Trip · 3-day camping trip
For · Families and butterfly seekers
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.
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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
This small play tent will keep your kids busy and your main sleeping tent clean.
Essential Items
Shelters
Bugs be gone with this rechargeable and refillable mosquito repeller.
Essential Items
Self-care
A fun camping cot for siblings to share and sleep in overnight.
Sleep
Sleep
We can confirm that these camp tables withstand hot bevvies and rock collections.
Shared Gear
Bezzi's Picks
This spacious loveseat is designed for cuddling with loved and furry ones at camp.
Essential Items
A fancy stove for campers who want compact, portability, and performance all in one.
Kitchen
A popular and reliable dual-burner camp stove that stays hot in windy conditions.
Kitchen
It's sturdy, reliable, well-designed, and a tad pricier than most camp chairs, but it'll last for awhile.
Shared Gear
Elevate your sleep system (literally) with this heavy-ish but easy to set up cot.
Essential Items
Sleep
Enjoy the small town charm and enchanting wilderness in Idyllwild for this beginner camping trip.