Lost Coast

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Morning on the Lost Coast

This article is about the coastal area in California. For the video game and tech demo, see Half-Life 2: Lost Coast.

The Lost Coast is a section of California's north coast in Humboldt County, lying between the King Range and the Pacific Ocean. The steepness and related geotechnical challenges of the coastal mountains made this stretch of coastline too costly for state highway or county road builders to establish routes through the area. California State Route 1, which runs very close along the coast for most of the route's length, stops at Leggett and merges with U.S. Route 101 which runs several miles inland.

Much of land in the area known as the Lost Coast is owned by the federal government, and in 1970, 60,000 acres (240 km²) were designated the King Range National Conservation Area.

Because of the rugged and remote location, the small towns of Shelter Cove, Whitehorn and Petrolia are popular with those looking for quiet respite.