Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area

Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area is one of the most unique outdoor destinations on the West Coast — a sprawling complex of coastal sand dunes and beach where street-legal vehicles, ATVs, and dune buggies are permitted on the sand. Stretching south from Pismo Beach, the park draws off-road enthusiasts, campers, and beachgoers to its enormous open beach and towering dunes. Beyond the riding areas, the dunes hold deep ecological and cultural significance, with the adjacent Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve protecting rare habitat and the historic 'Dunite' artist colony lore. Even non-riders come to camp on the sand, fly kites, fish the surf, and watch the sunset over miles of uninterrupted shoreline. It's a wild, expansive, only-in-California stretch of coast where the desert seems to meet the sea.