Very kind family. Beautiful horses. Well organized. Bring carrots to feed the horses.

Had an absolute blast riding there. Wish I could go back more. The ride to the dunes was so much funs and the beach pictures were stunning. read more

Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch - This horse was really great. Wish I could have taken him home! - Horseback Riding Near Me - Oceano, California

Horseback riding through the Oceano Dunes and tucked away forestry trails was probably the highpoint of our vacation to Pismo Beach. Our wonderful guide Fallon was especially personable for the hour trek. The horses were well taken care of --and our 7yr daughter was thrilled with Dunkin! Traveling by horse took us to scenic views of the beach we wouldn't have seen by car or foot. read more

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I asked a friend for a recommendation on where to go horseback riding as our own town does not offer that amenity and was met with a resounding "Oceano"! I quickly searched for 'horseback riding in Oceano' and found this place! We drove up to a neat building that looked like it was pulled out of a wild west movie and walked around till we saw a young girl tending to a horse. Immediately I was impressed on how patient she was with them, as I got her attention and let her know we were there for a 2:00pm ride. She knew our names from the booking and got us set up promptly. As she prepped the horses, she communicated every step with us, on what she was doing and why, introducing us to the horses and explaining how to mount and dismount, handling the reigns and so on. We headed out onto the trail and got the feel for or horses, two large beauties named 'Dakota' a Clydesdale and 'Sam the Man' a Belgian. As we approached different terrains of the trail, she informed us of how to maneuver and position ourselves as we navigated them, giving us the confidence to handle the massive mounts, while constantly keeping watch on our well being and safety. The trail included roads under canopies of trees, streams, slight hills, sandy beaches and worn walkways to and from. It was a steady and comfortable pace throughout. Though there seemed to be hints for a little more adventure and speed, we abstained as it had been over 30 years since I last rode, and my company's first. The entire trip was pleasant from first mount to dismount. The conversations, the education, the temperament and different personalities of the horses, the variety of trails, the ride time and pace all made for a wonderful memories. I highly recommend horseback riding with Pacific Dunes Ranch! (NOTE: There is a shortage of staff which we were notified from the first conversation over the phone. Be patient when reserving and getting set up and you will have a wonderful time!) read more

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Permanently closed. How very disappointing! Please update your website It says open from 9-4pm for trail rides when it has been closed since summer 2023 read more

Awesome place. Unforgettable moments. Fun place for kids to play and slide. About a mile away from ocean read more

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Came here for my first horseback riding experience. My wife had some previous experience back in Illinois and I definitely wanted to try it here. We were very fortunate to book a last minute Saturday ride at 11:30 am the day before. The reservation process was very easy. We showed up early to check in and get set up. The location was easy to find and all the staff were very polite and laid back. They gave us information and tips about what to bring and expect, no surprises or hassles. Everyone gets set up with their horse assignments and given us a quick but thorough tutorial on how to ride our horses. The cool part was that each horse has his or her own personality so we all got a different flavor. My horse Cedar was a little sleepy when we started, then she woke up and you could sense her style of staying up in the group as the tour went on. Our guide was great, explaining things along the way and checking on us as we progressed. The path was beautiful, with beach trail, sand dunes, tall grass trails and this tree canopy. It made for some dramatic photos and scenery. Our guide also gave us some great tips about what else to visit, we wouldn't have known about Avila Beach and the piers there. Props! Definitely check this place out if you can! read more

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Great customer service, down to earth guides, and loveable horses The dunes looked literally other worldly!! read more

Here for a camping trip during Memorial Day weekend. This place is super packed right now. A lot of trucks and atv's active on the beach and the strip behind the camping sites. Kind of hard to get a nap in during the day with all the activity. I've never camped on the beach like this before but the sand is EVERYWHERE!! Tent, clothes, private regions, and vehicles lol. Unfortunately I tried to be sneaky and use a day pass for a overnight stay and woke up with a ticket of $300 given to me at 4:45AM. But parking on the street is scarce so I was forced to be untruthful. The water is super cold due to the overcast and I love how close we are to the beach. Just a little dangerous for the kids because they like to cross to the beach which is also the path for atv's and trucks. read more

