This post may contain affiliate links wherein I earn a small commission if you purchase or subscribe to a product from one of my links (at no extra cost to you!). Read my full Privacy Policy here.
California’s Lost Coast is everything that is magical about Northern California – rugged coastlines with black sand beaches and sweeping ocean views; towering hundreds of years old redwood trees; and little unique towns filled with charm, seafood and good beer. If you are in need of an escape from everyday life, California’s Lost Coast is the perfect place for it.
Speaking of an escape from life, we were in much need of a little getaway that we could easily road trip to from the Bay Area. After not being able to travel for so many months in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, we finally found a place that could be our respite for a few days – a place called Shelter Cove along California’s Lost Coast.
This post has tips on traveling to the area, including where we stayed, what we ate, and the different activities that we did (spoiler – it was mostly just spending time relaxing and enjoying the beautiful views!).
Getting to the Lost Coast
Getting to Shelter Cove is quite a little trek, but worth it in the end. For us, it is about a five-hour drive north from our home in the East Bay Area, mostly up Highway 101. You can also take the scenic coastal route up Highway 1, but that will add a couple of hours to your drive. It all depends on what pace you want to go at and what you want to see!
The drive up Highway 101 will take you through Sonoma and Mendocino wine country, with rows of vineyards lining the hills that soon turn into forest-filled views. Once you get to Garberville, you’ll make a sharp turn to head down to Shelter Cove. The driving pace slows significantly at that point!
The road is very windy (lots of twists and turns), but you’ll pass through some beautiful, towering redwoods along the way. Take it slow (and I mean really slow) to make sure you have a safe journey into town. I do not recommend driving this portion of road at night. Be sure to give yourself ample daylight for the final hour of the journey.
Stops Along the Way
As with any road trip, stopping along the way to your final destination is part of the fun!
Northspur Brewing in Willits for Lunch
A few hours into our journey, we stopped at Northspur Brewing in the little town of Willits right off Highway 101 for a lunch of sausages and a flight of beers. It was the perfect fuel we needed to keep us going on our road trip.
Shelter Cove General Store
If you want to stock up on any last minute essentials, Shelter Cove General Store is your best bet just before you get into “town.” We stopped here to grab olive oil for cooking because I forgot to pack some. We also wanted to grab some local wine and beer! They have a decent selection of Humboldt and Mendocino Wines to choose from.
I settled on a rosé from Briceland Vineyards (which is actually a small winery located on the road into town that takes weekend tasting reservations, season permitting), and a Pinot Blanc from Girasole Vineyards in Mendocino County.
The Beach House
Though there are a few small inns in the Shelter Cove area (such as the Inn of the Lost Coast), we wanted to really escape and have a more private experience in terms of accommodation for our long weekend.
I can’t tell you how many hours I spent browsing Airbnb and VRBO looking for the perfect getaway this summer! When I saw the Shelter Cove house on VRBO, I knew it was the one.
What really sold me on this place were the sweeping views of the California Coast, all from the deck of the house itself. The house is perched up on the cliff above Little Black Sands Beach, and is in a prime location to experience those majestic West Coast sunsets (weather permitting of course).
If you want to see more of the house other than the pics on VRBO, I did a quick video house tour on Instagram, which I saved in my story highlights.
Cost & Options of the VRBO Rental
The house we stayed at actually has two apartment rentals – the Penthouse (which is what we rented) and an apartment on the lower floor of the house. The cost for each varies depending on the time of year.
We paid $300/night for the Penthouse in September, but with taxes and fees, it averaged out to be a little over $400/night. Was it a splurge? Yes. Was it worth it? 100%. We had extra travel fund money since our trip to Ireland earlier in the year was cancelled. We waited six months to travel away from home (thanks to the rona pandemmy), and almost a year and a half to travel together just the two of us. It was worth it.
Note: We chose the Penthouse over the lower floor as we wanted to be able to have a good view of the stars at night when in the hot tub. That turned out to be a genius idea!
