Frequently Asked Questions

8.7 x 8.3in

Check out this Wild Backpacker article on treating snake bites.

Make this your mantra throughout your journey. Ocean conditions can change rapidly, and large “sneaker waves” sometimes spring out of a calm sea.

YES. The steep beaches create a powerful undertow, and rip currents are common. Your odds of survival in the cold water decrease rapidly after 20 minutes.

Ticks flourish along the trail, and many of them carry and transmit Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is a potentially serious illness transmitted by a tick bite. If caught early, it can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but left untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.

Early symptoms feel like the flu, and most people will see a bulls-eye rash at the site of the infected bite within 3-30 days (7 days on average). See more about signs and symptoms here.

It’s a good idea to spray your shoes, socks, belt-line, collar, and hat with tick repellent. Read the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) info on natural tick repellents and pesticides here.

Check for ticks often: Take a good look at any exposed skin and your clothing, and don’t forget your scalp and behind your ears. Also, when you wake up, check your sleeping bag for ticks that may have bitten and detached from you.

1.  Don’t panic! Antibiotics can often cure Lyme disease if administered within the first few weeks of an infection.
2. Use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, or use your fingers protected with tissue paper.
3. Pull the tick straight out, being very careful not to squeeze or crush it.
4. Remove any tick mouth parts that break off in the wound.
5. Wash the wound with generous amounts of soap and water, and apply a mild antiseptic if available.
6. Stick the tick on tape and bring it to your doctor or local clinic as soon as possible to have it tested.

Red alert: Hiking during high tides can be fatal, even for very experienced hikers.

About 9.5 miles of the trail between Shelter Cove and Mattole Beach is impassable at high tide. High tides occur twice in each 24-hr. period, but they occur at different times every day.

Since there’s no phone reception on the trail, you must check the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tide prediction chart for each day of your trip before you go.

• Get the tide prediction chart from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration here.
• Access the Wundaland Guides Lost Coast Trail Tides planner (beta)

The NOAA chart shows tide information in feet on the left and time on the bottom. You can see how high the tides will be at any given time where the lines intersect. 

Yes, and most of the freshwater streams are just a few miles apart from each other.

NO! Do NOT drink untreated water—it contains pathogens and contaminants you can’t see.

In the summer, water from smaller streams tastes a lot better than water from the larger streams (like Flat Creek and Cooskie Creek).

Most rainfall occurs between October and May. June–September is usually dry and mild, with the occasional storm. Check the 10-day forecast through the NOAA website.

The wind can be very strong on the trail. Consider hiking from North to South (from Mattole to Shelter Cove) to keep the wind at your back (there are occasional storms that blow from South to North, but usually the wind blows N-S.)

Be sure to secure your tents firmly when camping; sometimes down-canyon winds up to 60 mph can arise. It’s a good idea to bring sand stakes or otherwise be prepared to weigh down your tent.  

Be aware of falling rocks and potential landslides especially after heavy rain

Please bury poop 6-8 inches in the wet sand, below the high tide line. On inland trails, you must bury your waste at least 200 feet from streams, camps, and trails. Learn more about the Leave No Trace 7 Principles here.

Please only wash dishes and use dish soap 200 feet or more away from streams. You can also do this in the intertidal zone (the area that is above water at low tide and under water at high tide—between tide marks).

It’s not for the novice hiker. There are lots of boulders and cobbles to climb over. Very few stretches of packed sand.

Nope—no public transportation to/from the trail.

We are a very remote community, there is no Uber, Lyft, or Taxi services.

Strictly speaking, yes, you can drive two cars and leave one at the trail’s end before you drive to your starting point. BUT: It’s 2 hours of bumpy, windy, unfamiliar roads—not recommended.

Driving on your own is riskier than usual with no public transportation or cell phone reception available in case of an emergency. And remember, at the end, you’ll have to drive 2 hours back to your other vehicle. 

People also have forgotten/lost keys to the second vehicle, leaving them stranded.

No, tents are not included with the guided trips, if you are in need of a tent please let us know and we can look into providing one for you.

Meals are not included with our economic base price.

You have the option to upgrade to the next tier where meals are purchased, prepped, and cooked for you out on the trail.

We cater to special dietary needs.

No snacks are provided. You must bring your own.

Each person is responsible for carrying their own tent, bear can and a small portion of the food. You can find the weight and dimensions of the Bear Vault 500 above or online. The average weight is about 30 lbs. Food is constantly rotated to keep the guides cans full as yours gets lighter. Whoo Hoo!

We will help guide you towards the proper rentals or purchases. These can be arranged through the REI stores and returned after the trip

Four nights, five days (night one is spent at a basecamp to prep for the trail & go over gear etc.