Pismo State Beach is a beach on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. It is approximately 17 miles long and fronts the towns of Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, and Oceano in San Luis Obispo County. It is managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
| Pismo State Beach | |
|---|---|
| Location | San Luis Obispo County, California |
| Nearest city | Pismo Beach, California |
| Coordinates | 35°6′37″N 120°37′53″W / 35.11028°N 120.63139°W |
| Area | 1,050 acres (4.2 km2)[1] |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
| www | |
The area includes a beach and dunes.
Recreational uses
editThe beach offers many attractions such as camping, hiking, swimming, surfing, and fishing, and is home to the Pismo clam. It is a popular place to bird watch and is one of the largest over-wintering colony of monarch butterflies in the U.S.[2]
The Cal Poly Mustangs women's beach volleyball team has used the beach for home beach volleyball matches.[3]
Animal and plant life
editThe beach is home to many forms of marine life, such as abalone, anemones, crabs, kelp, and sea urchins. Several types of birds also live at the beach, such as the brown pelican, great blue heron.
A large monarch butterfly population winters over at the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove.[4] It is popular to view the monarch migration from November to February.[5]
Pismo Beach/ Oceano Dunes District Visitor Center
editThe Visitor Center is located in Oceano Campground at Pismo State Beach. Operated by Ca State Parks, the center features exhibits about the park's Natural, Cultural and Recreational history. Education programs are offered for campers, schools and group organizations, and lead guided walks. There is also a gift shop.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Pismo State Beach. Wildernet. Retrieved February 8, 2017
- ^ Pismo State Beach. California Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved February 8, 2017
- ^ "Photos: Cal Poly Beach Volleyball takes to the sands of Pismo Beach for first home matches, this weekend". Santa Maria Times. March 8, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
- ^ Cruz, Kimberly (October 11, 2023). "Monarch butterfly season has arrived on the Central Coast". KSBY News. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
- ^ Netburn, Deborah (March 12, 2019). "In the middle of a butterfly crisis, California sees a burst of painted ladies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
"In our grove alone we would have 250,000 monarchs in the 1980s," said Danielle Bronson, a state park interpreter at Pismo State Beach. "This season we had about 3,000 at our peak."
External links
edit- Official Pismo State Beach website
- Pismo Beach Nature Center - Central Coast State Parks Association
- Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove
- Activities and things to do in Pismo Beach
- Panoramic video of Pismo State Beach seen from the Pismo Beach Pier