They say you can’t go back. But when it comes to the Lost Coast Trail, and the King Range in general, you can. In fact, you probably should. And that’s why, one day after our LCT run, we found ourselves at Punta.
To say that we were suddenly obsessed with the King Range National Conservation Area is a bit of an understatement. Our Lost Coast experience affected us profoundly. But it was a pretty wild ride, with little time for reflection. So we had to go back, if only to check if it was as beautiful as our first trip had made it seem.
It was. We returned on a Monday in late May that was every bit as glorious as our Lost Coast run day. Bright sunlight sparkled off the waves, and a strong northerly wind turned the grasses of the bluff into an undulating continuation of the sea.
Even the drive is wonderful! The Wildcat is a road like no other; winding its way slowly up and over the coast range and down to the sea, with tantalizing glimpses of the endless blue.
We stopped first at Mattole Beach: the northern terminus of the Lost Coast Trail and our adventure’s starting point! There were no bodily fluids this time – just a calm, quiet beach sit. After an indeterminate amount of admiration, we decided it was time for our next adventure.
And I knew exactly where we should go! Punta is the hilltop directly above Windy Point. A prominent ‘peak’ mere meters from the shoreline, it promised a new, panoramic perspective on our favorite trail.
From the trailhead, our hike was a straightforward, nearly flat four-kilometer round-trip. But it was getting to the trailhead that was the difficulty!
Prosper Ridge Road branches off from Lighthouse Road just before Mattole Beach. It features loose gravel topping a narrow, rutted road and one of the steepest inclines I’ve seen outside of the Himalayas. Were Ravi and Kent up for the challenge?
The first few moments were the most frighting. Engine revving and tires slipping, Kent pushed Ravi into the climb. There was a bit of breathless white-knuckling, but we eventually arrived on a somewhat flatter section – albeit one that was just as narrow and bumpy, and featured a vertical drop-off just outside my window.
The two-mile drive must have taken us twenty minutes or more. At several points I was tempted to get out and walk ahead, as much from vertigo as to check for oncoming traffic. Luckily, we were all alone up on Prosper Ridge, and we made it safely to the Windy Point Road gate. Whew!
After leaving Ravi to relax in the shade of some tall trees, we started our stroll. We had decided not to run, but rather to take it easy and take in the sights.
On a broad, grassy 4×4 road, we strolled side-by-side. It was a gentle downhill to Punta, and thus easy going. The ridge we were following stopped abruptly at a cluster of rocks in the distance. Because we were so high up and the bluffs rolled down so dramatically, we had tremendous views right from the start of our hike!
And they just got better and better. By the time we reached Punta, I was enthralled all over again. This has to be the prettiest place on Earth!
We could literally see our footprints in the sand. Classic, barrel-shaped waves curled in against the shore. The wet sand of the beach was glinting a burnished gold in the late afternoon light. It looked like exactly what it is: a Pacific paradise.
The rise of another bluff obscured the mouth of the Mattole River to the north, but we had excellent views to the west and south. In the distance, we could make out the white tower of my favorite little lighthouse: Punta Gorda!
At 157 meters, Punta doesn’t rank as far as mountains go. But the views are second-to-none. The sights were so stupendous, we found that we just couldn’t tear ourselves away. Rather than turning back, we kept proceeding forward: from standing on one rock to sitting the next, right to the very edge!
When we eventually battled the wind back uphill, we comforted each other with the idea that our adventures weren’t over yet. For one thing, we had to navigate back down to the coast!
Back on the other side of Punta, we decided to drive the Wildcat for a while until the next perfect beach presented itself. Once there, we inhaled the burritos we’d brought along and settled in for a sandy sunset snuggle.
Perhaps you can see why I really love this place.
Catch the views from Punta yourself as part of your very own Lost Coast adventure! Head to my King Range main page – or the Bureau of Land Management’s King Range page – for more. Permits not required for Punta – but a 4WD to reach the trailhead might help!