There are parts of the Sinkyone that will keep campers at bay. The campgrounds offer few amenities and getting there often involves steep and difficult hikes or drives.
However, in my opinion, a tougher journey tends to offer greater rewards. In this case, they come in the form of pristine nature and gorgeous views. Here was my experience at USAL Beach.
Getting here
USAL Beach is remote. Like you better have 4-wheel drive and some patience kind of remote. It’s off of Highway 1, just south of Whitehorn. If you’re coming from the Bay Area, you’ll hop on 101-N and follow this for some time. You’ll turn left on CA-1 South and follow this until you hit, wait for it, USAL road. This is a rough, 6-mile section where the 4-wheel drive I mentioned before comes into play.
I want to say 4-wheel drive is required, but I did see a couple of sedans down by the beach and the rest of my group was just as surprised as I was to see them. I can’t imagine it was fun (or easy) for them to get there.
You made it, now what?
This is a drive-in campground. We went in February so I imagine it was less crowded than we would have found it had we gone during peak season. Essentially, you pick a spot and park, see drive in campground. There are about 25 campsites and then additional spots where people set up camp along the beach.
Now, we didn’t do this on this trip, but you also have the option of parking here and backpacking along the Lost Coast Trail. During the day, there is a strong westerly wind so I would recommend a good camp stove with a windscreen. I used my GSI Selkirk 460 (pictured below) and this worked well. This isn’t to say this is my favorite stove but it worked well with it’s built in wind screens and that’s a review for another time.
If you feel like hiking close to camp, there is a rocky, winding creek to hike along – Just look out for Elk!
You can also hike out to Jones Beach or head out to Whale Gulch for a 4.5-mile round trip. The bottom line is no matter which way you go, you’re in luck. The Sinkyone is a beautiful wilderness and you are positioned right against it.
This Said
I would for sure go back for a weekend. Personally, I prefer the solitude that a backpacking trip provides, so spending the week at a site with 4-wheelers blasting past isn’t my scene.
But, I didn’t go into this expecting a backpacking trip. I went into this because I wanted to car camp and that’s what I got. Nature and the pristine views help make up for any issues you may find. You may face some noise pollution but the lack of any light pollution during the nights offer stellar views of the cosmos. So if you are looking for a remote, fairly untouched piece of wilderness that you may not have heard of, this could be it for you.
