Whether you’re road tripping the California coast or simply looking for a nice beach vacation, Pismo Beach should definitely be on your list of places to go. It’s known for its many beaches, beautiful views, and of course its namesake—the Pismo Clam.
If you’re planning to visit this cute beach town, then this list of my favorite Pismo Beach activities will help you map out your time and make sure you know about all the amazing things to do around Pismo Beach. So without further ado, here are the best things to do in Pismo Beach…from water activities to amazing food, parks, and trails!
What to Do in Pismo Beach
Visiting and wondering what to do in Pismo Beach? There are a plethora of amazing things to do near Pismo Beach, but here are 13 that you won’t want to miss. These Pismo Beach attractions range from the heart of the city to the outskirts in Shell Beach, but everything on this list is close to the city by car and a must-see and must-do when on the central coast!
1. Visit Pismo State Beach
When in a town literally named Pismo Beach, you’d better believe one of the best things to do is actually visit the beach. Pismo State Beach is a beautifully sandy classic California beach that lends itself well to a variety of activities, from playing in the water to building delightful sand castles.
For a visit to Pismo Beach, you’ll want to make sure you have a beach towel (preferably a cute or fun towel! 😉), plenty of sunscreen, a hat, and maybe some sand toys or water gear like boogie boards if you feel so inclined. You can check out this complete list of items to pack for a California vacation to make sure you’ve got everything you need before you visit here!
2. Go Surfing
If you want to try out surfing, Pismo is a good place to do it! If you’ve never surfed before, you might want to start out by booking a few surf lessons so you can learn to surf and also have a board and wetsuit provided to you. Check out these Pismo Beach surf lessons to learn more!
However, if you’ve already surfed in the past and just need gear in order to get out on the waves, then there are also places like Pismo Beach Surf Shop that are perfect for renting equipment. Whichever option you choose, there’s not much that is better than being out on the water on the central coast of California!
3. Go Kayaking
If you’re looking for fun things to do in Pismo Beach, then I can’t recommend kayaking enough! It’s a super fun way to get out on the water and explore this area of the ocean. There are lots of easy ways to do this, and some tours and rentals even help you explore the nearby caves or equip you to fish from your kayak if you want. If this sounds like an activity you want to do, then check into kayak rentals and tours from Central Coast Kayaks.
4. Walk Along Pismo Beach Pier
Pismo Beach Pier is a beautifully built structure and a fun place to meander while you’re in the city. I love walking to the end and looking back at the beach, as well as watching the surfers as they try to catch a wave alongside the pier.
This pier was recently remodeled and reopened in 2018, so it is very sturdy and enjoyable to walk along. There are also a lot of benches along the way where you can enjoy sitting and watching or listening to the waves!
5. Go Fishing on Pismo Pier
As you wander down the pier, you’ll see a lot of people fishing over the edge. And if this sounds like something you are interested in, then you can rent some fishing gear and join them all! To fish here, there are a few simple rules to follow…like no overhead casting, no more than two poles at once, and no cleaning fish on the benches. But you don’t need to have a fishing licence to try your hand here, so it’s the perfect vacation activity if you’re so inclined.
6. Eat at Splash Cafe
Splash Cafe is a central coast favorite, so if you’re looking for a place to enjoy lunch or dinner then this should definitely be on your list! Throughout the day there’s often a line of people waiting to get in, so you know it must be good. Sometimes the line even wraps around the side of the building!
Splash is a local seafood cafe and is particularly well-known for their clam chowder (which is to-die-for!)…but they have other excellent options as well, including some really good fish tacos. If you don’t end up eating here during your time in Pismo, or do eat here but want to eat at Splash again, there is also one in nearby San Luis Obispo that you can enjoy.
7. Eat Cinnamon Rolls at Old West Cinnamon Rolls
You may not automatically think of cinnamon rolls when you think of the beach, but I can promise that after eating one at Old West Cinnamon Rolls you will forever be thinking of them every time you visit a beach town for the rest of your life!
The recipe for these rolls was created by a local woman, Betty Clemens, over 40 years ago at her family home in Shell Beach, and it’s unsurprising that they are still a super big attraction when visiting Pismo today! These rolls are delicious and tender and you can choose from a variety of toppings. I still find the frosted option is my favorite, but it’s worth trying them all!
8. Buy Saltwater Taffy and Souvenirs
There are lots of little shops strewn throughout Pismo that sell saltwater taffy, and it was always my tradition with friends to stop and buy some whenever we came to Pismo while in college. It’s a fun treat! Often these shops or nearby ones also sell some trinkets and souvenirs, so if you’re looking for fun knickknacks or Pismo Beach branded clothes then keep an eye out along the streets as you walk!
