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Pismo State Beach
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
19 reviews for Pismo State Beach
Well, I haven't traveled much, but this is freakin' paradise! Methinks I am being a little dramatic, but this was the beach I used to stay at for a week during the summers when I was a teen. I think it actually was more beautiful this go-around -- probably because of the time of year; we went in October.
I wish we had had more time, but we had a Hearst Castle tour we had to get to, and only got to enjoy it for a couple hours. It was clean and not too busy. My son started peeling off his clothes as soon as we got near the water, and he had never seen the ocean before. I can't wait to go back when we have more time and walk around the town and see if any of the old shops are still around.
First warm beach my butt.....
It is a nice beach, but I am now unconvinced that there exists warm beaches in California. Sure you can sunbathe (and that view is nice) but overall the water is just cold. It was warmer on New Years Day in Florida and the locals there were making fun of me for getting in the water.
That being said I like these beaches that aren't really warm. This one has a nice fine sand. It has miles of beach. And plenty of people watching. 4 stars.
I've been to a lot of beaches in my lifetime, and Pismo Beach definitely stands out as one of the best.
One of the coolest things about this beach is all the large cars you see on the sand. This is the only beach in California that allows cars to park on it, for a small fee. Just make sure you have a big 4-wheel drive before you attempt it. One time I saw a pickup truck get stuck in the sand trying to drive out of the beach. A large SUV was attached to it to pull it out. The SUV got stuck trying to pull it out. Oops. For people like me with average cars that can't handle beaches, there's a free parking lot outside the beach.
Otherwise, this beach is great. Lots of shallow water, and it gets warm enough to wade if not to fully swim in the summer. The tide isn't strong like in the San Francisco Bay, so you can be assured of your safety here. There's lots of great sand and dunes to climb as well. There's pretty much something for everyone here, whether you want to wade, climb, or just party.
This is a pretty nice beach. Not sure why it deserves 5 stars from other people from the global "most awesome beaches in the world" standpoint, but whatever.
The sand is soft and not overly dirty or rocky... the area surrounding is a bit sketch as far as I'm concerned.
The weather here is soso as well..... Go in the afternoons, thats when the cloudcover should clear. If it's overcast, expect it to be in the 60s.
It's a nice stretch, and it's not a bad beach at all.... and like one of the other reviewers said... it's nicer that Avila beach....
On our way home 101 north, I decided to stop off at Pismo Beach. I heard so many things about it that I just had to see it for myself. The sun was still up when we parked and took our shoes off for a nice stroll on the beach,.... The 2 hours that we spend goofing around was well worth it. it is a super nice looking beach and I loved it. This is going to be a place that I'll spend a nite very soon!!!
If you are wanting a laid back beach - then this is the one. This quaint beach always seems cool - never the terrific heat of the beachs back home in Florida - but a great little beach nevertheless. Reminds me of when days were slower and I was younger. I will be back.
Great beach! It is huge! And the sand is so nice, especially towards the dunes, the closer you get the more fine it is. Also there are loads of venders close to the coast selling great foods and clothing and all sorts of stuff. I love this place so much.
On a side note, dont go to Avila Beach. Its horrible. The area is small, all the stores are over priced and gawdy. It is a tourist town with out the tourists. Do go there, come to the Pismo beach.
Pismo is a great beach....famed for years by Bugs Bunny and the clam digging. I've never dug clams here, and I like the naturalesque feeling it gives that seems to be lacking from so many beaches in Southern California. (Wait...shopping malls aren't indigenous to beaches?)
Extra points because you can camp there (like most state beaches, and unlike most city beaches in California). I really appreciate the cool weather that is generally associated with this beach (it's fun to wear a sweater and walk along the beach). And I like the fog. All in all, it's a vastly different experience from what I'm used to when it comes to the beach, and I recommend it.
5 stars - I visited here my first time and it won't be my last. It's not your typical laguna beach flair with its refined environment but your down to earth beach not needing to impress anybody since its natural beauty speaks for itself (and I ain't talking about a person). I probably could spend hours hear reflecting, hearing the ocean breeze, finding sea shells and sand dollars on the sand and watching kids and people alike just having fun. Only 3 hours away from the OC, I want to come back and explore the central coast more.....more reviews to come :)...welcome to 2009....yahooo!!!!
Great beach. Wide beach, shallow water - great for wading.
