended.
Shelter Cove Weather Forecast
| Today | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|
 Partly Cloudy 61°/56° |  Clear 67°/55° | Clear 66°/53° | Clear 68°/54° |
Overview of the Lost Coast Trail
- Day 1: Mattole Beach to Sea Lion Gulch
- Day 2: Sea Lion Gulch to Spanish Flat
- Day 3: Spanish Flat to Miller Flat
- Day 4: Big Flat to Shelter Cove – You are here
Nice work on this series Jeff, looks like it was an amazing experience!
Thanks for the day by day overview Jeff, I liked hiking the coast in Australia and this was a pleasure to read.
Hi Jeff, this is really an amazing day to day account of this hike, cant wait to go at the end of August this year. I am curious of your take on what would be the recommended foot wear? I was thinking about waterproof hiking tennis shoes but have read several other articals that recommend high boots and double socks. What do you say?
Hey Eddie, thanks for your comment.
As for footwear, I wore Keen Voyageur hiking shoes (not the mids), but next time I’ll wear mids. The extra ankle support on uneven terrain and a backpack helps. In August, water levels in the creeks will likely be low enough that you can rock-hop across most of them without taking your boots off. The Keen Voyageur is breathable, not waterproof, but that’s really more of a personal preference.
Oh, and my feet did get wet a couple of times.
I only used one pair of socks, but I had another so I could switch to a dry pair. And I had some Crocs for camp shoes. Hope this helps, and have a great trip!
Hi Jeff!!
My cousin and I are planning on doing this hike early May. We want to do the same section that you did in the same direction, but we have been hearing a lot of negative things on this part of the trail, the biggest thing we have heard is overcrowding, canine fecal waste, and drownings?!? I just wanted your opinion on if you thought any of this was true?? Also have you done the Sinkyone wilderness portion?? Thanks in advance for any advise you could give us on this!! 🙂
Hi Jeff,
This is such a comprehensive and informative overview and I just wanted to say thanks for your work detailing the trail! It was tremendously helpful for our trip last weekend.
Cha
This sounds like a great trip. I do have a question for you though.If i got to the trail like you did in evening of first day, stayed at same spots you did first and second nights, How could I make the last day less than 10 miles? I really need to get on the road for a meeting in Napa at 4 PM.
Gary, could be tricky. Personally, I wouldn’t want to hike this trail with that kind of pressure. I’d give yourself another day for breathing room. You could put in more miles on Day 3 to lessen the miles on Day 4, but you still need to coordinate with the tide charts.
The pressure to make the trailhead in time to drive to Napa for a 4pm meeting might sap some of the fun out of this trip. 😉
Thank you so much for your very thoughtful description of your trip. Very inspiring.
Jeff, my friends and I are trying to do this trip over 3 days of hiking instead of 4. We would enter the trail around noon on Saturday and hope to be off the trail and in our car Monday evening. Do you think this is feasible? Do you have recommendations for where you would recommend camping?