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Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:52 am

HOWDEE VOLKS!

I just returned from a weekend well spent drinking, eating and engaging in merriment at the lost coast... I just wanted to say that the road is getting more and more rutted and overgrown... It is still very passable in a two wheel drive although I caution driving even slower than normal. It took me 45 minutes to go six miles. Also, watch out for folks speeding around corners... THere are several stretches that only fit one vehicle.

The beginning mile or two are the worst with the last half mile also being rutted with a few deep ruts. As California ponders closing all State parks due to our dying economy I am sure grading the road is LOW on priorities... none the less, the spot still rocks...

any volks out there interested in meeting at the LOST COAST for a PARTY? C'MON some of you PDX'ers... I miss you guys!

ASWAH

Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:36 pm

sounds like a blast, I love the slow trailcrawl; got pics?

Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:54 pm

Thanks for the update on the road conditions, it will come in handy. I will be there in a few weeks.

Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:59 pm

were you going north or south?

Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:03 pm

aswah wrote: any volks out there interested in meeting at the LOST COAST for a PARTY? C'MON some of you PDX'ers... I miss you guys!

ASWAH

Sounds like a fun trip to me! How far from Portland?

Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:07 pm

I was just looking at the map of the Usal Road area. I remember from one of your past threads about this area.

Also, on here, http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/vwcamperfamily/
a recent member chimed in that they are from Central Point near Medford and expressed interest in an August '09 GTG thread that I started.
I triangulated for a coastal meet up place and Usual Road should
be a 'tweener.

Must be an omen.

Too bad about the rough roads. Could be a ball joint breaker?

Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:57 pm

I thought this road sounded familiar and checked our maps to find that it is indeed the one we took on our way home from San Francisco last year. It just jumped off the map onto my fish taco and said, "yo, you've got to check me out!"

It was a great little drive. Saw a cutie in an old Volvo on her way out, said she'd been camping there a few days. I transferred pics to my external hard drive, but I think they are more of the beach area and i know I got one of the little bridge that spans the creek, and maybe the little old wooden outhouse.

Wed Jul 01, 2009 9:33 am

Lost coast from the very southern end... I am down for camping there any time except for the first week of september! I am going to the French Alps... It is a 11 hour trip from Portland... something like that! but extremely pleasant! and many great breweries to get sidetracked along the way! Like I said, just go slow slow slow!

I will try and take pictures of the ruts this weekend!

ciao!

back to filtering and bottling some pinot noir!

Francois aka ASWAH

Sun Jul 19, 2009 1:29 pm

I just got back from a 9 day camp trip including the lost coast(usal beach) and there were plenty of 2wd cars camping down there. I saw a half dozen Roosevelt elk that were grazing in the meadow between our camp and the ocean- beautiful. When we pulled in I saw a notice on the message board to the SOB that stole someone's chicken and beer and I knew things might be interesting.
While looking for a campsite I found a cool trail at the end that has a sign "no through traffic" or something like it. Really rutted, off camber and tight definately needed a 4x4 for this trail. I turned back after a mile or 2 and met a jeep full of locals that were on the way up. Their look of joy changed quickly when they figured out that I had already been up the trail that they were struggling on(stock jeep). :lol:
I got a nice campsite by the beach and settled in. There were cars driving by all night long looking for a spot and some people were shooting off pro-grade fireworks on the beach for a few hours at night. In the morning I was woken up by a car stereo and car alarm- man I thought I was far enough away to not have to deal with this. The place was beautiful but I don't suggest going on the weekend, that is when the locals go to make noise and ruin a good time. I pulled out after 1 night- too bad.

Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:13 pm

Ouch. Sounds like the Lost Coast has definitely been found.

Sun Jul 19, 2009 10:48 pm

I'm planning on checking out the lost coast in a few weeks. From the google satelite pic it looks like there are tons of short dead end trails.
I'm for a group thing, set a date!

Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:06 pm

Logging roads with locked gates are what you are seeing. I went there to go check out those trails and play with the truck. I went up the only trail around but I turned around before I found out where it ended- the kids started freaking out. I have a map that shows that trail going all the way to shelter cove but I have my doubts. There are some "primitive roads" on my map in the shelter cove area that look interesting though.

Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:23 am

syncrodoka wrote: The place was beautiful but I don't suggest going on the weekend, that is when the locals go to make noise and ruin a good time. I pulled out after 1 night- too bad.
I have visited only after Labor Day and before Memorial Day.

Weekends are relatively quiet then.. and weekdays you may not see another person all day.

Did you try the BLM land north of the main road to Shelter Cove? Crazy up there, too?

Your story reminds me of several Baja surf trips.. where we'd have been camped at a remote spot for days, even weeks.. and then some random midnight have a truck pull in all lights ablaze.. blaring GnR to levels of distortion (It always seemed to be GnR)..

How did they always find us?

Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:03 am

2 comments:

1) As per Aswah, the Usal Road to the Lost Coast starts at mile marker 90.91 off Hwy 1. Good to know when looking for a small dirt road. (How could you NOT want to visit a place called the Lost Coast?!)

2) Aswah wrote some great NorCal camping tips/guide. The thread titles are:

Aswah's NorCal Travel Tips
Camping up the Cali coast

If you are headed this way, these are great resources. Thanks, Aswah!

- CJ

Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:33 pm

USAL road is sprayed on the road in orange paint and as soon as you see it you have just passed the road. The lettering is bigger coming up from the south than going down from the north. If you have been on the road once you will know where it is the next time.

Sat Aug 08, 2009 2:00 pm

I'm planning on being there sometime around the 18th, 19th, or 20th of this month mid week. Has anyone traveled the road lately? From the map it looked like a campground a couple miles in called USAL campground. Is this the spot everyone goes too? I'm hoping it wont be crowded mid week and my 2wd with BFG's will be sufficient. Thanks!

Sat Aug 08, 2009 4:06 pm

PDX... no worries... the road is 6 miles long and rutted but not too badly. I would not suggest crossing the stream and going onto the sandy beach campsites... The quieter spots are found once you come down into the camping area, across the first bridge and the first road to the left. There are a couple spots on the right side of the road. There are two good spots before the last descent to the campground while you still are on the ridge... and yes, milemarker 90.91 is what you should look for... If you come a little further south you are welcome to camp on our 11 acres near the Navarro Redwwods... I work at Claudia Springs Winery on 128 and am at the tasting room tues, wed and thurs and Saturday... if you need any wine...

ASWAH

Tue Aug 11, 2009 4:21 pm

I may stop by the lost coast on the 19th on the way to mogfest if I get a late start. Hopefully mid-week is a lot quieter.
PDXWesty- I saw a honda civic and saturn down there, you will be fine.

Wed Aug 26, 2009 7:55 am

aswah wrote: PDX... no worries... the road is 6 miles long and rutted but not too badly. I would not suggest crossing the stream and going onto the sandy beach campsites... The quieter spots are found once you come down into the camping area, across the first bridge and the first road to the left. There are a couple spots on the right side of the road. There are two good spots before the last descent to the campground while you still are on the ridge... and yes, milemarker 90.91 is what you should look for... If you come a little further south you are welcome to camp on our 11 acres near the Navarro Redwwods... I work at Claudia Springs Winery on 128 and am at the tasting room tues, wed and thurs and Saturday... if you need any wine...

ASWAH

Damn. I cannot wait to get some time to come see you guys! Free Wine, Free Camping,Free...you get my drift.

Did not realize you had posted such epic Cali Camping Info. Thanks!

How is life down there near the Lost Coast?

Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:56 am

Just finished my trip down to NorCal. Never made it as far as USAL campground, but found two other coast spots that were just as good and just as secluded. One was Gold Bluffs Beach in Redwood National Park. Five mile gravel road to get there. First come first served spots right on the beach with flush toilets and solar showers. Only 20 spots and it was amazing. Spent two nights there. The other spot we found was on the lost coast called Mattole campground. Long steep windy road to get there. Was in first gear much of the way. Another remote spot right on the beach. http://www.wanderthewest.com/articles/78/

All in all a good trip but not nearly long enough. Wish I could have made it down to Aswah or USAL road, but I think we found spots just as nice. Maybe next year!