Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area

Love to come check the weather here. The perfect conditions would be warm enough and no wind, but of course that’s rare. Some days it’s too foggy to see the ocean (or they close the dunes due to unsafe conditions), some days the «weekend warriors» from the valley take over the beach and it’s just too packed to come check out the sunset. But, it’s still a great place to come look at the waves, let the dogs run around and set up a beach chair.
Tips: do not drive your car out here if you have no idea what you’re doing (getting stuck is not fun!), have a back up plan for alternate plans if the wind is too strong, fog is too dense, or it’s just too packed to enjoy hanging out. Drive the speed limit, they do enforce it (15 mph). $ 10 day entry fee to drive on, or $ 50 for 1 year. Camping passes are sold separately and need to be reserved in advance.
Please, keep this place clean and don’t leave your trash.

This was my first time riding an atv in sand dunes, so I have nothing to compare it to. The area itself is rather large and varied. There are different sections that cater to skill levels and familiarity. The first part tends to get really crowded, because that’s where everyone goes. The back section, which is way more remote and challenging, is great, but if you get into trouble, help is not as easy to find. Make sure you know where you are. One of our atvs kept stalling, and a girl in our group cut open her chin and had to be taken to the hospital. It’s a good thing that we had multiple vehicles and a chaser truck.

love this place to go camping only about $ 10 dollars a day plus you have plenty of places to rent an atv and most places will have everything you need helmet goggles etc to get riding on the beach just make sure you air down your tires and have lots of fun.

A definite must stop for anyone visiting Pismo or the surrounding area. It is one of the only places where you can literally drive up and down the beach and just take in the beautiful scenery. I wouldn’t attempt to take anything short of an AWD or 4×4 on the sand because it is off road and I saw many rear wheel and front wheel drive being pulled out. I took my Subaru onto it and it did perfectly fine. Best part about it is its only 5 $ for your car ! Make sure to pitch your tent and grab a beer when you park and you’ll be set. Also if you have any off road vehicles like atv’s this is the place to bring them, if not there are rentals along the beach although they can be pricy.
-(lastly I think the address on Unilocal is wrong because it takes you to some random neighborhood that isn’t even next to the dunes, just follow the signs and it’ll point you to the entrance.)

We are blessed here in California!!! To have the best of both worlds, beach and dunes, located on the central part of the great expensive state of CA is PISMO:/Oceano dunes. Rv, quad or any other off road vehicle u prefer is welcomed here, by all means not a place where the noise is at a minimum decibel but a loud beautiful noise of engine and smells of gas and horsepower. This place is awesome for the kid in all adults and for the actual kids as well keep in mind to be safe while everywhere here, there have been accidents due to negligent riders and even deaths one as recent as ²⁄₁₆ so keep a sober head watch out for kids and keep on being happy :) located in my home away from home good olé Pismo :):):):):)

Absolutely hands down the best of both worlds… beach and dunes! We drive from so cal a couple times a year to camp and look forward to it every time! Only $ 10 a night to dry camp. So worth the drive for us and the view is breathtaking!

Best place to ride your atvs came here three times in 3 months and wish I could come more often. I love near hollister hills and would rather drive 2 hours then go to hollister hills. Everyone is there to have a good time and have gotten stuck twice and have had more then enough help getting out by people asking for if help was needed. Good place worth going to!

Great park! Very clean and love that you can just roll up to the beach! WARNING! Lower the pressure in your vehicles tires to about 15psi before entering the park! There’s plenty of vehicles around that will air you up for a couple bucks on you way out, believe me its worth it, it will keep you from getting stuck. We stayed at mile marker 6 (the end) for a week in a rented RV (Luv2Camp) and we pulled out 5 people who got stuck turning around there. Endless amounts of dunes for your off road vehicles and you can park your RV 25 yards from the water. We set up horseshoes and ladder ball right at the tide and played all day long. So relaxing! Keep an eye for the Sanderling bird flocks that fly up and down and around the beach the shimmer as they change directions. Would love to make this a yearly trip!

We were planning to stay at the North Beach sites based on recommendations from friends but it was sold out. We pulled in here on a Sunday evening mid Sept and the beach was packed (not our style) but by Monday morning the place was almost totally cleared out and it was a complete 180 from mayhem to peaceful. For $ 10 you can camp on the beach, surf/​boogie board, build a fire, moto, fish… The kids found more sand dollars than they knew what to do with. Air down your truck and trailer tires to about 20. If you have a trailer and worried about an extended stay, there are a few trucks that come by to see if you need water or a flush for a fee. All and all we were really glad the other place was sold out but wouldn’t we probably never want to come here on a weekend or during busy summer months.

