Along the Northern California coast is this stretch of land containing vast, pristine beaches, and rugged forest cloaked mountains. The King Range National Conservation Area has been a candidate for years as Federal Wilderness, and is still waiting as of this writing.

Just two hundred miles north of San Francisco, the King Range, or "Lost Coast", is without a doubt, one of California's wild land jewels. The topography here is so rugged, that during construction of the Coast Highway, the highway was diverted inland rather than try to build through this area. As a consequence, development remains sparse, and the wild land value of this area has proven immense.

One promising development is a wild land corridor being actively pursued by the Save-the-Redwoods-League. This corridor will connect Humboldt Redwood State Park to the King Range National Conservation Area. This organization has been actively preserving the coastal redwood environment since 1918. Drop by their web-site and say hello.

Hiking within the King Range is not unlike hiking in Big Sur, vast amounts of unspoiled beaches, miles and miles of inland trails through beautiful forests and grasslands, and wildlife in abundance. Make no mistake though, strenuous hiking abounds here so bring plenty of water! Also, be sure to read the tidal charts if you hike the 24 mile Lost Coast Trail (where this photo was taken), and consider hiking north to south due to strong prevailing winds from the north. The shot you see here is looking north along the trail.

Douglas fir (Psuedotsuga douglasi), sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), and oak woodlands grow here in abundance; however, strangely enough very few coastal redwoods. Black bears, mountain lions, Roosevelt elk, black-tailed deer, and the usual assortment of marine mammals, thrive in this environment. So take care to keep your food adequately secured, for your sake, and the wildlife.

Don't forget to bring your camera and your journal!