A spectacular meeting of land and sea is certainly the dominant feature of 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.