This beach is also great for dogs. Dogs are allowed on leash, but I saw lots of dogs off leash in the morning, or in the water later in the day.
An absolutely gorgeous beach. Several hotels line the beach, and at the north end are some very picturesque cliffs (including some spectacular white cliffs), upon which houses and more hotels are perched.
The water is clear, and seems pretty safe (at least we saw some very young kids out in the water). Some others were digging for clams, although I have no clue how safe it would be to eat them if that's what you're thinking. I think they were digging for them more than doing any kind of collecting. There were surfers of various levels of expertise, and a bunch of boogie boarders too.
At the south end of the beach, if you walk forever, you'll hit dunes.
Also recommended, finding a view from the north end of the beach up on the cliffs - really amazing to see the full length of the beach with the dunes in the distance.
ahhhh... that's all i can say when i think of this beach! huge! sand as soft as silk! when i 1st got there i wasn't impressed because of the overcast i spent the night at the sea gypsy motel. nice little place right on the beach me and my family were able to take our dog Sheilah right on the beach at night there were fireworks and an amazing sunset! great time there
Amazing; when Bakersfield isn't in town.
Really, though. As a local, it is duty to despise the out-of-towners. I never used to despise Bakersfield. Until I assisted 4th of July in Pismo. I feel like the Spartans in 300 fighting off the invading Persian force when trying to get anywhere around that time. If it weren't for the steady influx of tourists that could care less about the town they arrive in, which is to be had at any state beach, this beach would be the greatest.
If you are from Bakersfield, please, be kinder to the area you visit.
OK, so this is not a business, per se...but it's a beach! That's better than a business, right?
I love beaches. I can go to this one and see dumb people get their vehicles stuck. I can see a**holes driving pickups with Confederate flags waving. I can see the biggest RVs on the planet trundling down the beach being towed by Hummers.
I can see kite surfers ripping it up. I can catch closed out beach break waves on my bodyboard. I can chat with sea lions in the lineup. I can see charming little families burying Dad in the sand.
I can watch the sun go down into the Pacific. On a clear day I can see from Point Sal to Avila. On any other day I can see my truck if I don't walk too far from it.
The best places to go are between the Grand Street entrance and the entrance by Old Juan's Mexican restaurant. If you go further south, you'll be buried by OHVs and the aforementioned Confederate Flag waving a**holes. If you don't know how to drive on the sand, don't. That would seem obvious, but any visit on a Sunday afternoon will show you that it isn't.
The water is cold. That's a good thing because it keeps wankers out of the water. That leaves more space for the rest of us.
Watch out for the zillion abandoned fires and the related charcoal.
If you have to pee, go in the ocean. The dunes are for better things.
Don't go too far north, or you'll catch E. Coli related diseases from all of the gull and pelican shit that falls into the water around Pismo Pier.
Enjoy!
Rent a wetsuit and a boogie board, have a blast. Soft, almost powdery sand. Go in September and the water isn't as cold as it is in the summer, and the beach isn't as crowded.
Pismo is a decent beach. As a local, I generally avoid Pismo during the summer months when the Bakersfield Navy is in town.
The waves are alright and it's good for kids. And unlike avila, there is no shark attack stigma, even though it's not like there are no sharks, considering it's the OCEAN.
The peir is fun to walk out on, and look at the view. The stores are interesting to look around in, but really I just take people to the Hotlix store, and Panchos. the beach is nice to walk down.
However, there is always TONS of garbage in the sand because people are incosiderate idiots who think they can come here and trash everything since they don't actually live here.
So please, pick up your trash. and any other trash you see in the sand!
The water is not warm. It's not even cold. It's hypothermia inducing makes your feet feel like knives are being stabbed into them cold.
However, it's nice because there are not tons of rocks and the shelf doesn't slope down really steeply like at other beaches in the area.
There are showers to rinse off your sandy feet, and the parking lot is basically RIGHT next to the beach, so you don't have to lug all your gear far.
Pismo is good for families, or if you just want to bum around walking, or boogie board.
This beach is amazing! Just like a postcard, especially on a nice sunny day. Usually always a crowd wandering up and down the beach, but it never seems crowded to me. Always stairs to get to all the restaurants and shopping!
It was fun.
the beach is so beautiful and very nice, clean, sandy, it is 5 star beach. the campground is ok, 4 star.
