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
Main image credit: N/A
Each campsite comes with a:
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.
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.
The Mattole and Sinkyone tribes were the area's earliest inhabitants. They thrived on salmon from Mattole River.
The Punta Gorda Lighthouse in King Range NCA was known as the “Alcatraz of lighthouses” because of its remoteness.
You won't be saving money, but you'll save space and weight with these camp sandals.
Clothes
Sleepover! This is a tent you can stand up in and have plenty of space for air mattresses, doggos, and more.
Shared Gear
A reliable, popular, and relatively affordable dual-burner camping stove that is fairly heavy, but performs well.
Kitchen
It's pricey, but the New York Times' Wirecutter recommended this attachment as a way for wheelchair users to navigate uneven terrain.
Essential Items
Instead of transporting stuff on your lap, use this storage bag to easily store items underneath your wheelchair.
Essential Items
Never dig around your pack to find some hand sanitizer. Instead, hang this one on the outside of your pack.
Personal Stuff
If you're an experienced backpacker, this is the lightest full-size, full-featured, frameless pack made.
Essential Items
Add a little magic to your experience by hanging these twinkling lights around your tent every night.
Shared Gear
Sometimes you just want a camp chair that gets the job done. Nothing glamorous or fancy. Well, this is it.
Shared Gear
The more you backpack the lighter your shelter becomes, and the lighter it is, the more expensive it can be.
Shared Gear
Camp underneath the stars and watch glorious sunrises in Joshua Tree National Park, the second largest national park in California.