9. Stop by Dinosaur Caves Park
There are lots of little parks along the route from Pismo Beach to Shell Beach, but one of my favorites is Dinosaur Caves Park. Unfortunately, there are no actual dinosaurs here anymore…but it was named for the giant concrete dinosaur that a man named H. Douglas Brown started constructing here in the 1940s. People could enter a trail to the caves below by entering the side of the dinosaur, but neighbors objected to the large concrete structure and Brown was forced to stop construction before it was completed.
Today, there is a children’s playground on the site with some dinosaur statues they can play on as well as “dinosaur eggs” they can go inside, so it’s a perfect place for kids (or local college students who also want to go inside the dinosaur eggs). But the real star of the show is the views from the trails at the water’s edge. The view along this stretch of the coast is perhaps the best in this whole area, so I highly recommend taking a few minutes to park and walk around here!
There is a free parking lot on site as well as restroom facilities, and if you so choose you can walk the path along the water and meet up with other cute little waterfront parks like Margo Dodd and Eldwayen Ocean Park.
10. Explore the Beaches of Shell Beach
While Pismo State Beach is the classic California sandy beach that all visitors envision, the beaches along Shell Beach are beautiful in their own right and well worth visiting. To get to these beaches, you’ll simply park along the oceanfront or in a place like Dinosaur Caves Park and then walk along the waterfront trail until you come to a set of stairs that leads down to the beach below.
If you park at Dinosaur Caves Park, there’s a set of stairs just a short walk to the left (when you’re facing the ocean). You can actually see it from some of the viewpoints in front of the park in case you need a guide to know where you’re going. But there are also other small beach coves along this route, including one near Margo Dodd Park and another near Eldwayen.
I love these little cove beaches because there are lots of pelicans and seagulls nearby, and the rocky scenery is a striking contrast with the stillness of the ocean at times. These beaches are also less frequented by the majority of tourists, which means that sometimes you may even have the whole little cove to yourself! Do be aware, however, that the sandy area is often small and you need to keep an eye on the tide. At high tide, the water comes all the way up to the cliff edge and you won’t want to get stuck down below with no way to get back to the path at the top of the stairs!
11. Walk the Shell Beach Bluff Trail
If you’re looking for an easy and pleasant walk/hike to take, then the Shell Beach Bluff Trail is a perfect choice during your time in Pismo Beach! To take this trail, you can park in a tiny parking lot here.
This trail leads along the water and on the other side is a beautiful housing area filled with amazing (and expensive) houses. The trail itself is pretty easy and you can take it as long or as short as you would like…even going all the way to the cave at Pirate’s Cove if you would like (do be aware that Pirate’s Cove beach is a nude beach…but you can go to the nearby cave without encountering that area of the beach if you would still like to see the cave). The bluff trail from the parking lot to the cave is a little under the mile, so you can easily walk it one-way in about 20-30 minutes.
12. Drive on the Oceano Dunes SVRA
Although not exactly in Pismo Beach, the Oceano Dunes is an amazing place to visit when you are in this area. It used to be called Pismo Dunes when I lived in the area but they changed the name and it now reflects where it actually is on the map.
The cool thing about this area of the dunes is that you can drive out on the beach! It costs $5 for each vehicle to drive out on the sand, but I only recommend doing this if your vehicle has four-wheel drive. You definitely don’t want to get stuck in the sand!
If you don’t have a vehicle that can go on the sand but still want the experience of driving on it, you may want to consider an experience like renting a dune buggy to drive around on the dunes. Check out more about how to rent a dune buggy for Oceano here!
However, if you do have your own car then Oceano Dunes is also a great place to go in the evening and bring some firewood. You can drive out on the beach and then can dig your own fire pit and enjoy an evening under the stars. This is one of my favorite summertime memories from my time living on the central coast!
13. Attend the Pismo Beach Clam Festival
Pismo Beach also holds some fun events throughout the year, including the classic annual Pismo Beach Clam Festival. This festival happens in October and is an excellent food festival to attend, with lots of vendors and of course a clam bake and even a clam chowder cook-off. If you’re in the area during October, you won’t want to miss it…after all, the Pismo Clam is even named after here so this is as local a celebration as it gets! Click here to learn more about the upcoming Pismo Beach Clam Festival.
Looking to book a place to stay in Pismo Beach? Check out these awesome options!
- Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa – Best rated on Booking.com
- Pismo Lighthouse Suites – Beautiful location
- Hilton Garden Inn – Best value
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