The Mendocino County Department of Transportation has closed Usal Road, cutting off all public access to Usal Beach and its campground until further notice.
In a notice posted Saturday morning, the department said County Road 431 is closed in its entirety. “There is NO estimated date of opening,” the post stated. “There is NO access to the beach or campground.”
The closure makes Usal Beach — one of the most remote and rugged camping destinations on California’s North Coast — completely inaccessible by vehicle. Located within Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, Usal Beach has long drawn visitors seeking solitude, dramatic coastal scenery, and opportunities to encounter wildlife, including Roosevelt elk.
Travel writer Stuart Thornton once described Usal Beach as “everything a Northern California beach should be: wild, powerful, and mysterious.”
The campground is intentionally primitive, with no hookups, no potable water, and no cell service. Even under normal conditions, reaching it requires navigating Usal Road, a narrow, steep, and often rutted route that can be challenging for high-clearance vehicles and impassable for low-clearance cars or RVs.
For hikers and backpackers, that remoteness is part of the appeal. Usal serves as a southern access point for the Lost Coast Trail, a backcountry route through Sinkyone Wilderness featuring lush forests, coastal bluffs and black sand beaches.
Despite its isolation, the area has faced ongoing issues with trash and illegal dumping, particularly during peak visitation periods when weekend warriors have been known to throw multiday raves, building bonfires and setting off fireworks.
The road closure halts all vehicle access to the beach and campground, with county officials offering no timeline for reopening.
Travelers are advised to monitor county updates and plan alternate destinations while the closure remains in effect.