First time visiting and it was amazing! Such a GORGEOUS spot! Easy parking, clean, friendly staff,…read moreand great food! Highly recommend ordering food and then finding a spot to hang out by the beach OR the creek that runs into the beach. So fun!

It takes a moment to make your way out here, but once you've here, it is amazing!! Beautiful open…read morebeaches and surf. Come for a day trip or plan to camp on site. Both RV and tent camping accommodations. A true gem of the central coast. You may even experience a Space X rocket launch like we did. Vandenberg Space Base is just up the coast line. Safe travels friend.

It is a good place to see SpaceX Falcon 9 lanuches during the morning or night! I only seen them…read morefrom my house in San Diego CA but when I move out in a few years I will go their to see it

Local Serendipitous Take: Surprise, there is yet another attraction that kind of complements the…read moretrip to Surf Beach, which is Ocean Beach Park. For some reason, the little road that goes there called my name & I turned onto it. Low & behold, at the end of that road is this rather interesting Park, which even has a path under the railroad tracks. While you can have a nice walk on the beach at Surf Beach, during Snowy Plower nesting time you do not have beach access at Ocean Beach during Spring & Summer months....but all the more reason to savor what we have & come again. I am not sure where all the angst is coming from...or the vague pseudo-historical references, which I did try to confirm on Lompoc's Historical website. All they had, was a reference to a failed attempt at a development at a so-called "Aloha Beach", which predated anyone alive, & was more of a get rich scam in the pre-great-depression era, which was more centered at Surf Beach which used to have a grocery & even a post-office at one time. In any case, you have a nice estuary, a decent little playground, restrooms, little boardwalk with a bird observation area & even several BBQ's matched to solid picnic tables. It is more for locals, than for tourists. In fact, if you go out under the train tracks, you will then emerge on the oceanside & have a nice view. While the path to the ocean will be blocked certain months, you can always hike the sand toward Surf Beach parallel to the tracks & then get to the ocean...or simply drive there. Of course, since almost everywhere you look is owned or supervised by the military...it is after all our military & let them keep everyone safe, including the birds. I think according to the Lompoc's historical records, the military gradually accumulated close to 100K acres of land in the area. Most of it is still pristine & off limits to most. Between Ocean Park & Surf Beach, we felt we had a nice visit on the drive here, which is also quite nice for seeing all the wonderful farms. On the way back, I did turn down one of the many farm roads nearby to see if there were any random Farm Stands. Funny enough, we were then flagged down by another visiting car going the other way, who wanted directions to "The Flower Fields". They were a nice couple visiting their family up here for Mother's Day, but all I saw was some Lavender. Later, I looked it up, & indeed, Lompoc recommends that you cruise most of these farm roads in one's search for flower beds...which is kind of amusing.

De los mejores trails para explorar, no es fácil pero si valdrá la pena cada milla recorrida cuando…read moreestés Serca del mar escuchando las olas y sintiendo la brisa sobre tu rostro y por si te gustaría algo más extremo invítame así te mostraré algunas formas de llegar más rápido

This is a safe hike for individuals, pairs and also families. From the parking lot, it's 2.2 miles…read moreto the gate. If you decide to go through and tackle the road to the beach, you'll end up with about 5 miles, one way. I did not go past the "Treacherous Trail" sign. I figured I'd just stare at the gorgeous views and flowers. When you turn around and see how far up you have to travel to get back to the top, it can be a little daunting. But, if you're in any kind of shape, very doable! Finished off the hike at 10 miles and with a huge smile on my face. Thank you Pt Sal fir an awesome day. Definitely doing this hike again.

Ended up taking the long route to Pirate's Cove (parked near homes and took the trail) which we…read morelater found out is the Shell Beach Bluff Trail. We enjoyed this scenic trail, which had multi-million dollar homes to our right, and the beautiful ocean to our left; and a somewhat steep incline up to the dirt parking lot and Cave Landing trailhead. Good thing the weather was perfect and there was a lovely breeze; otherwise I would've stopped walking and demanded to go back to the car. Once we got to the trail, it was a fairly easy short walk to get to the cave. After taking in the stunning views from the cave, we trekked to the cove. Be cautious going down, as it's a steep dirt path and a couple flights of stairs. Also note that clothing is optional, and you may run into people in their birthday suits on this secluded beach.

While visiting SLO, I was looking for an ocean hike to complete and found this hike on All Trails…read moreso I went for it. I took the long way traversing through a million dollar neighborhood of gorgeous homes lining the street. Once I was in the dirt I could see the cove from above. The beach is beautiful and not crowded. Of course, clothing is optional but I didn't come for the beach. I came to see the cove. You have to hike down to the cove as it sits on the water, but no biggie. Hiking back up and out for some may be challenging for some so just go at your own pace. When I arrived there was a guy playing a guitar so that was nice, not too many peeps around which allowed me to take a couple of pics. The cove itself is picturesque but the graffiti sucks!! Why must people have to paint on rocks in nature?? I just don't get it!! Go paint on abandoned buildings etc. I stayed for a few minutes then I walked out on the rocks and took in the views of the mighty Pacific Ocean. So gorgeous! I could have sat there all day. You can also access this cove and beach by driving directly to it and then following the path down to it, but I preferred the mini hike instead. Remember to Leave No Trace always.

