ARCATA, Calif. - The Bureau of Land Management has announced that the King Range National Conservation Area office in Whitethorn is now open to the public, providing information and other services for visitors to the California Lost Coast.
The office at 768 Shelter Cove Road will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. It will feature an outdoor, no-contact window where BLM staff can provide maps and information to visitors looking to enjoy and explore the King Range by backpacking, day hikes, mountain biking and camping. Visitors can also rent bear-proof canisters, mandatory for overnight hiking on the Lost Coast Trail and elsewhere in the King Range.
“We are excited to again personally welcome visitors to the King Range, as we look forward to a beautiful summer and fall recreation season," said BLM King Range Manager Mike Holt. “We remind all visitors to the office that we will be following COVID-19 protocols issued by the Centers for Disease Control. As always, we encourage visitors to practice ‘Leave No Trace’ guidelines, including packing out all their trash."
Encompassing 68,000 acres along 35 miles of the California North Coast, the King Range NCA is a spectacular meeting of land and sea. The high point, King Peak, rises dramatically from the Pacific to its elevation of 4,000 feet just three miles from the coastline.
The Lost Coast Trail, stretching nearly 25 miles from the Mattole River estuary to the community of Shelter Cove, is a world-renowned hiking destination. Permits are required for overnight camping along this trail and within the King Range Wilderness and can be obtained through www.recreation.gov. Upland campgrounds are available without reservation, as is the Paradise Royale Mountain Bike Trail.
Information on these facilities and trip-planning guidelines are available at www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/california/king-range-national-conservation-area.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
