Not impressed with this place at all. I had already read the reviews, and as others have mentioned, they are pretty strict about riding in single file and not passing anyone. No problem. This rule is not all that uncommon. However, if you go with a group, there's no guarantee they'll let you ride together with your companions. I can accept that they will pair you with the most suitable horse for your skill level, but I think most people wouldn't mind if they were placed on a slower horse so they could ride with their friends. I've gone on many guided rides and this is the only place that arranges people randomly in the procession. At least they didn't admonish me when I made sure I wasn't split from my group as instructed, so that's something, I guess. Other than that, the ride was pleasant, and the scenery beautiful, so I can't really give them a truly negative rating. read more

Our family spent 10 days in California driving the PCH from San Diego to San Francisco. We did so many different types of adventures, but by far, our favorite was horseback riding with Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch! The staff is professional, patient, thorough and very kind. The trail is beyond spectacular! From riding on the beach, sand dunes, farm land, meadows and the beautiful "Enchanted Forest", the scenery changed and kept you in awe. Would highly recommend this! Our group ranged from 11 years old to 55 and everyone walked away completely thrilled! read more

Great experience. First time riding a horse in a very long time. Our guide was extremely nice and informative about the dunes and their history. Whenever we come back to pismo we will definitely be back to ride the horses. Definitely recommend!! Don't leave pismo without doing this attraction!! read more

The guides were great. They paired the riders up perfectly, based on experience and size. You would think riding on the beach would be the best part, but I thought the best part was coming back through the dunes and wooded areas. read more

We found this place just googling. It turned out to be a great place for a little on the beach riding. My daughter, my wife and mother-in-law told us they had a great time. The horses looked a bit tired to me but they appeared to be just fine for my family and their riding skills. The place was clean enough for a stable and the staff very nice and accommodating. I would certainly recommend it to others. read more

What a great, great time! I took my kids and everything was perfect. I would highly recommend Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch. If you are someone who just wants to be out and about riding through the dunes and the beaches, this was the perfect fit. The trail guides were friendly, cool and knowledgeable. The ride was plenty long and I plan on returning. I read some negative reviews, but I think those people who were complaining were people who were advance riders who wanted to run free and wild with the horses. Maybe they own horses or should own their own horses. For someone like me, this was the perfect fit. read more

We had an awesome time! Everyone was friendly and helpful. Our guide Kate did a great job! We have come to Pismo at least one week a year for many years and this is the first time we have ridden horses here. This became the new family favorite and will be a "must do" every time we visit. read more

So very sad! We went here last year for my son's birthday (see that review) & our daughter wanted to do the same thing for her birthday... I am so very disappointed!! The horses were great, don't get me wrong. Last time we went, the trail guide stopped and let us take pictures of the kids on the beach... I specifically asked another guide if we were going to stop and she said yes!! When I noticed we were leaving the beach, I asked the lead if we were going to be able to take pix, she rudely said, we'll didn't u take them while we were riding?? No!! Why would my girls want to see pictures of their horses butts?!?!?!? Then she said it was too wendy!!! WTH?? Since when?? Yes we got pictures @ the ranch... but for a 11 year old girl... for her BIRTHDAY... she should have had her picture with the ocean behind her! I paid 200 for the 4 of us and was quite pissed by the time we got back!! My daughter was pretty upset about this! We won't be back! Thank you for ruining my daughters birthday present! Oh yes... and let's not forget that my husband's stirrup broke!! && The trail guides response was, it's ok, ur horse is a good girl and we won't be trotting anymore! By the time we got back to the ranch his foot was in so much pain bc of the way he had to monkey rig his foot into the loop where the stirrup should have been... very not safe (as the other trail guide pointed out)! Unsafe and very unprofessional read more

I had a blast! I made a reservation for a Sunday morning for a group of 7. I had to leave a $50 dollar deposit. When we got there we signed a waiver and paid. Next they assigned us to a horse. Mine was dunkin, he was so sweet! We rode with another group and it total it was 10 riders plus our guides, one in the front and one in the back. We went to the beach and through the dunes. It was nice and relaxing. Our guides were great and always asking if we were ok and giving directions if our horses went out of the line we had. The guides even asked us if we wanted them to take pictures before we got off our horse. Overall it was a great experience and we were very satisfied! read more

We went here with my family and we had an awesome time I don't remember the trail guides name but she was riding Dollar and she was awesome. The views were amazing!! We had so much fun and the horses were friendly. The workers made sure to explain instructions clearly. We loved being able to ride on the beach! And we will be going back soon! We highly recommend and they have great price! read more

Our family had such a great time!!! Ken, the manager is very friendly and accommodating. Thanks to our awesome guide, Desiree, we had a super fun ride. They treated us like family and assured that we were comfortable. We brought a foreign exchange student with us and we are so thrilled that he also had a great experience. I'm so glad we chose to use this business. We are more than satisfied. The trails and scenery are beautiful! You will not be disappointed! We had a great time! We will do this again for sure. Definitely worth it, call for reservations. read more

A great time had by all. Have been 3 times, once with hubby, kids, then girlfriends. A variety of horses and all in great condition. The views on the ride are spectacular, especially when you first walk out to the beach. The staff were very professional and alot of fun on the ride. I was on the same ride with my kids, but behind them, which was great. The tree trail was really neat. Can't wait to do this again and again. read more