How have I never been here!!?!? This place is spectacular!…read more I was driving home from Pismo by myself and decided to take the scenic route. When I saw a sign that said Dunes open, I immediately was intrigued. It's a little off the beaten path but so worth it. I drove past the gate and down a windy road that was narrowed by the sand blowing onto the blacktop road. The sand was untouched. Crisp ripples of waves made of sand for miles. Then a parking lot overlooking a turbulent ocean and pristine beaches. Not a soul on the beach. I took my shoes off and made fresh footprints in the sand all the way to the water's edge. It was glorious! Back in the parking lot I read several placards of information and history about the area scattered around the parking lot as several other cars came and parked. There are several picnic benches and what looked to be a few pot toilets available. A fairly decent parking lot and handicap parking spots available. Grab a picnic and enjoy the day.

I went to La Pasadita Oaxaquena to get nachos and wanted to eat it at the beach. This beach looked…read morelike the best one that was closest. As I approached the entrance, I saw a board of rules (very helpful before you enter the preserve). Also, there is a little booth where someone will greet you. I was greeted by Megan, the Ranger. She was very friendly and greeted me with a great big smile! That was a good sign prior to entering the place :) On my way to the beach, I saw a bunch of cows that stared me down as I slowly drove down the road. I know they were staring because they were curious versus wanting to trample me to death...I think. The whole preserve is kept soooo cleeeean! I'm glad that it hasn't been bombarded like the other beaches. Overall, mind-blowing experience. Can't wait to come back. Would I recommend? Absolutely! Will I be back? Yup!

Beautiful beach access, beautiful views, peaceful and relaxing. A lot of different wild plants and…read moreanimals. Parking available and restroom's as well.

Beautiful beach. Great walkway that can be navigated easily! Good parking. Friendly and helpful…read morepeople guided us to the parking and walkway.

Didn't explore the tide pools, wind caves, hiking trails, or natural hot springs (yet), or use one…read moreof the 41 campsites, but I loved the tall train trestle looking over the sandy, secluded beach, which can be seen in the excellent movies Sideways and 20th Century Women. Gaviota allegedly takes its name from Spanish soldiers who killed a seagull while camping there in 1769, though that story might be for the birds. Of the 2000 acres of backcountry, the steep Gaviota Peak Fire Road (2.5 miles from entrance) lleads to small sulfur springs, open to the public. Overlook Fire Road is a three mile round trip up a hill for a view of the Channel Islands. It's called Overlook because mountain lions were will overlook you with napkins stuffed into the collar holding knives and forks.

This is just for the campground, not the rest of the park. Stayed here for 1 night while traveling…read morefrom NorCal to SoCal and wanted a little break. It's not typical of campgrounds I'm used to (like in Tahoe) where the sites are separate and there is some level of privacy. This is literally just a parking lot and there's some dirt behind the parking spot for you to pitch a tent. I can't really knock it because that's often typical of beach campgrounds. But just not my style. On the positive, it's like a 2 minute walk to the beach and it's nice to be next to the ocean. It does get a bit windy, so be aware of that. As an en route campground it's definitely not worth the $50 unless you need to shower. Probably should have just slept at a nearby vista point. But I can see it being great for families with kids who want to have beach time and then just walk back to the campsite.

Hands down the best beach in Isla Vista! More than campus point and Devereux, this is the place…read moreeveryone from IV surfs. If you're a surfer, beach lounger, fun in the sunner, or all of the above, this is the beach for you! It's beautiful, the sand is soft, and sometimes it may be a little less crowded than other Isla Vista beaches! There is a parking lot for people to park, but to get to the beach itself it is around a mile walk/ bike ride. Totally worth it, especially for the sunset! Plus the walk is very scenic.

There is a lot of seaweed flies everywhere in certain areas but it is truest a beautiful view of…read morethe ocean. There are many surfers riding waves out here so no loneliness.

Great beach but a crammed little campground with no privacy. We stopped in for one night on our way…read moreto Santa Barbara, and it was a perfect little pitstop. The beach was beautiful and overall the experience was good but we were right next to the host and we felt like sardines , way too close to multiple neighbors . Our neighbors tent was probably 7 or 8 feet from our campfire ring ......Luckily everyone was friendly but not having any space or privacy is a pretty big deal, definitely not the kind of place I would stay for two or three nights, just one and done but a great pitstop to get you to Santa Barbara.

Noise pollution is a huge problem there's a train not even 100 feet from the campgrounds and it is…read moreloud and annoying besides that it's fine besides the fact you can't have dogs at the beach also someone else had to waffle stomp inside one of the showers

If you're ever looking for a great morning routine or need a chance to recharge, this is the place…read moreto be! After my runs, I would love to just walk the beach, meet all of the wonderful dogs running around the place, and enjoying the soothing sounds of waves crashing! If you're also looking to each after a rejuvenating beach walk, you have Boathouse on Hendry's on one end and Shoreline Cafe on the other!

Lovely beach! Tide pools and a long stand to walk the sandy beach! That's a restaurant right by the…read morebeach too! Love the views! Dog friendly beach too with reserved space for off leash pups!