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We were in town for Memorial Day Weekend and wanted to go horseback riding and it seems this is the only place in town! It's not a far distance from central Pismo but it is a bit of a drive so plan accordingly. The stable is actually right next to an RV park with access to the dunes, so I would recommend arriving early or staying after to walk over to the dunes to explore and grab a few pictures. We went in the morning and the dunes weren't busy at all. Make sure you call ahead and make an appointment - they were not accommodating for rescheduling at all! Probably because it was a holiday weekend but apparently this place gets busy. I would recommend going on a weekday if you can. And make sure to call ahead - they have weird scheduling which was problematic for our group. You check in at the stables and wait for your group, then you're assigned a horse. They have a few dogs running around the area. Parking is all dirt lot in front of the stable. As I'm sure they'll tell you when you book, make sure you wear closed toed shoes and I would recommend jeans. Wear sunscreen if it's sunny too - a lot of the trail is exposed. Guides are super sweet and accommodating - I've ridden before but all the first timers were helped and supported. We took a secluded path through the forest and onto the beach. The beach was pretty busy and we didn't get to stop for any pictures at all along the trail which was my main disappointment. It's hard to take out your phone while riding. They did offer to take our picture at the end luckily! Overall we had a good experience but an opportunity to take pictures with the beautiful scenery would have been nice, and it was a bit difficult to communicate and secure a booking. read more

Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch - Horses relaxing before the ride - Horseback Riding Near Me - Oceano, California

Fantastic horses, great trail ride, nice guide. The one complaint would be that they won't allow the group to stop on the sand and have the guide take pictures of you with the ocean in the background. This is for safety reasons, but the cars and dune buggies racing by are near water's edge on the wet sand, and the ride is waaaaaay up higher on the dry sand dunes. But I suppose elementary riders might lose control of their horse etc...so it was a very nice ride through fields, tree canopy, sand dunes and by the ocean. Just don't expect to be IN the ocean or to have pictures in the water. The horses were very lively and responsive. We were the last trail group and the ladies running the stable were in a hurry to get the horses put away and go home. They do take a picture of you on horseback when you return to the barn but since my horse was nipping at the others, our 3 horses were far far apart and they took a couple of far away group shots of us rather than let me go to the outside and bring my husband's horse next to my daughter. They then took our horses to dismount. I would have appreciated if they would have taken the small amount of time to move us together or to take an individual shot of each of us on our horses so we could at least see our faces. (Hopefully they will keep this in mind for future riders.) read more

Fallon was an amazing guide! We booked rides for two adults and two children. The horses were great trail horses, the views were amazing and we had a great time! Thank you Fallon and team! read more

Really great experience my wife and three kids came for a ride and we are very pleased with the professionalism and courtesy they extended us. Got to spend our time roping their fake bull while we were waiting before and after. Had one guide for our whole family which was nice and we got to hear some amazing stories about cowboy in life and roping cattle and driving cattle and we really learned a lot we also saw some incredible views. read more

Loved this! We were up in SLO and Pismo for a few days and just wanted to do something fun and different for the kids. This fit the bill. GOOD: 1. For the four of us, whose cumulative horseback experience starts and ends with the word carousel, these guys (actually girls) made it really easy. 2. The scenery was awesome. It's not a straight line there and back. It's a huge circle taking you on a dirt road, to the beach, and then back through the dunes, and then a foresty type terrain with short little dips and gullies. 3. Although the majority of the ride was more or less a slow walk, we did pick up the speed a bit at the end - just enough to make us laugh. 4. We got a lot of good pictures. I brought my DSLR camera (shorten the strap so it sits high enough so as to not hit the hand thingy on the saddle) and my phone (they say to tuck it into your pants at the waist) and took a million pics. The guide also took some pics (using my camera) midway on the beach, and at the end at the barn. BAD: 1. If you want to hear the guide you need to be on one of the two front horses. I read reviews that said the guide was funny and informative, but as we were the back four out of six, I heard literally nothing all day. (They put the two experienced riders up front by the guide, and the horse challenged riders in the back.) UGLY: 1. Bugs! Nasty blood sucking vampire bugs. Maybe it's not all the time, but when we went, in April, it was like World War Z nasty. Solution: They key word is LONG. Wear a LONG sleeved shirt or light jacket, LONG pants, and LONG socks. It was a hot day so I left my jacket in the car and I had short socks. I was eaten alive. When I woke up the next morning, I had 10-15 giant welts on both arms, and 5-10 on each ankle. Dress LONG, and you'll be fine. read more

Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Oceano, California

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Off the beaten path through a not so nice part of town. Grouchy old tattooed man running the place. On arrival learned they had ridiculous low weight limits on riders. I'm an average big and tall guy and was told I couldn't ride. Been around horses a long time, they had a big horse I could have obviously riden. Skip this dump read more

Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Oceano, California

Great horses and the ladies are wonderful Beautiful scenery to see and the wildlife is amazing! Highly recommended a must !

they don't answer the phone bro how do you book website don't even have anywhere for you to book

Took many trials to be able to speak with someone on the phone And then I was inform no galloping was allowed only walking in a line which I find boring. read more

Amazing place! My daughter and I rode horses here and had the time of our life's. We are looking forward to another ride here.

