See for general orientation on North California parks.

The main gateways to the Lost Coast are Mattole and Shelter Cove, a little town about 40 minutes west of Garberville (four hours north of San Francisco on 101). There are several small campgrounds before Shelter Cove, and it is also possible to camp on its beach, Black Sands Beach (it's mostly BLM area). Driving to Mattole takes about 2 hours via the very winding Wilder Ridge Rd/ Mattole Rd (80 kms total). The trailhead is located at the end of Beach Rd. There is a parking lot just before the trailhead. As of 2020, the sign "trailhead" actually sends you to the parking lot. Then you have to walk down to Beach Rd to the beach. There is no trailhead in the parking lot.

One can hike all the way to Mattole along the coast (40 kms), but usually a few kms are enough to get a feeling. Inland from the Lost Coast is King Range, a foresty series of hills that drop dramatically into the sea. Check tides and winds before you plan a Lost Coast hike: much of the lost coast is underwater during a high tide, and the sea can be dangerous even during a low tide if the winds are strong. A rewarding hike that mixes both Lost Coast and King Range is a loop from Saddle Mountain (a trailhead located 20 kms north of Shelter Cove on King Peak Rd/ Saddle Mountain Rd) to King Peak (8 kms) down the Rattlesnake Trail to the beach (10 kms), i.e. Big Flat, south 6 kms along the coast to the Buck Creek trail, up to Saddle Mountain (6kms), for a total of 30 kms. The uphill part is strenuous (whichever way you do the loop). There is drinkable water at the bottom of the Rattlesnake Trail. King Peak is the highest point along the coast north of Big Sur. If you are lucky, you can see quite a bit of wildlife near Big Flat: deer, bears, foxes, bobcats, etc (plus salmons and trouts in the creek). Unfortunately there are also rattlesnakes and ticks. And plenty of poison oak. The section between Big Flat and Buck Creek is impassable during high tides. The other section that is impassable during high tides is between the Punta Gorda lighthouse and Randall Creek. Compared with the dramatic coasts of Big Sur and Point Reyes, i don't think that the Lost Coast is particularly beautiful: its appeal comes from the "lost" status; not is King Range particularly breathtaking compared with the nearby redwood parks. Any hike on the Lost Coast can be a truly miserable hike if you pick the wrong time of the year. If you are coming from southern California, remember that it does rain in this part of the world, and often. And make sure you like to walk on sand for hours and hours if you plan to hike the whole Lost Coast...