Where & What to Eat
While we ended up cooking some of our meals at the house, I also wanted to throw in some support for a few of the local restaurants. If you’re a regular reader here, you know how important the local food experience is to us!
Gyppo Ale Mill
Well this was a pleasant surprise! When doing my trip planning, I discovered a little brewery called the Gyppo Ale Mill in Shelter Cove. I thought for sure we might find a little restaurant or two here, but this was a bonus.
We ate here on our first night in town and it was a perfect way to introduce ourselves to Shelter Cove.
The Beer at gyppo
The best way to experience a new brewery is by ordering a flight! Our favorite was the Black is Beautiful Black IPA. They also had some other great beers on tap like the Whistle Punk IPA and the I Know Karate Double IPA. If you’re not a big beer drinker, they also have wine and beer cocktails available.
The Food at Gyppo
When by the sea, get the seafood! Here’s what we had:
- Calamari – perfectly breaded and fried, with sweet chili sauce and shishito peppers. Probably the best calamari I’ve ever had.
- Fish & Chips – It’s no Fish & Chips from London, but the batter was done right – crispy and filling.
- Pulled Pork Sandwich – Alright, so it’s not seafood, but we got this because it sounded delicious and hearty – and it was! The bun was so soft too.
At the end of our meal at the Gyppo Ale Mill, a herd of deer came walking out onto the little airfield (which the Ale Mill has a great view of) to graze in the grass as the sun set.
Mi Mochima (Venezuelan)
Mi Mochima is a great option if you’re looking to try some authentic Venezuelan food. It is truly a unique restaurant in this little town! It’s located just across the road from the Inn of the Lost Coast, and a mere three-minute drive from our little vacation rental.
The empanadas alone are worth coming to Mi Mochima for. That dough though! They were pillowy soft and lightly crunchy on the outside. So tasty. We had the beef empanada (which also came stuffed with black beans and a little bit of plantains), and the cheese empanada. These are all served with a tasty guasacaca sauce, which is like an avocado salsa.
We also had the shrimp cocktail, which is a more refreshing appetizer. If you like things spicy, order a side of their hot sauce to kick it up. Actually, just order the spicy sauce and pour it all over everything!
For our entrees at Mi Mochima, we had:
- Camarones al Ajillo: Prawns sautéed in garlic and herbs, with coleslaw, plantains, and arepitas. Really delicious prawns, and those plantains are out of this world!
- Costillas (Pork Ribs): Full bone-in pork ribs with coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and savory plantains. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone good in a delicious sauce with a little guasacaca drizzle.
Cook Your Own
Normally, I’m not a huge fan of preparing my own meals when we are traveling; however, this trip was a bit different than what we’re used to doing. So, I got to thinking and planned out a few easy meals that were seafood inspired for us to enjoy while at the vacation rental.
I stocked up on my groceries at Trader Joe’s close to home, and hauled everything up in a small cooler.
Shrimp Nachos
Trader Joe’s had everything I needed to put this badass tray of nachos together! Note, I did take my own baking sheet and parchment paper for this to the vacation rental.
- Blue corn tortilla chips
- Red Argentine shrimp (frozen, then thawed)
- Shredded pepper jack cheese
- Cuban black beans (1 can)
- Fresh onion, tomatoes, and cilantro – chopped
- Pickled jalapenos – chopped
- Sour cream (which I mixed with a bit of cumin and lime juice for extra flavor)
- Pre-made guacamole
- Fresh salsa verde
- Hot sauce
Voila! Nacho perfection. The Girasole Pinot Blanc I picked up at the Shelter Cove General Store also made an excellent lunch companion.
Bagel & Lox
A bagel with lox (smoked salmon) is a super easy seafood-inspired breakfast! Trader Joe’s had some beautiful wild smoked Sockeye salmon that I splurged on for our trip. Totally worth it. Look at that color!
