The Lost Coast is proof that if you don’t build it, they won’t come. What wasn’t built between Ferndale and Rockport was a coastal road: the geography of the 90-mile stretch steep mountain ranges abutting rocky shore wouldn’t allow it. The result is the last untamed and undeveloped region of the California coast, a place where two cars following each other are considered a convoy and where more cows than people lie on the beach (seriously). Popular with campers, backpackers, and fishers, the Lost Coast is beginning to see a hint of gentrification at its only seaside town, Shelter Cove. Otherwise, the land is inhabited mainly by ranchers, retirees, and alternative lifestylers (a.k.a. hippies), the latter of which have made the Lost Coast one of the most productive pot-growing regions in the world.

The Lost Coast also makes for a fantastic day trip by car. Of the three entrance points into the region Garberville, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, and Ferndale the most scenic route is through the state park. From Highway 101 take the State Park turnoff and follow the Mattole Road all the way to Ferndale and back onto Highway 101. The three- to four-hour, 75-mile drive transports you through lush redwood forests, across golden meadows, and along miles of deserted beaches (well, if you don’t count the cows). Be sure to fill up your gas tank, and bring a jacket if you plan to venture anywhere on foot.