King Range National Conservation Area

A cool experience with 6 to 10 mile hikes

Driving to and sleeping at a campground

Ideal for first-timers

Places we've visited and fallen in love with

Hiking to Punta Gorda Lighthouse in King Range National Conservation Area

Yvonne Leow

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http://www.bewilder.club/experiences/king-range-national-conservation-area-punta-gorda-lighthouse

Last updated

August 3, 2024

Trip · 3-day camping trip

For · Friends and first-time campers

Vibe · Moderate and fun

Reservation · Nope! It's first-come, first serve (FCFS)

Drive · 5.5 hours from SF

Ideal dates · May to October

Pets · Welcome at camp and on trails‍

King Range is the country's first ever National Conservation Area. This remote 65,000-acre stretch of NorCal coastline is strikingly beautiful. It has 80+ miles of trails spanning from the beach to King Peak (4,088 feet), world-class mountain biking trails and it's home to the popular Lost Coast Trail, a 24.6 mile backpacking trek. The area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and was deemed a wilderness area in 2006, which is why there are no amenities and minimal signage in the backcountry, and no drinking water at campgrounds, but the "primitive" parts is what makes this one of the most spectacular seascapes in CA.

Official King Range NCA Website

Latest Road and Trail Report

Directions to Campground

Main image credit: N/A

Prep Itinerary Gear Food

Stuff to know

There are bears in King Range, but they aren't habituated to eat our food. Squirrels, raccoons, and birds will still make a go for your snacks so store food, trash, and scented items in your car overnight and whenever you leave camp
Campfires in metal fire pits are allowed
Coastal weather can quickly go from sunny skies to windy, rainy nights. Secure your tent to the ground and bring layers for all seasons
Check yo' tides! Know exactly when it's going to be high/low tide before you hike along the beach. Read this tide safety guide.

Check the weather

Where to camp

Mattole Campground

Each campsite comes with a:

Picnic table
A fire pit and grill
Space for up to 8 people
2 parking spots‍‍

King Range NCA has four campgrounds: Mattole, Tolkan, Nadelos, and Wailiki. They're all FCFS and don't have running water, but they do have picnic tables, fire pits, trash collection, and vault restrooms.

Mattole is the only beachfront campground that gives you access to Mattole River and Mattole Beach. There are only 15 campsites available, which are usually taken on weekends, but emptier on weekdays. Check-out is at 11 AM so arrive as early as you can to snag a campsite just as people are leaving. Once you find an open campsite, park your car at the site, and walk over to the information board to pay your nightly camping fee. Bring cash or checks! The drive to Mattole Campground is on a windy dirt road, which is doable in a 2WD car, but easier in a 4WD.

Reserve your campsite

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Itinerary

Day One

Leave SF as early as you can and stop by The Peg House for a bite

Diners love their burgers, sandwiches, and fried oysters!
Located at 69501 US-101 in Leggett
Open everyday from 7 AM - 9 PM
Last pit stop · Shell - 600 Redway Drive in Redway

Snag a first-come, first-serve campsite at Mattole Campground

Mattole campground has 15 FCFS campsites, but if it's full when you arrive, you can double back on Lighthouse Road to Mattole Road and check out Arthur M. Way County Park. It's a 25-minute drive from Mattole campground to the county park, but there are 30 first-come, first-serve campsites and a coin-operated shower at Arthur M. Way.
Mattole Beach is also where most backpackers begin their trek along the Lost Coast Trail

Set up camp and chillax!

Congrats, you scored a FCFS campsite! Explore the campground and dip your toes into the ocean!

Enjoy a sunset dinner and s'mores

Cook dinner, huddle around the campfire and enjoy an evening of stargazing and delicious treats.

The King Range coastline was too rugged for Highway 1 to be built so it was pushed inland. Only a few roads can reach what is now called The Lost Coast.

Day Two

Make brekkie, pack lunch, and day hike to Punta Gorda Lighthouse via the Lost Coast Trail

This is a 7 mile round-trip coastal hike with 383 feet of elevation gain. Check yo' tides! There's a section of this trail that's impassable during high tide.
Bring at least 2 liters of water, snacks, sunscreen, sun hat, bug spray, and a jacket since it's almost always windy along the coast
You'll be walking on sand so the hike will be slower going. Give yourself plenty of time.
Explore black-sand beaches, tide pools, and dunes along the way
There's a stream crossing near the lighthouse so be prepared if you get a bit wet

Have lunch and enjoy the views at Punta Gorda Lighthouse

The lighthouse was built in 1912 and is now a historical landmark, albeit not in the greatest condition.
That being said, it's a cool, secluded viewpoint. There's an elephant seal colony near Punta Gorda so keep an eye out for some wildlife