Usal Beach offers many fun activities including beachcombing, sunbathing, wildlife watching, hiking, picnicking, and camping. The water near this beach is generally unsafe for recreational activities including surfing and swimming as the water here has strong currents, dangerous waves, and cold temperatures. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including harbor seals, elephant seals, sea lions, and migrating whales. If you like birdwatching, you can see many kinds of shorebirds around Usal Beach. In addition, you can also occasionally view elk in the area around the beach. However, if you come across an elk, we recommend being careful as these animals can get aggressive and attack without any provocation. It is important to note that while the beach was earlier famous as a beach-driving spot, driving your vehicle on this beach is currently prohibited. A popular activity in Usal Beach is camping - a tent campground is present near this beach and offers a fun oceanfront camping experience. If you are planning to camp in the campground near Usal Beach, you can visit Sinkyone Wilderness State Park’s webpage on the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for more helpful information on the campground amenities, rules, and charges. The Lost Coast Trail starts near this beach and offers an amazing hiking experience along with beautiful Instagram-worthy views of the Northern California shoreline.
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park has many amazing hiking and equestrian trails which offer a unique way to explore the vibrant coastal landscape of Northern Mendocino County. The park’s landscape has many habitats including woodlands and coastal grasslands. However, we recommend being careful while hiking within this state park as the area around the hiking trails here is known to have ticks. You can also view many kinds of animals and birds in this state park including bears, elk, ospreys, owls, falcons, and eagles. The state park’s Needle Rock Visitor Center was initially built as a ranch-house in the 1920s and now has interesting interpretive exhibits. In addition, there are many campgrounds for pedestrians and equestrians in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park which offer a fun camping experience. If you want to camp in these campgrounds, you can visit Sinkyone Wilderness State Park’s webpage on the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for more helpful information about camping here.