Trip · 3-day camping trip
For · Friends and new campers
Vibe · Relaxing and chill
Reservations · Yes, book a site at North Beach Campground
Drive · 3.5 hours from LA
Ideal dates · May to September
Pets · Welcome at camp, the beach and trails, but not in Pismo Dune Preserve and Oso Flaco Lake
Pismo State Beach (PSB) neighbors Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area (SVRA), the only drivable beach in the country, but that's ending by 2024. The sand dunes will stay though, which is one of Pismo's many natural gems. Another is that from November to February, one of the largest Western Monarch Butterfly populations flock to Pismo SB's Monarch Butterfly Grove. This park is butterfly and Bewilder approved.
Main image credit: N/A
Each campsite comes with a:
Pismo State Beach has two campgrounds: North Beach and Oceano. They both have showers (token-operated), restrooms, drinking water, and firewood available on site, but North Beach is closer to the beach whereas Oceano is about a quarter-mile walk to the ocean. At North Beach., you're only a mile away from downtown Pismo, and if you visit between November to February you'll likely see Western Monarch Butterflies migrating to Pismo SB's Monarch Butterfly Grove.
Check-in: After 2 PM · Check-out: Before noon
Nightly Rate: $25
Pismo SB became a state park in 1934, and its sand dunes attracted mystics, artists, and philosophers called The Dunites. For real.
For more than 10,000 years, the Northern Chumash people lived along the coast and Pismo's sand dunes
The name Pismo comes from the Chumash language word for tar, or pismu, which was gathered from tar springs near Pismo Beach
A spacious sleeping bag that will help you stay warm for spring, summer, and fall camping.
Essential Items
Whether it's coffee or cocoa, bring a silicone mug like this one into the wild. Your tummy will thank you.
Kitchen
Leave your backpacking pack at camp, and use this sleek, compressible pack for day hikes.
Shared Gear
An affordable day pack for bringing snacks, sunglasses, and water on your next day hike.
Shared Gear
Handmade in Seattle, Washington, this sleeping bag is pricey, but you can count on it lasting for years.
Essential Items
A fun, affordable tent for beginner car campers that can be used in the spring, summer, and fall.
Shared Gear
An absorbent, antimicrobial fabric that will keep you clean and dry down under.
Personal Stuff
This cook station has plenty of storage and counter space, and is easy to set up and carry out.
Kitchen
If you like to toss and turn at night, this sleeping pad is known for being a quiet, quality option for car campers.
Essential Items
A solid, lightweight, and relatively affordable tent for people are new to backpacking.
Shared Gear
Camp underneath the stars and watch glorious sunrises in Joshua Tree National Park, the second largest national park in California.