Saturday, Jan 3, 2026 @ 7:00 AM
Registration closes: Wed, Dec 31 @ 11:59 PM PT

    Run wild, run free

    Want to start 2026 with a killer adventure? Look no further than the Lost Coast. Rough, remote, yet incredibly runnable backcountry gravel and quiet pavement awaits in Humboldt County.

    Start point

    Horse Creek Mountain trailhead parking area. Easiest way to access is from Shelter Cove Rd, which is five miles south on King Range Rd. That stretch of King Peak Rd is all unpaved dirt/gravel but plenty wide and smooth for most mid-size cards to traverse.

    The nearest town (gas station, brewery, market, etc) is Shelter Cove on the water. Leave Shelter Cove, pass King Peak Rd and keep going to 101 and you'll hit Garberville, which is 3.5-4 hours drive away from San Francisco.

    The route

    Find it on Strava here

    34.3 miles, about 6500 feet of gain. Light trail shoes or even road shoes will get you through the day -- it's all on "roads", just a wide range of surfaces and qualities of those roads, made even more challenging by the remote location (and the January event date).

    Miles 1 through 8 are the roughest terrain as you head up Saddle Mountain Rd, taking you up to right around 3000 feet of elevation and, with a lucky forecast, incredible views of the Pacific Ocean far below.

    You descend Saddle Mountain then rejoin King Peak Rd and head north. Pavement begins when you turn onto Wilder Ridge Rd, which you'll follow all the way to the turnaround at the Honeydew store. In Honeydew you can get usual small market snacks along with a small menu of hot food like sandwiches and burgers. Honeydew is also the lowest point elevation-wise, all the way down at 300-something feet above sea level... meaning you've got some hills ahead of you to finish the day.

    Then it's straight south to return the way you came. You skip the Saddle Mountain turnoff and head straight back towards our start/finish point. There will most likely be a few small water crossing (yes, across the road that's open to car traffic) in the last 5-10 miles here depending on rainfall as the run date approaches.

    The start/finish at Horse Creek Mountain offers not much beyond a convenient meeting place. Pack whatever post-run festivities you'd like to access and/or share with your fellow adventurers.

    Other stuff

    This route is very minimally explored by runners but reasonably well-known to gravel and mountain bikers. In my experience, you'll see two or three vehicles per hour on King Peak closer to the start/finish, maybe slightly busier on the paved parts towards Honeydew (and nobody at all on Saddle Mountain).

    If anything crazy happens to shut down the roads we'd be using, there are plenty of options for a backup route nearby (Sinkyone park, Usal, Whale Gulch area). But King Peak and Wilder Gulch are, despite their rough terrain, well-maintained public roads with year-round vehicle use.

    Other races

    Taco Bell Border Dash -- March 16 (Portland, OR)

    PDX 50K -- May 17 (Portland, OR)

    Event's current local time: 4:15 PM PT
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