Lost Coast Trail emergency & health guide: hospitals, rescue, 911 and tides

Emergency numbers

Mobile coverage on the Lost Coast Trail is very limited to none, and the BLM has no search and rescue team: carry a satellite messenger (for example an inReach) or a phone with satellite SOS, and plan to get yourself out. Leave your plan and tide times with someone at home, download the NOAA tide predictions for Shelter Cove (station 9418024) and check the marine forecast before you start.

Rules to know

• Wilderness permit: every overnight visit to the King Range Wilderness needs a permit from recreation.gov (permit 72192), all year. Permits open on a rolling window 90 days ahead at 7:00 am Pacific time; each person may hold one active permit for up to 3 people, and you must start on the date on the permit.
• Quota and fees: 60 people a day from 15 May to 15 September and 30 a day the rest of the year. A permit costs $6 per reservation plus a $12 Special Area Fee per person (under-16s free). A few walk-up permits are drawn by lottery at the King Range Visitor Center at 8:00 am, Monday to Saturday.
• Tides: three zones are impassable at high tide. Punta Gorda (about 0.4 km) needs a tide under about 6 ft, Sea Lion Gulch to Randall Creek (about 6.5 km) under 2.5 ft and Miller Flat to Gitchell Creek (about 7 km) under 3 ft. Enter on a falling tide, plan on 1 mph (1.6 km/h), and check the BLM list of impassable dates before you book.
• Bear canisters are compulsory: one hard-sided canister per person for all food, trash and scented items; bags and hangs are not allowed and fines apply. Rent one for $5 a trip at the King Range Visitor Center, the BLM Arcata office or the Petrolia and Shelter Cove general stores.
• Fire: a CAL FIRE campfire permit is required for campfires and stoves. Seasonal restrictions ban campfires in the wilderness from early summer to autumn, and in drought years stoves may be restricted too. Use existing fire rings only and do not build driftwood shelters.
• Camping: camp on existing sites anywhere north of Telegraph Creek, above the high-tide line; there is no camping at the Black Sands Beach Trailhead. The private cabins along the trail are not for public use.
• Human waste: dig a 15–20 cm hole in wet sand in the intertidal zone and pack out all toilet paper. Wash dishes in the intertidal zone, at least 60 m from creeks. Treat all creek water.
• Ocean and creeks: never swim, wade or skimboard, and stay off steep wet sand because of sneaker waves. Do not hike at night and do not cross creeks deeper than your knees. If you feel a strong earthquake on the beach, move to high ground at once.
• Wildlife: stay at least 50 m (165 ft) from elephant seals near Punta Gorda. Watch for black bears, rattlesnakes, ticks and poison oak. Dogs are not recommended and must be leashed between Punta Gorda and Sea Lion Gulch; drones are not allowed.
• Transport: only Lost Coast Adventure Tours and Mendo Insider Tours hold BLM shuttle permits; book when you have your permit. Black Sands Beach to Mattole is about 2 hours on narrow mountain roads, and fuel is scarce, so fill up before you leave US-101.

Nearest hospital for each stage

Hospitals

Clinics

There is no clinic or doctor at Petrolia, on the trail or in Shelter Cove (SoHum Health runs only an occasional mobile clinic there). The nearest clinics are in Garberville and Redway, on the road from Shelter Cove to US-101, open on weekdays.

Pharmacies, cash and supplies

• Pharmacies:
• ATMs:
• Shops:
• Shuttle pick-up points:

There is no pharmacy in Petrolia, on the trail or in Shelter Cove, and the US has no duty-pharmacy rota. The nearest is Garberville Pharmacy (+1 707 921 7078), with more in Fortuna and Eureka. Bring blister care, a tick remover, poison-oak wash and all your medicines before you drive in.

Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.