While on vacation to the Central Coast, we decided to go horseback riding and fortunately we found Pacific Dunes through the internet and they offered rides on the beach which caught our attention. Our guides were wonderful as we rode through the dunes, on a road and on the beach. I would have given them 5 stars but one; they didn't allow the three of us to ride together in the line... Two other small groups had the same issue... And two, we couldn't stop on the beach to take pictures, otherwise our adventure was fantastic and we plan on coming again! read more

Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch - We had a wonderful time horseback riding on vacation in August 2014 - Horseback Riding Near Me - Oceano, California

The ladies on our tour went above and beyond! While trying to close a gap in our line, I asked "Sam" to step up his pace a bit to catch up and that's when my phone flew out of my jacket pocket into the sand! The guide behind me, not sure of her name, went back to look for it while my husband called my number on his phone. Luckily, she was able to hear it ringing because it was buried! She returned it to me after our ride and I was so grateful! So, take it from me, make sure your phone is secure when you are riding a horse! Besides that little mishap, we had a very enjoyable ride and the scenery was amazing, so much to see! Our guides were very knowledgeable about the area. After our ride, we headed to the hot tubs at Sycamore Springs to soak our bones, it was the perfect remedy! Thank you ladies for a wonderful experience, we will definitely be back! read more

If you are looking for an exciting horseback riding adventure by the beach with great tour guides then this is NOT the place to go! We showed up early and two young girls were at the entrance. They did not say hello, just let us know right away that we are 40 minutes early and who did we talk to if we thought was earlier. I just got the time wrong but no smiles, no friendly hello and you could tell by both of them that they were bored out of their minds and did not enjoy the job. We paid, then waited in the little RV area where they had pool tables and arcade games. Kept us busy while we waited. Once the time came they assigned us horses and off we went. The guide kept us at such a slow walk that my horse could not help but be right on the next and obviously trained to stay in one line. The guide did not say one word during the tour except when going down hill. She then instructed the young kids to lean back. The tour was so slow and unenjoyable. All the leader did was just walk us through the area and a very short time close to beach. The rest was all sand and trees with no talking or information on the tree grove whatsoever.. I could tell she did not enjoy her job. On top of this extremely boring and slow ride, my Husband accidentally left our American Express gift card there which was not given back to him after paying. I called several time leaving frantic messages and not one call back. Every time I tried to call from my cell I would get the voicemail or get cut off so I decided to call from the hotel and what do you know! They picked up on the second ring! She told me they got the message and nothing was found... point is, bad customer service. It was our fault for leaving the card but should have been common courtesy to give a call back when I called so worried and frantic about the lost card. There are several other horseback riding places that are probably worth it. This is NOT one of them. The ride was horrible then had the lost card issue which showed they did not care about their customers. My suggestion would be to get trained horseback riding tour guides that are friendly, attentive and good at giving tours. Money not worth it and I will relay that to friends when they are in this area. We will try Madonna Inn horseback ride next time. read more

My entire family and I are very disappointed with this company and it's employees! I agree with the few other disappointed reviewers on very bad customer service. The kind of service, or lack there of, that screams "who cares about these customers." We were going to be return customers, because the seven of us had been out there before and had a great experience. We did experience the same treatment of poor customer service and phone skills the first time around, but still opted to try them out. Luckily, we had a two great guides that day that made the bad experience a good one. As far as anyone else there, thumbs down. This time around, same deal, called left messages, few days later someone called me back. I forgot her name. My attempt, this time around, was for a private horseback ride. The employee stated that they do offer it and that the cost would be $90pp instead of $60pp. I happily said fine (as three of us for sure wanted to go.) She said she had to talk with the owner and would get back with me. No phone call back that day. The next day, I called back because three more of our party wanted to book, six total.) I got the same woman (because she remembered me), and told me the same thing (needed to talk to boss, and would get back with me by the end of business day.) Guess what...no call back AGAIN. I decided to give them one more day to make good on calling me back. Guess what...no call at all. Needless to say, we all decided to NOT do the horseback riding. Not because we didn't enjoy it the first time, but due to the complete lack of customer service. How hard is it to call someone back after they call twice? At this point, I don't think we will ever be back. If you don't mind the lack of customer service, and really, really want to go riding on the beach, then try this place out. Don't expect much. read more

