Had a close call with a washed-out bridge on the Lost Coast Trail last fall

I was about 15 miles in, near Mattole River, when I found the main crossing completely gone from a storm. The water was moving fast and looked about chest deep. I had to backtrack nearly 4 miles to a sketchy, unmarked game trail to find a safe spot, which added hours to the day. It taught me to check recent trail reports from the ranger station, not just the main guidebook. Has anyone else run into a major route change out there that wasn't posted online?

3 comments

3 Comments

morgan_king362mo agoTop Commenter

Always call the ranger station first...

nathan1002mo ago

Man, this is so true. It's like people forget that basic step. @morgan_king36 is right on the money. I see it everywhere now, not just with hiking. Folks just dive into things without checking the simple info first. They'd rather post a question online and wait for answers. Calling the source directly saves everyone time and hassle. It's a lost skill for sure.

jamesf292mo ago

My buddy did that last year and @morgan_king36 is right, they told him the trail was closed for bears.