3 to 4 days . three boots . May to Sep
The Lost Coast trek.
California's longest stretch of coast with no road. Black sand, tide pools, a chance of elk on the bluffs and a schedule written by the moon. Rosa reads the tide tables like a bus timetable.
At a glance
Sand, tides, bears
- Base rate $410 per person per day, groups of 3 to 5
- 6 to 9 miles a day, a lot of it on soft sand or rocks
- Full pack, about 28 lb with your share of food
- Shuttle back to the cars at the end
- Bear canister for every guest, we bring them
per person$1,110 to $3,400
3 days in a big group, up to 4 days private with lodge nights and gearThe tide table decides the day.
Three stretches of the beach flood at high tide. You cannot climb around them, so you walk them on the falling tide and wait out the rest with lunch. This is a sample week Rosa printed for a July group.
| Day | Low tide | Height | Walk the narrows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 11:42am | 0.4 ft | 9:30am to 1:30pm |
| Day 2 | 12:31pm | -0.2 ft | 10:15am to 2:30pm |
| Day 3 | 1:18pm | -0.5 ft | 11:00am to 3:15pm |
| Day 4 | 2:04pm | -0.3 ft | no narrows, easy out |
minus tides = tide pools
Sample numbers for illustration. Real trips use the published tables for your dates.
Bears and canisters
Black bears live here and they know what a backpack smells like. All food, toothpaste and sunscreen go in a hard canister at night, 100 feet from the tents. We show you how on day one. Nobody has lost a dinner on our watch.
Who it suits
Fit hikers who have carried a full pack before and do not mind sand in their socks. Want the coast with less weight? Try the Big Sur coast backpack. Want huts instead of tents? Sierra hut to hut.
The best weeks follow the moon.
Minus tides land around the new and full moon, so we plan dates around them months ahead. Tell us your month on the trip desk form and Rosa will send the windows. A whole group of your own? See private trips.