Oceano Dunes Shuts Down Camping and Off-Highway Vehicle Use After Court Ruling

A section of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area will temporarily close to camping and off-highway vehicle use. 

The area of the park south of Arroyo Grande Creek will be closed to camping and vehicle use due to a court ruling on April 9, 2026, prohibiting motor vehicle use, according to a notice issued by the park. 

Stating that the authorities “are working hard to reopen the park as quickly as possible,” the park said that the temporary measure will be effective until the Habitat Conservation Plan and an Incidental Take Permit are issued. 

While day use and vehicles will continue to be allowed north of Arroyo Grande Creek, day use passes for Pismo State Beach will be limited to only 1,000 and may be adjusted based on operational considerations. 

Campers who have a multiple-day reservation will be allowed to stay through April 14, 2026. Following that, any additional days will be refunded, including the ReserveCalifornia service fee, according to the park.

Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area in San Luis Obispo County is an expansive coastal dune and is the only California State Park to allow vehicles to drive on the beach. Visitors can camp in the dune area and on the beach and go horseback riding on the dunes. 

Recent Court Ruling 

The partial and temporary closure of Oceano Dunes follows the recent court ruling that found the motorized vehicle use at portions of the park is endangering the population of the western snowy plover, a sand-colored shorebird and a threatened species. 

The birds nest and breed between March and September, preferring to roost in vehicle tracks at the park. Despite the park’s natural resources management program, there have been documented incidents in which snowy plovers were killed and harmed due to vehicle use at the park since March 2001, the court said. 

The court prohibited California State Parks from issuing permits or authorizing motorized vehicle use unless they obtain a federal “incidental take permit.” 

Celebrating the ruling, the Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement that the threatened birds “will be safer and stand a better chance at survival.” 

The Center filed a lawsuit in 2020 after providing a notice of violations to State Parks in 2017 and 2020. 

The park had developed a habitat conservation plan in the early 2000s to secure an Endangered Species Act permit to incidentally “take” protected wildlife, the Center said. 

However, the plan was not completed even after 20 years, with motorized vehicles continuing to be authorized at Oceano Dunes without a permit, and several snowy plovers being harmed or killed due to vehicle activity. 

Another draft conservation plan by State Parks in 2020 would have worsened conditions for the threatened birds, the Center said in a previous statement. According to the nonprofit, the 2025 draft plan prioritized off-road recreation over wildlife protection and proposed opening more sensitive habitat areas to off-road vehicles. 

“It could not legally be approved and had to be withdrawn,” the Center said.