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Old 04-25-2014, 12:28 PM
 
726 posts, read 1,238,469 times
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Many of us who move to, or stay in, these three counties are drawn to the sea and the maritime weather/culture.

What are you favorite beaches in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Del Norte (far North California) and why?

Notice I ask "Why?" too. You may have multiple favorite beaches, each for a different reason. Here are some possible reasons to like a particular beach:

good for sunsets
good for beach combing
good for birding
good for kite flying
good for surfing
isolated so you can be alone
not isolated for people watching
good beach for dog
safe beach for kids
easy access
close by where you live
rock formations, dunes, and other features that make it unique
fossils on the beach
restroom nearby
not too much traffic noise
etc...
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Old 04-25-2014, 01:36 PM
 
Location: Sierra Nevada Land, CA
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When I lived in Westport, the local beach was one of my favorites. A short walk from my house. Another favorite was Usal. At the time (late 70s) it totally undeveloped and the dirt road was semi-impassable in the winter. Very remote. Five miles from Hwy one. Then there was Wolf Creek, even more remote-another five miles north of Usal. I knew the caretaker at the time.
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Old 04-25-2014, 04:00 PM
 
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Thanks Mr5150, I had to look up Usal. Looks like it is on the southern end of the Lost Coast. While googling around, I found this video of the difficult road and incredible view:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XljCaFk91xc

I couldn't tell... are there places to turn around/pull off if you meet another car? (and would you ever meet one LOL)

Is there a place to turn around once you get to the very end?
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Old 04-25-2014, 05:50 PM
 
Location: Boulder Creek, CA
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Shelter Cove
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Old 04-25-2014, 06:09 PM
 
Location: Sierra Nevada Land, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by freepelican View Post

I couldn't tell... are there places to turn around/pull off if you meet another car? (and would you ever meet one LOL)

Is there a place to turn around once you get to the very end?
It's been a while. Generally on these sort of roads one can always find a wide spot to allow passing. Usually both parties will look for a spot as soon as they see the other vehicle. I've been on worse roads. There is a road near where I live now. A narrow paved one lane road. A once in a lifetime experience. I drove it once and will never do it again!

And yes indeed. there is a parking lot at Usal beach. Nor is it at the end of a road. You can drive beyond for many miles and, if I remember correctly, you can (theoretically) get to Shelter cove.

FYI there used to be a town called Usal, but it died when the Old Growth timber ran out over a 100 years ago. The area was logged a second time and when all of the merchantable timber was removed, Georgia Pacific sold their holdings to the State in the 1980s.
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Old 04-25-2014, 07:13 PM
 
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I did see some historical pics online of Usal like on this page: Welcome to Usal California. If you click on the one at the far right bottom, there's a quaint map of the area.

I'm really interested to know if you can drive all the way from Shelter Cove to Usal. Doesn't look like you can from Google Map but they may not include dirt roads. I haven't been yet to Shelter Cove but I have used Google to "drive" that road and it does go way beyond Shelter Cove. Looked like an adventure I'd like to pursue but I did want to know if you can use your cell phone there for safety purposes?

Bigdumbgod: what do you like most about the beach at Shelter Cove?
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Old 04-25-2014, 08:02 PM
 
Location: Sierra Nevada Land, CA
9,456 posts, read 11,641,773 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by freepelican View Post
I did see some historical pics online of Usal like on this page: Welcome to Usal California. If you click on the one at the far right bottom, there's a quaint map of the area.

I'm really interested to know if you can drive all the way from Shelter Cove to Usal. Doesn't look like you can from Google Map but they may not include dirt roads. I haven't been yet to Shelter Cove but I have used Google to "drive" that road and it does go way beyond Shelter Cove. Looked like an adventure I'd like to pursue but I did want to know if you can use your cell phone there for safety purposes?
I would not count on a cell phone or Google maps. Get Topo maps and a compass. Topo maps don't lie. Make sure your vehicle has a full tank of gas. 4WD and good tires. Food, water, sleeping bag, tent and whatever else would keep you happy should you find yourself spending the night. Small pack might be handy should you have to walk out 10 miles from the nearest paved Hwy. Just sayin'.

Did you notice the YouTube video involved two vehicles? Filmers were smart. The Lost Coast is some of the wildest and remote places to be experienced south of Alaska. Very much not what most people think CA is like. What makes it especially dangerous is that one can drive a car into and thru it. Car trouble = real trouble.

Do it! Just be prepared and take lots of pictures and post up your adventure
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Old 04-25-2014, 09:38 PM
 
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All good advice Mr5150, except I do not have 4 wheel drive.

I wonder if I add roadside assistance to my insurance, which I used to have, if that includes the Lost Coast :-)
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Old 04-25-2014, 10:39 PM
 
Location: Humboldt County, CA
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Close to home, I'm very fond of Moonstone and Trinidad. Trinidad tends to be less crowded, I think.
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Old 04-25-2014, 10:53 PM
 
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Both were beautiful I think. Seemed like the sun would set over Trinidad Beach only certain times of the year... am I right on that? Seemed to be facing more NW than west.

I loved the view and feel to the open coast beach at Stone Lagoon further north. The pull off would be really easy to miss though. I had seriously studied a map and I almost missed it.
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