Discover classic destinations and lesser-known jewels of the Northern California coast through 59 incomparable hikes. The Redwood Coast of Northern California is a magnificent and beautifully mysterious hiker’s paradise. Follow award-winning author Mike White into some of the most awe-inspiring terrain on earth. From a gentle half-mile morning loop to a 29-mile backpacking adventure, you’ll experience the best of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties. Explore a landscape of lush, old-growth redwoods. Find picturesque vistas to Pacific Ocean sea stacks. Traverse winding descents to undisturbed beaches and mesmerizing tide-pool life. Hike along pathways to inland canyons. See untamed wilderness teeming with herds of Roosevelt elk. Top Trails: Northern California’s Redwood Coast presents 59 routes for hikers, backpackers, and cyclists. Each entry features key at-a-glance information, such as trail length, difficulty, and facilities. Trail descriptions tell you what to expect along the route. Plus, GPS-based trail maps, elevation profiles, and lists of “don’t get lost” milestones help to ensure that you know where you are and where you’re going. A trail-usage chart and a top-rated trails section allow you to quickly choose the perfect routes for your particular interests and needs. Whatever you’re looking for, there’s a path for you along Northern California’s Redwood Coast. For readers ready to hit the trail, this is the guide to have, and for armchair travelers, it's 59 journeys into wonderland. Mike White was raised in the southeast suburbs of Portland, Oregon, in the shadow of Mount Hood (whenever the Pacific Northwest skies cleared enough to allow such things as shadows). As a teenager, Mike began hiking, backpacking, and climbing in the Cascades of Oregon and Washington, and he then honed his outdoor skills while attending Seattle Pacific University. After acquiring a BA in political science, Mike and his new wife, Robin, relocated to the high desert of Reno, Nevada, where he discovered the joys of exploring the Sierra Nevada. After leaving his last “real” job, Mike began a full-time writing career. He is the author or coauthor of 24 outdoor guidebooks, including the award-winning Top Trails: Lake Tahoe and 50 Classic Hikes in Nevada. Mike has also contributed to Sunset and Backpacker magazines and the Reno Gazette Journal. A former community college instructor, Mike is also a popular featured speaker for outdoor groups. Lost Coast Trail: Needle Rock to Bear Harbor Trail Use : Day Hiking, Backpacking, Running - Length & Time : 6.2 miles, 2–4 hours - Vertical Feet : +575'/-750' - Difficulty : 3 - Trail Type : Out & Back - Start & Finish : N39° 56.569' / W123° 57.871' - Features : Beach, Flora, Wildflowers, Wildlife, Views, Historical Interest, Secluded, Backcountry - Facilities : Campgrounds Nearby, Restrooms, Visitor Center While much of the time hikers spend on the 29-mile south section of the Lost Coast Trail is in the forest, this part travels through mostly open terrain, with stunning ocean scenery on the way to one of the most scenic spots on the Lost Coast: Bear Harbor. Thanks to a trailhead a long way from anywhere—requiring a final approach on a 3.5-mile, narrow, steep, and unpaved access road—you may have a good chance for some solitude. Abundant marine wildlife potentially seen on this trip includes harbor seals, sea lions, migrating gray whales in spring, and numerous species of tidepool creatures. On land, you may see black-tailed deer or Roosevelt elk. The skies are often filled with a profusion of birds, including brown pelicans, black oystercatchers, cormorants, sandpipers, terns, gulls, ravens, and an occasional osprey or bald eagle. The remote location and resulting potential for solitude belie the size of the human population the area once boasted in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with a dairy near Needle Rock, a wharf and narrow-gauge railroad operating out of Bear Harbor, and a lumber mill at Usal Beach. While most of the human activity is long gone, the Needle Rock Visitor Center occupies the old dairy’s ranch house. Because it’s an inland route, tides are of no concern on this section of the Lost Coast Trail. Hikers should be aware, however, that rattlesnakes, although uncommonly seen, are present in this community, as are poison oak and ticks (particularly in spring). Best Times Even though the Lost Coast Trail can be hiked anytime the weather is accommodating, spring and fall are typically the best seasons. While temperatures are generally moderate during summer months, fog often drapes the Northern California coastline with an omnipresent veil. Along with typically clearer skies, spring offers the bonus of a vibrantly colorful array of wildflowers on the low bluffs above the beach from mid-April through May. The annual migration of California gray whales occurs during late winter and early spring. Fall also offers generally clear weather, with the characteristic