Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, State park on the Lost Coast in Mendocino County, United States.
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park is a protected area along the Mendocino County coast with forests, coastal prairies, dark sand beaches, and marine habitats. The landscape shifts between dense woods and open spaces that meet the Pacific Ocean.
The area was a settlement region for the Sinkyone people, who lived near streams and rivers over many generations while moving seasonally to hunt and gather food. Early European settlement later displaced these populations from their traditional lands.
The park contains ancient pathways and former Native American village sites, reflecting centuries of indigenous presence along the northern California coast.
The park is reached via steep, unpaved roads from Highway 1 or Highway 101, with entry points at Usal Beach and Needle Rock Visitor Center. Plan extra time for the drive and check road conditions before visiting.
The Sinkyone tribe gave the park its name; the ocean and shore supplied fish and meat, which mattered most in winter. Trails and roads were later cut for logging and for tanbark hauled to San Francisco tanneries, and logging continued well into the 20th century.
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