There aren’t many places I’d go out of my way to visit more than once, but very Northern California is an exception. I’ve visited the Redwoods and the Lost Coast many times now, this time would be on a bicycle. Slow travel, being able to stop and camp where cars can’t, exploring nooks and crannies that otherwise wouldn’t be possible…this was one of my favorite trips here despite the difficulty. Long and steep climbs, few places to resupply, and dry camps made the Lost Coast especially challenging and rewarding. This is one of the most satisfying trips I’ve done in a while. Joined by Phiip Stinis, the trip can be broken down into three sections:

Yreka to Eureka (6 days) – along the Klamath River, side trip to near Cecilville, over the mountains and into Redwoods National Park, then down the coast into Eureka.

The Lost Coast, Eureka to Fort Bragg (6 days) – the Victorian town of Ferndale, big steep climbs and descents to black sand beaches, Mattole Beach, King Mountain Road to Chemise Mountain Road to Sinkyone State Park, exiting via the notorious and remote Usal Road to the coast highway. Few cars or people, violent ocean, lots of wildlife, this was a remote, lush, twisting route through the most rugged coastline in the Continental USA. I even squeezed in a few seldom visited brushy summits (while Phil preferred to wait). One highlight was setting up camp on an old abandoned road at the westernmost point in California, near the foundation of an old lighthouse that has since been moved.

Fort Bragg to San Francisco (4 days) – casual coastal miles to finish on one of the world’s most iconic bridges.