Raacerx
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Few pics from a trip this week to Usal Beach via Usal Road, in Northern California.
Usal Beach is unique in that it's one of the only beaches you can camp on with a vehicle in Northern California (although please do not literally camp on the sand, there are established campsites right at the edge of the forest, and it's far less windy).
It's also the only vehicle access to California's Lost Coast during the winter, an area comprised of both Sinkyone Wilderness State Park and privately managed wilderness areas with very limited public entry.
Although the road itself from Highway 1 to Usal Beach is rather benign in terms of technical challenge, and in the dry summer months you could make it in a passenger car (although quite uncomfortably), in the rainy winter months it is a bit more challenging and deters most of the people in their Honda Fits.
Add in high winds and nightly temperatures that often drop into the 20's, and you'll usually find it nearly empty from Nov-March beyond a few backpackers doing the Lost Coast Trail.
It's generally possible in 2WD with the rear diff locked and some decent A/T tires in the winter months, although if its gale storm weather, the sections of steep clay and exposed redwood roots can turn into waterfalls and require 4WD (or even Low once in a blue moon). Ground clearance is the biggest issue as there are certain areas with exposed features, and also some water crossings / large puddles that can exceed 3ft deep.
The primary allure here is not the technical challenge but the uninterrupted beauty, as the majority of the road crawls through old growth redwood forests, exploding out onto epic coastal vistas with crashing waves below, not a single structure or light as far as you can see. I spent 2 days exploring beyond the campground and saw only a single other vehicle near the entrance from the highway.
In the summer months, the road opens from Usal Beach all the way to Shelter Cove, yielding the true sections where, beyond a motorcycle or two, you generally won't see anyone for 50 miles. If there are any summer rainstorms, there are a couple sections beyond Usal Beach that can be nearly impassable depending on road conditions, even in 4LO.
Usal Beach is unique in that it's one of the only beaches you can camp on with a vehicle in Northern California (although please do not literally camp on the sand, there are established campsites right at the edge of the forest, and it's far less windy).
It's also the only vehicle access to California's Lost Coast during the winter, an area comprised of both Sinkyone Wilderness State Park and privately managed wilderness areas with very limited public entry.
Although the road itself from Highway 1 to Usal Beach is rather benign in terms of technical challenge, and in the dry summer months you could make it in a passenger car (although quite uncomfortably), in the rainy winter months it is a bit more challenging and deters most of the people in their Honda Fits.
Add in high winds and nightly temperatures that often drop into the 20's, and you'll usually find it nearly empty from Nov-March beyond a few backpackers doing the Lost Coast Trail.
It's generally possible in 2WD with the rear diff locked and some decent A/T tires in the winter months, although if its gale storm weather, the sections of steep clay and exposed redwood roots can turn into waterfalls and require 4WD (or even Low once in a blue moon). Ground clearance is the biggest issue as there are certain areas with exposed features, and also some water crossings / large puddles that can exceed 3ft deep.
The primary allure here is not the technical challenge but the uninterrupted beauty, as the majority of the road crawls through old growth redwood forests, exploding out onto epic coastal vistas with crashing waves below, not a single structure or light as far as you can see. I spent 2 days exploring beyond the campground and saw only a single other vehicle near the entrance from the highway.
In the summer months, the road opens from Usal Beach all the way to Shelter Cove, yielding the true sections where, beyond a motorcycle or two, you generally won't see anyone for 50 miles. If there are any summer rainstorms, there are a couple sections beyond Usal Beach that can be nearly impassable depending on road conditions, even in 4LO.
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