King Range Wilderness Permits (Lost Coast)

Overview:

A spectacular meeting of land and sea is the dominant feature of Bureau of Land Management's King Range National Conservation Area (NCA). Mountains seem to thrust straight out of the surf, a precipitous rise rarely surpassed on the continental U.S. coastline. King Peak, the highest point at 4,088 feet, is only 3-miles from the ocean.

The King Range NCA encompasses 68,000 acres along 35 miles of California's dramatic north coast. Here, the landscape was too rugged for highway building, forcing State Highway 1 inland. This remote region of mountains and seascapes is known as California's Lost Coast and is accessible only by a few back roads. It is the Nation's first NCA, designated in 1970.

The King Range NCA's Douglas fir-covered peaks attract hikers, hunters, and campers, while the coast beckons to surfers, anglers, beachcombers, and many others. World-class mountain bike trails, and 42,585 acres of coastal wilderness are two of the highlights of this incredibly unique area.

Permits are required year-round for overnight camping in the King Range Wilderness. No permit is required for day-use. Group sizes are no more than 15 persons.

Trailhead entrees for all visitors camping overnight is limited to:

• 60 persons per day May 15 through September 15
• 30 persons per day September 16 through May 14

Visitors planning to camp overnight in the King Range Wilderness will be asked to provide a tentative itinerary; including number of days in the wilderness, entrance trailhead, exit trailhead, and backcountry camp zones. To assist in planning an overnight trip into the King Range Wilderness, take time to review the trailhead descriptions and directions, as well as the camp zone map and zone descriptions.

Are you an organized group? A school group? A BSA Troop? A Meetup group? A commercial outfitter? All organized and commercial groups accessing the King Range Wilderness need a Bureau of Land Management Special Recreation Permit. Permits obtained from Recreation.gov are not permissible for organized and commercial groups. Click here for more information and/or to request a Special Recreation Permit.

For more information or help planning your itinerary, call the King Range Project Office at (707) 986-5400.

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