Lobster Rolls
And here we come to my favorite meal of the trip – our homemade lobster rolls!
- Buns: Trader Joe’s Brioche Buns
- Lobster, butter & chives: All purchased from our local Raley’s. Broiled the lobster, and then poached it in warm garlic butter to coat it with magic.
- Seasoning: If only I knew how to recreate this magical butter my husband made with a variety of seasonings and fresh garlic (Flavor God’s Everything Spicy is definitely a key piece to that sauce)…
- Garlic Fries: Trader Joe’s frozen French fries with fresh chopped garlic and chives.
- Beer: Ruby Red Chongo from a local brewery near home – a nice pairing of a fruited sour with the lobster roll!
What to Do at the Lost Coast
The primary goal of our long weekend at the Lost Coast was to just get away, relax, and take in the visual beauty of the coast.
Hot Tub & Star Gaze
As I mentioned above, one of the main reasons we booked the penthouse apartment at the beach house was for star gazing! Sitting in the hot tub with a drink watching shooting stars was amazing. On clear nights, you can even see the Milky Way! It was incredible!
I used the astrophotography feature on my Google Pixel and the photos came out so cool.
Walk to Little Black Sands Beach
The vacation house we rented is perched right above Little Black Sands beach. You can easily take a stroll down there anytime during your stay! The best time, in my opinion, would be in the evening at low tide. If the sea looks rough, however, save it for another day.
And always make sure you are careful with your back to the ocean! Northern California has been known to have occasional sneaker waves and you don’t want to get caught in one of those.
From the rental house, there’s a hiking trail (a BLM – Bureau of Land Management trail) that takes you down the cliff to the beach. Alternatively, you can walk to the end of the court where you’ll find a shorter path out to the street that leads to the beach entrance (this is the option we chose).
Just be sure to watch out for poison oak on the “easier” path! It took us about 15 minutes to walk down to the beach from the rental, so not too bad.
Hike & Enjoy Nature
This area of the Lost Coast has a roughly 25-mile hike along the shore known as the Lost Coast Trail-North. If you think you might want to plan for that, check out more info on the Bureau of Land Management site.
Relax & Watch the Sunsets
Seriously, just relax. Pour a glass of wine, read a book, watch the sun set slowly over the vast ocean, and listen to the waves crash on the shore.
Things to Bring
Even though vacation rentals are pretty much stocked with everything you need, there are a couple of items I would suggest bringing along to make your stay a little more pleasant.
Kitchen Essentials
- Spices/seasonings for cooking
- Cooking oil (there was a small olive oil when we went there, but I can’t guarantee that’s a staple item)
- Sheet pan & parchment paper if you want to bake anything (or make nachos like I did!)
- Chef’s knife (there was a knife set in the kitchen of the rental we were in, but if you have a special knife for cooking, bring it!)
What to Pack
- Chapstick/lip balm
- Sunscreen
- Binoculars for spotting sea animals
- Swimsuit for hot tubbin’
- Walking Shoes (easy beach walks) or Hiking Shoes
California’s coastal weather can be unpredictable and vary greatly throughout the day. Be sure to pack for all weather scenarios and dress in layers!
Final Lost Coast Travel Tips
Here are a few extra items worth mentioning if you plan on traveling to the Shelter Cove area.
Watch out for the deer!
Deer are everywhere in Shelter Cove and they will run/walk right in front of your car. When you’re driving around the small town, be sure to take it slow and keep the local deer safe.
Buy Travel Insurance
I cannot stress this enough! Shelter Cove is in a remote part of California, and they only have a volunteer fire department team to come to your rescue, say, if you fall while hiking the Lost Coast Trail. It’s an hour to the closest hospital in Garberville. If you have to get air lifted out, well…let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be stuck with that bill.
Have fun! If you travel to the area because of this post, please come back and let me know how your trip was.
Pin It
Leave a Reply