Pismo - Oceano Dunes.

I went last summer and the surf was more fun than the riding. The dunes are small and the enviro's have closed so much of it you can ride from one end to the other in like 5 mins. I also thought it was real dangerous alot of Quads and 4x4's in a small area. I did think it was a cool place to go camping for the weekend and will probably go back this summer.

I used to go to school at UCSB and made the trip to Pismo quite often. A great place to camp and mess around, but it can get very crowded in the peak summer months. If you pack some warm clothes and build a campfire, the spring or fall are nice.

i have been thinking of a oceano/pismo family trip for awhile now, there's a few things i need to know before i commit to going like, how much is towing in and out (i don't have four-wheel and plan on getting towed in and out) for my trailer? how far in advance do you need reservations? and the premium time of year?( low crowds/best weather and maybe fishing?)

Steve - there is a fantastic towing company that services the Pismo dunes. They can - and have - towed people out of the worst situations imaginable (ever seen a Winnebego stuck in 5 feet of ocean water?). However, they do charge a premium.

Personally, I'd rather try to bribe someone with beer. If you want to go the safe route, however, and have the towing company do it, you can reach them (Angello's Towing) at (805) 481-0355. Unless something has changed in the past 12 months, they are the only company that tows on the beach.

The central coast gets very hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and erratic / nice in the spring and summer. I've lived in San Diego through high school and Santa Barbara through college, and can tell you that Santa Barbara gets hotter in the summer months. That said, I never found Pismo to be too cold during spring / fall, and it certainly was not crowded. Like I said before, bring firewood and warm clothes.

Tim, the last time I was there was about 10 years ago and it seemd to be getting smaller. I had alot of fun riding throught the beach but they are right, it gets dangerous with all the other vehicles stuffed in the small riding area. It's actually nicer, from what I hear to ride down in Mexico on the beach, never tried it but I hear its fun. It definately gets crowded at Pismo in the summer for sure. It would be fun to do once, but I'm not up for another run out there. Have fun though!