When you think of California, it's hard to imagine pitch-black beaches. Yet here you can visit one of the most striking and wildest dark beaches.
It's Black Sands Beach, located between the town of Shelter Cove and the Mattole River, in a region where you won't find the great highways of the south, but secondary roads and hiking trails. It is no coincidence that this is called "the lost coast". You can backpack to the black beach on The Lost Coast Trail, a nearly 25-mile walk through forests, fog, waves and black sand.
On the hike, which typically takes three days one way, you'll get great views of the King Range overlooking the Pacific, spot Roosevelt elk grazing in the sheer prairies, and see shells washed up by the waves. Keep in mind: during the tides, parts of the coastline disappear beneath the sea.