We did this a while back and have been meaning to make a review. We accidentally came an hr late, thinking our reservations were at that time. But the people were almost not going to accommodate us. Luckily the group assigned next to us had one person in their group canceled so they were able to accommodate us. We didn't get any phone calls beforehand as a reminder either. We brought a whole big bag of actual carrots and was told not many people do that, however, didn't feel like we were appreciated for it in the end. We wanted to feed the horses but was rushed to do so and then rushed out after that. The people who guided us didn't really seemed too interested in doing the guide and the other group who we joined were very excited and bubbly too- didn't seemed to help make the staff more enthusiastic. I actually thought we would be right on the beach near the waters but actually further inland near the dunes instead. I'd rate it higher if the staff were more enthusiastic and accommodating. I'd say go elsewhere. read more

This was a bucket list experience for us. Enjoyed every minute! Our guide road Rooster, a perfect gentleman, I was with Sweet Baby Jane she was sweet & Annie handled Dakota like a pro. So much fun & a beautiful ride. We would highly recommend Pacific Dunes! read more

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Wow! So disappointed, took my daughter at 930 to get pricing was told they were full for the day... as we were walking out the front desk girl came out to us and said they would have room for just us two and to be back at 10... rushed back to our trailer to change and was back by 10 only to be told by different staff members that they had no room and the original girl didn't write anything down and had gone to training at that moment. So disappointed as was my 8 year old ... no apology no attempt to fit us in anywhere else for the day... I understand mistakes can happen but it's unfortunate they got my daughters hopes and excitement up for a horseback ride on the beach only to be turned away to do an apparent lack of communication at this establishment. Never again and will recommend staying away read more

Until a couple of days ago, I had not ridden a horse in about fifteen years. Childhood experiences left me unwilling (and pretty terrified) to ride again, so I was a bit hesitant to get back on the horse (no pun intended). Pacific Dunes Ranch was the absolute perfect place for me to move on from my past experiences and conquer my fear of horseback riding. The guides are wonderful, helpful, and understanding, and the horses are lovely and clearly well-treated. My horse, Buzz, was so gentle and calm; he put my nerves at ease and was all-in-all perfect for me. The trail itself is gorgeous, passing through portions of chaparral, beach, sand dunes, and wooded areas. My guide took beautiful photos of each rider/horse on the beach, perfect for preserving the memories of the wonderful ride. I had such a fun time riding at Pacific Dunes, and I will definitely be back in the future. read more

Staff was great and we loved our horse ride. We even had a private ride with just me and my wife. Check them out and enjoy horseback riding with a wonderful view. read more

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As a first timer, I was uneasy at first but ultimately the instructors were very kind and full of energy. I had a great time getting to know my horse and enjoying the beautiful landscape. This was a great experience overall. read more

Awesome place! Our guides were very sweet! Nice stroll along the trees, dunes and the ocean! Glad we did this instead of the ATV's. No hassle and no added charges! Definitely a fun memorable activity to do when you're in the Pismo area! We really enjoyed it very much! read more

Great place to ride horses at great prices . It was a little over an hour long ride ! It was just a beautiful sight to see! read more

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I would not come here if you have no riding experience. They put my son on a horse that kicks if an other horse gets too close. Then put me behind him on a horse that enjoys a nice butt nibble but also hates horses up his butt. The girl behind me had no riding experience and let her horse get way too close to mine. So I'm in the middle. Not only do I have to keep my horse from acting like an idiot for my own safety but to protect my son and the girl behind me. I was stressed the entire time. I asked what I should do to prevent my horse from getting too close and they said "who is in charge?" Perfect. I tried pulling my horse out of line to do a small circle to create space. They yelled at me to get back in line. I tried making him stop I was told not to hold up the line. When I explained why I was doing what I was doing they just kept saying "you're getting your moneys worth!" No. I'm not paying to fight with your horses on an unfamiliar trail. I'm paying to enjoy the scenery on well trained seasoned horses. They didn't tighten the cinch on one girl ahead and her saddle started to slide side ways. She asked if they could stop to let her fix it and was told "no just scoot the opposite way" that same horse decided he didn't want to walk through the small creek on the way back and ended up trying to jump over it. The trail leads out to the public beach. There are dogs and lots of things to spook the horses. One dog came charging at us while the owner of the dog laughed. The rear guide to her credit saved the day and got the owner to retrieve his dog before it did any harm. read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my adventure at Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch. I liked how they put thought into which horse was assigned to each person on the group, in order to make the ride as smooth as possible. Christina was the lead for my tour and she was great with the horses. I loved that we went through trees, dunes and the beach on the tour - everything was really gorgeous. Definitely recommend! read more

