Where to take a dog in Humboldt County: Black Sands Beach

Humans love to drive near beautiful places, with one of their favorites being the gorgeous and greatly accessible coast of California.
But there are a few spots even along this most coveted shoreline that aren't carved by pavement: secluded stretches of wild sand guarded by mountains who laugh at roads. Mountains so formidable they can push even the prized Highway 1 away from the ocean, creating a gem in Humboldt County called The Lost Coast. 

Leave civilization behind on the shores of the Lost Coast.

This extra-rugged section of the rugged north coast begins in the northern corner of Mendocino County and comes courtesy of the King Range, which demands that all humans walk into the special realm of sea, sand and fog that it protects from civilization.

My introduction to the Lost Coast shore began where the pavement ends at Shelter Cove, which for most is also the southern end of an epic, 28-mile hiking trek known as the Lost Coast Trail. Even the drive to Shelter Cove and Black Sands Beach is slightly epic: a steep, winding trip that is definitely not for those prone to carsickness.
And once you park, you are reminded over and over again that you've left the modern asphalt world behind to enter one ruled by nature:

• Before you reach the sand you must pass several “Danger” signs warning you of “intermittent waves of unusual size and force,” and advising you to stay at least 100 feet away from the water. And once you see the steep drop off between the water’s edge and the waves, you’ll want to.
• The beach is often beset by winds that make it so uncomfortable to walk north that visitors are advised to hike the Lost Coast Trail only from north to south. And no matter which direction you choose, you can't head out until you've studied the tide charts, because a tide of higher than three feet will strand you at Punta Gorda.
• Little of what you’re walking on is actually sand, and the beach should really be called Black Rocks Beach. And while many of those rocks are very small, some of them are baseball-sized, and the larger ones cover more and more ground as you head north.
• Most of the other people you will see look like they happily left civilization long ago: Dirty, exhausted-yet-ecstatic souls at the end of the journey they began days earlier at the northern end of the Lost Coast Trail.
  

Photo by Nathan DeHart

As for the dog, I will admit this hike was problematic for mine in the summer because of the hot, black rocks. But I still think it is worth visiting, especially if you both crave long stretches of nearly empty off-leash beaches.
Since this is part of the King Range National Conservation Area managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management, dogs can be under voice control. However, my dog did not like walking on rocks or even fine gravel, and soon after hitting the hot sand she flopped on her side and stuck her feet in the air in protest until I pointed her closer to the water.
I suggest you let your dog cool their paws as much as possible in the creek at the beginning of the beach. Or better yet, have them wear booties as were recommended by the helpful guidebook that pointed me to Black Sands Beach and many other great places to take my dog: Best Dog Hikes in Northern California