If you want to book an overnight campsite, book through the state
. This location is OCEANO DUNES SVRA on the state website. Enter through Pier if you’re going camping. It is a 2.7 mile drive along the beach to the end of the camping zone. This is MAD MAX camping on the weekends or summer. Kids, dogs, ATV’s, and cars are all sharing the frontage of the beach in a haphazard way. If you’re camping with a large group, you will most likely need to drive up to a higher spot. There are no defined camping spots, you create your own by taking wood stakes and caution tape to create your own space. There are a few hard packed beach frontage areas for those lucky enough to snag one. If you’re with a large groups you will set up farther away from the beach frontage. What this means is YOU WILL GET STUCK IN THE SAND! Call your tire dealer and find out how much air should be let out of your tires before attempting to drive in the sand. We had two trucks pull our RV out of the sand with their hooks and straps. Our group had all the struff to pull people out of the sand. If you don’t want to tent, you can rent a trailer from the Luv2camp company. The trailer is delivered to your site. Here is their website
Be warned camping at this location is an equalizer experience, i.e., like going to the emergency room. You’re going to be hanging with EVERY type of humanity. There are no rules about noise, or any decorum of any kind. What makes it worth it? The beautiful sunsets at the beach and the fun times on the dunes which stretch out everywhere. This place is a draw for people with ATV’s Best to go during the week when there is less noise and people.

It’s amazing place to stay. My kiddos had a great time. There’s so much to do, Riding four wheeler, play in the sand, going swimming and tanning. Great place for camping with large groups.

The only place in California where you can DRIVE your vehicle on the beach!!! If you have a truck, a 4-​wheel drive or some kind of off-​road vehicle, then this place is a must do/​see if you’re in the Central Coast! But you don’t need a truck or 4 wheel drive. My husband’s uncle drove us on the beach in his Honda Accord, and we did fine. We found lots of other sedans parked on the beach, even motorhomes for gosh sake.
It being Memorial Day weekend there were many cars going in and out of the beach and the dunes. We got there around 4:30 pm, so it was not as crowded as it could have been. There were tents on the beach, lots of people kite surfing, kids wading, and people fishing from the shore. Oh and of course, cars driving from the Pismo end all the way to the Oceano end. There is a fee of $ 5 to drive on the beach, so make sure you have cash!
Oh, and don’t worry if you get stuck on the sand. People are nice enough to stop and help you get out of the sand. Just be sure to stay on the harder packed sand if you’d rather not get stuck. The tide was coming in when we were driving, and we ended up driving where the waves were crashing and leveling out.
This was our first time driving on the beach. We’ve visited my husband’s uncle (who lives in Grover Beach) many times, but for some reason, we’ve never really gone to the beach with him. It’s a good thing we went this time around. It was fun! It was very cold and windy though. Not a good day to be wearing a dress! We’ll definitely be back next time we’re in the area. Let’s just hope it’s warmer and less windy!

Great place for family fun. We ride our quads out there every month since we live near by. You just need to pay attention and be safe. The quad/​sandrail rental places have been great. Our friends & family have rented from all of them so they can ride with us. It’s always enjoyable to bonfire and relax. Walking the beach finding shells is fun. We don’t swim there, the water can be too ruff and there is an undertow. Can be too crowded during holidays.

Whats not to love! Ya got the beach, the dunes, the perfect weather, and the occasional great white attempting dinner! !
Our favorite weekend getaway! Bring the kids and grandkids and it gets even better.
Im 3 for 3 getting pulled over by the state patrol. No ticket though so im vatting .1000.

Dunes are nice, but just had to readjust our vacation as the limit was just surpassed for OHV vehicles and we were turned away even for day use.
The problem is there was no notice of this policy on their website, OHV forums — nothing. Came from SF Bay Area — spent a ton getting all the bikes equipped (paddle tires, filters, etc.). Pretty pissed.
Their Facebook page hasn’t been updated in 3 years — Hollister, many other OHV places updates their capacity updates throughout the day. Oceano? When we arrived at the entrance.
We rode one day — it was fun, great driving on the beach. Hilarious crowd.

