A Lost Coast Scenic Drive Loop Itinerary: From Beaches To Redwoods

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The first I heard of the Lost Coast Scenic Drive in Northern California was two days before we arrived. I had heard it was an untouched coastal wilderness so thick and uninhabited only a few dared to go, so of course, I dared.

The government decided some time ago that this region was too treacherous to build any decent roads going through it. While the roads are paved, they are largely left to the elements, and some are undeveloped entirely.

Sounds like an adventure, right?

The Lost Coast Highway scenic drive extends south from Ferndale in California to the south of Shelter Cover.

We mapped out a 107 mile loop from Ferndale along the Lost Coast Headlands and then around to the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwood State Park.

It would pass through high alpine forests on one side, and the wild Pacific Ocean on the other, as well as passing through the northern edge of King Range and on to the Redwood National Park.

Here is the route we took…

The Lost Coast Scenic Drive Itinerary

Below is our itinerary for the Lost Coast Scenic Drive. The Lost Coast was named after the region experienced depopulation in the 1930s. Rather than try to build the road along the Lost Coast, engineers who designed California’s Pacific Coast Highway, turned inland instead.

You generally don’t need a 4×4 as some of the road is paved, but there are some gravel roads (Mattole Road), which can throw up some stone’s under your wheels.

Mattole Road is 75-miles of this 110 mile scenic drive and has two lanes, but it has a speed limit of 20 miles per hour because the gravel is so slippery and treacherous.

Therefore it’s recommended to get a 4X4 drive car, but you don’t have to. It’s completely up to you and how confident you feel.

It takes a full day to drive the Lost Coast Scenic Drive.

However, the following itinerary is a loop drive back up to Ferndale and we recommend you take two days to complete it.

Stop 1: Ferndale, California

Ferndale is the town where time stood still. Meander down the main road to find lampost-lined blocks of historic Victorian style architecture that houses various artisans from artists to blacksmith, this is small town Americana.

Its location sandwiched between the Lost Coast and ancient…