I called and scheduled a guided trip, and I was able to get it the same day.The person who answered was very courteous. When we arrived the places looked very lonely. I like that it was very authentic ranch and it's people. The ride was very nice my horse,Jane was a very sweet and loving. The guide was very knowledgeable and attentive to the group. If you want to go horseback riding by the beach this is the place to call. read more

I'd love to review the ride with this company, but after three weeks of leaving voice mails and reaching out through their website, we've still not had a return call or email from them. Madonna Inn Trail Rides responded to us within two hours, so we booked with them. read more

Heather and Brooke were fantastic guides! My kids (11 and 15) were scared but they made them relaxed. The kids LOVED IT!!! They came back saying they cannot wait to do it again. The horses were calm, clean, and so so sweet. We even fed them carrots after! read more

Very strange... I was here 7 years ago and I rented a horse for a video, one of the owner also did come on set and play the part of a Cowboy! We had an amazing time and they where super nice... Today I call them again, I tried to remind them the good time we had, but they didn't remember me... ok no problem :) ....then I ask again for a horse for a video shooting again, but surprise... the girl answers they changed policy recently and they don't do any Video or Photo shooting (is that true????)... only rent for tours. I ask why? No straight answer. Ok... I reply... "no problem, do you think anybody there of Stuff or you know anybody in the Pismo Horse community that would like to do it? I will pay very well for it, it is just for 1 hour.... ". Then she goes: "no we don't, and I don't know anybody. Try Craigslist". ???? What? At this point I really think they misunderstood I was somebody else or something very bad happe about filming with them.... Anyway it's very sad for me, because now I don't have any options in that dunes with a horse... read more

I try to look on bright side of things - kids had a blast! And views were fun and trails were a bit magical BUT... I have been riding with different companies in a few different states and this is the first time I have ever had a guide who was so oblivious as to what was going on with the horses. I was at the back of our 7-person group and I found out later that it seemed as if she was texting since she kept taking her phone out. I think management really needs to have a training session with their guides - when we asked, she said she had been there for 6 months but riding for over 10 years. My niece and nephew (7 and 10) were first timers and the girls who worked there didn't ask anything about skill level before we left. They put the kids in the very rear and their horses were straggling behind right off the bat so I asked to move behind them. Our guide did help me to get back there but once I was - the most advice she gave to the new riders were to "catch up". My niece's horse was not listening to her but mine was! Every time she urged her horse Sheila to move faster, my horse Val ended up listening. I switched my focus to the beautiful path - we made it to the beach after 30 mins. Riding on the beach single file was not as much fun as I would have hoped but I understand if it's safer. The beach we went to had cars driving on it including a 15mph speed limit sign - I have never seen that on a beach - the speed limit sign was actually in the sand. It was kinda weird since it was the first time I saw cars actually driving right next to the ocean like that. Probably because the cars were already there, we did not ride along the water - we were about 100 feet from the ocean - still on sand but not right near the water. Still it was horseback riding on the beach :) We did that for ~15mins and then headed back over a stream which was fun! All in all, I would suggest looking elsewhere unless the owner decides to get their guides in shape. For $50/person, I think there are a lot of fun activities to do in Pismo area. If you are dying for the experience of riding on the beach, then by all means go for it - the kids did love it! Hopefully there are other options to choose from. If you have been riding before and have something to compare it to, you might be disappointed like I was. read more

This place is horrible!! Got here at 2:55pm, website says they close at 4pm, since we arrived we weren't greeted, the lady gave us an attitude!!!! Then she said we need a reservation and flicked me off in front of my kids!!! What nerve she has!!! Never have I been disrespected like that!!! I would take my money elsewhere. 0 stars read more

What a beautiful tour on a horse! Our sweet tour guide, Cait, took my kids and I down to the beach, through the "forest" and past the sand dunes. The horses were so mild-mannered and our tour guide was absolutely adorable! My kids have never been on a horse for more than the 5 min rides at the fair, and they loved it so much! They're only 8 and 10, and they did great! It was a 1 1/2 hour tour for only $50. We will do it again when we are back in the area! Thanks Cait!! read more

Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Oceano, California