Wonderful place to take family and/​or friends. Drive your car on the beach. I believe it is the only place in California that you can do that. Just do not get stuck. Twice, we’ve had family members get their minivan stuck! Fortunately, some friendly folks have helped us get out of that mess! Bring your ATV or rent one because the Dunes are fantastic!
Such an awesome place to kick back and relax! It only costs $ 5! Great deal and great times here! Make sure to pack a picnic!

With the low tide scheduled to coincide with sunset, we decided to take a late afternoon drive on the firm sands of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. On our way, we picked up a box of firewood and all the fixin’s for s’mores at a local market, and headed out to the west end of Grand Avenue in Grover Beach. There at the entrance of the Oceano Dunes SVRA, we paid our $ 5 fee, and rolled across the beach in our trusty Subaru.
The 5.5 mile long Oceano Dunes section of the Guadalupe-​Nipomo dune system is the only place in California where you can still legally drive on the beach. Although dune buggies and quads are popular in the dunes, anyone can drive on the beach. Trucks, RVs, and passenger cars of all makes and models easily maneuvered on the expansive hard-​packed sandy section that was wide as a super highway.
With the sun plummeting toward the sea, we parked in the sand, built a bonfire, and started toasting marshmallows. Before long, the only sounds were the crackle and pop of our blazing fire, and the snap of another honey graham. As the atomic orange sky faded to midnight blue, and a full field of stars twinkled overhead, we melted up one last s’more, extinguished our fire, and drove off on the firm sands of the Oceano Dunes.

Been coming to Pismo dunes every year since 1990, and we love it.
No where else can you drive your vehicle on the beach, have lunch with your family and friends, go dunning, then have a nice bonfire as your watching the sunset…
For those of you complain about people driving around with confederate flags, or Mexican flags, or portuguese flags, etc… just have one word for you, RELAX. These are just simply people who love to ride out there. Period. If you’re feeling that un-​easy, then leave. Nobody’s forcing you to be there.
Now, for those idiots who DO ride and drive while drinking in the dunes or on the beach, you’re an a$$hole and you will be the reason why we will eventually lose our privilege of riding here in the first place. If you need to drink in order to have a great time, then go drive your vehicle into a wall away from all of us out here.
Last thing, if you bring in paper towels, plates, forks, wrappers, etc, carry it back out and toss it out! Nobody is your maid so place it in the trash.
I was a volunteer ranger many years ago and if you see something that isn’t right, report it, remember
We need to keep oceano/​pismo dunes open for future generations to enjoy.

Oceano Dunes is a beach where you can pay $ 5 and drive your car onto the sand. We came here a little bit before sunset and it was gorgeous. The beach is very clean and there are multiple locations to rent ATVs to go adventuring in the sand dunes. There were lots of RVs and SUVs there — most of which paid for permits to stay overnight.
Luckily for us, we showed up during low tide. I was ecstatic to find complete, whole sand dollars at Oceano Dunes! Some were white, brown, purple, some had barnacles. some had the animal still in it, some were furry… but OD is littered with sand dollars! I had so much fun collecting them. This is a seashell lovers dream come true!

Where else can you take your car straight onto a 3 mile stretch of beach and go camping? Given that this was my first ever experience sitting in the passenger side of a truck and riding along the waves (and having saltwater sprayed in my face while riding along), I felt like an enthusiastic 5 year old going to Disneyland for the first time.
Arriving around 11pm to set up camp, we picked a spot that looked like it was a good enough distance away from the ATV rentals so that we could try to avoid the loud noises in the morning. It turned out we set up camp right next to a generator. Oh well.
Some first time beach camper thoughts and tips:
*Bring some ear plugs. It will be loud with all of the cars/ATV’s in the morning.
*If you plan to be gone all day long, take off the tarp on your tent and unzip all the windows to keep it well ventilated. This will stop condensation from forming in your tent. We learned this lesson the hard way when we were gone an entire day and came back to partially wet sleeping bags. Oh the joys.
*Waking up to the ocean is something you should put on your bucket list in case you don’t have it on there.
*Walking to the Porta Potties is a long distance in the morning. Not unless you want to bring your own (or have no shame) and just do your pee pee business in the sand. Because sometimes, that’s just the way it needs to be handled.
*There are no showers here or fresh running water. You’ll have to get lucky like we did and have a friends house nearby to shower at.
*Rent some ATV’s if you’ve never done it before. I shall write about that in a separate review. SO MUCH FUN.