King Range National Conservation Area
40.0455, -124.0778
- Nearest town
- Shelter Cove
- Map status
- Verified pin
- Visit conditions
- Check before travel
- Research reviewed
- Aug 17, 2026
Field guide
Know before you go
- Size
- 68,000 acres across Humboldt and Mendocino counties, along 35 miles of coastline
- Wilderness
- 42,585 acres (BLM's August 2025 fact sheet rounds this to 43,000)
- High point
- King Peak, 4,088 ft, three miles from the ocean
- Trails
- About 83 miles of hiking trail; 25 miles of wilderness coastal backpacking; 25 miles of singletrack for bikes
- Hours
- Open year-round, 24 hours. King Range Project Office Mon–Sat 8:00–4:30, May 30 – Sept 5
- Fee
- No day use fee and no fee for trail access
- Camping
- Four campgrounds, 53 sites total, $15 per site per night, first come first served. Nadelos group site $85
- Water
- No potable water at any of the four campgrounds. Creek water at Nadelos and Wailaki must be treated
- Permit
- Backcountry permit required year-round for all overnight wilderness use, via Recreation.gov
- Quotas
- 60 people per day May 15 – Sept 15; 30 per day Sept 16 – May 14. Group maximum 15
- Bear canister
- Required, 600 cubic inches minimum. BLM rents them for $5 per trip, $75 if not returned
- Dogs
- Allowed. On leash when wildlife is present, leash-only at Mattole Campground, 100 feet from elephant seals
- Bikes
- Paradise Royale and Pacific Rim systems only. Not permitted in designated wilderness
- Horses
- Two equestrian sites at Mattole Campground; stock use in the Horse Mountain area
- Roads
- 45 miles unpaved. Smith-Etter, Telegraph Ridge and Windy Point open April 1 – Oct 31 only
- Cell service
- Limited to none
- Swimming
- Strongly discouraged by BLM — rip currents, sneaker waves, dangerous surf
The place
About King Range National Conservation Area
King Peak tops out at 4,088 feet and stands three miles from the Pacific. That gradient is the whole story: the range climbs so abruptly out of the surf that the coast highway was routed inland around it, leaving 35 miles of undeveloped shoreline with no through road. Congress made this the nation's first National Conservation Area on October 21, 1970, and designated the backcountry as the King Range Wilderness on October 17, 2006 — 42,585 acres by BLM's precise count, rounded to 43,000 in the agency's own August 2025 fact sheet.
About 83 miles of hiking trail run from beach to summit, plus 45 miles of unpaved road. The headline route is the Lost Coast Trail North, 24.6 miles from Mattole Beach to Black Sands Beach, and BLM asks for three days minimum. Several stretches are impassable except on an outgoing tide of three feet or less, so a paper tide table isn't optional.
Overnight backcountry travel needs a permit year-round, reserved through Recreation.gov on a three-month rolling window. Quotas run 60 people a day from May 15 to September 15 and 30 a day the rest of the year. Group size caps at 15, walk-up permits are capped at three hikers, and BLM issues roughly 12,000 backpacking permits annually. Bear canisters of at least 600 cubic inches are required; BLM rents them for $5 a trip.
Four campgrounds hold 53 sites between them at $15 a night, first come first served. None has potable water. Bring every gallon you'll drink.
Smith-Etter, Telegraph Ridge and Windy Point roads are gated to vehicles outside April 1 through October 31. Download your maps before you leave pavement; there's effectively no signal out here.
Same area
Explore nearby
Local planning questions
Frequently asked
Do you need a permit to hike the Lost Coast Trail?
Yes, for any overnight trip, year-round. Backcountry permits are booked through Recreation.gov on a three-month rolling window, with daily quotas of 60 people from May 15 to September 15 and 30 from September 16 to May 14. Walk-up permits exist but are limited to a maximum of three hikers. Day hiking needs no permit.
How long is the Lost Coast Trail?
The northern section runs 24.6 miles between Mattole Beach and Black Sands Beach, and BLM recommends a minimum of three days. Lost Coast Trail South adds 9 more miles at moderate difficulty, 875 feet up and 2,600 down. The northern route is mostly level but slow, because it's walked on sand and cobble and paced by the tide.
Are dogs allowed in the King Range?
Yes. Dogs must be on leash whenever wildlife is present, and leash-only at Mattole Campground. Keep them at least 100 feet from elephant seals, which haul out along this coast and weigh between 1,500 and 4,500 pounds.
Is there water at the King Range campgrounds?
No. None of the four campgrounds — Mattole, Tolkan, Nadelos or Wailaki — has potable water, so carry everything you need. Nadelos and Wailaki have creek water that must be treated. Backcountry springs vary; BLM's July 2026 report found Bonus dry and Pinnacle with no water observed, with Miller running low.
Can you drive along the Lost Coast?
No. There's no through road, which is exactly why the coast highway swings inland and why this stretch is roadless. Getting from Shelter Cove to Petrolia means a long unpaved inland detour, not a coastal drive, and three of the backcountry roads are gated outside April 1 through October 31.
Official and supporting sources
- Official site
- BLM National Conservation Lands program page
- King Range Fact Sheet (4 August 2025)
- KRNCA Roads and Trails Report (July 2026)
- BLM King Range Campgrounds & Trails (undated; camping fee and Mattole site count are out of date)
- King Range NCA Map and Guide
- Driving Directions Fact Sheet
- Overnight King Range wilderness permit
Research reconciled 2026-08-17. Closures, fees, permits and hours can change.