Pacific Dunes Ranch was great! My husband, his little sister, cousin and myself all went for the 1 hour ride. The guides were knowledgable about the area and were exceptional horsewomen. The horses were very well cared for, had a great weight, feet in good condition and still had a lot of personality (unusual for trail riding companies). The only complaint is that it was too short! read more

I had such a great experience. So humbling and magical. The horses were gentle and well-cared for, and the scenery was amazing. First you go through this wooded path, so serene and peaceful I felt like I was in a dream. Then you go along the dunes, you see the protected land and shells left from the Chumash Indians, then on the beach! DO NOT BE LATE. It messes up their schedule. I thought the staff was amazing, very nice on the phone to schedule and talk to on the phone. The girl leading the trail was friendly and had good info. read more

Planned this trip for my wife's birthday. What an experience. We all had a great time and the staff was very attentive. Highly reccomend.

Our ride was booked for 9:30 we Got there early, which was fun because they have 3 very hilarious dogs that you can play fetch with (German Shepard, border collie and a mix) the guide was fantastic we ended up headed out at around 10am they have a nice ramp so that you can get on the horse from above vs having to swing yourself up over the horse (great for young kids and elders or just first timers) our horses were great they new the trail and never really tried to break the order! Our guide took us a bit closer to the actual beach for my birthday to get some pictures (which the horses where not toooo sure about) be prepared for a very short part of the ride to be spent at the beach it's 80% in the dunes and forest areas and you never actually get to go in the water which is probably best for the horses but I expected to be able to for some reason! Our guide explained all the historical stories behind the trail it was very interesting! read more

Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch - Pepper left Duncan right - Horseback Riding Near Me - Oceano, California

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Fun sandy fun. If you have the time you should check this place out. It's not cheap but lots of fun.

What a great place to enjoy the best parts of California! First of all, the guides are amazing and very helpful and made me feel very comfortable with my young daughter (8). I have enjoyed this hour ride 3 times now. It is worth the money and I will be doing it again when out of town company visits. The horses are all well mannered. Even for the inexperienced rider ~ it is a perfect ride. Enjoy your ride!! read more

We brought our two horses here for the first time and we love it!! The people are so sweet and helpful. We brought our horses in the middle of the night without checking in and they were totally fine with it. This place is awesome!! read more

Good riding for beginners but it'll be very slow paced for experienced riders. Trail guide didn't even ask our names or experience level and did poor pairing of horses to riding experience. Nothing too impressive, but a nice hour trail ride to escape the city. Also, they would not take pictures of us at the beach. They only took them when we came back into the stables. read more

Great Ride. Our 4 kids all ride and take lessons. They enjoyed the ride today. It is a beautiful trip. Great for any anyone. The horses stay lined up on the trail and on the beach as well. For those of you who prefer to run, you can unload and take your own horse to the beach at the state park entrance. I would highly recommend this excursion to everybody! read more

Left a message and got a call back in 20 minutes. Had a great ride with my wife. Our guide brook was Profesional and explained things about the areas we rode through. Great ride on the beach and through the dunes. read more

My husband and I had an awesome ride on a Monday afternoon, just the 2 of us with our guide (Falon?). Thank you to PDR for a free ride, after the earlier guide rode away with our daughters and left us standing in the dust!! The trails were lovely, the horses were perfect, and Falon kept us entertained with her knowledge of the area. The scenery was incredible - spectacular dunes, ocean waves, and hundreds of orange blossoms. If you ride here, ask for Falon - she's the best! read more

IVE NEVER BEEN SO DISRESPECTED IN ALL MY LIFE!! We had a reservation for 6 that we were late for. We came in fully aware we may lose our reservation and deposit and we were okay with that. The young lady outside had an attitude from the beginning and warned us We would have to reschedule, yet the lady at the desk accepted us. Instead of them telling us that it was too late and reenterating the terms and conditions in a professional manner.... they decided to allow us to ride, but preceded to rush us and talk to us as if we were kids. The lady at the desk clapped her hands as a gesture to tell us to move faster. I kindly told her that we understood we were an inconvenience and she had options and none of them include talking to 6 adults with disrespect. The young lady was outside annoyed and being disrespectful from the beginning while the lady at the desk thought she was being accommodating yet forgetting that the integrity of their business and it's reputation is based on her behavior regardless to us being late or not. So of course we decided to decline the ride. No way would we choose to pay them an additional $60x5 At that point Nor was I willing to forget about the deposit as I came in prepared to do and I demanded it back. She literally went to the older guy and LIED Saying we came in late yelling at them when we were on the defense the whole time. Lol.. we literally laughed to keep from crying and getting further angered. Understand this.. we are all very successful business owners and are very aware and practice being professional with great customer service regardless to the situation. The problem is they weren't prepared to look in our face and accept responsibility after we firmly demanded their respect. It felt really racist and entitled Like their doing us a favor when we can go spend our money elsewhere. The moment they allowed us to ride they were suppose to treat us the same as if we were early rather than late. It's their job after making that choice. PERIOD! I WOULD NEVER GO BACK!! Maybe they won't talk to you like they talk us, but you better believe they would if you LOOKED LIKE ME and I truly believe that. BEST MONEY I NEVER SPENT!!! read more

Don't bother! Although the ride out to the beach through the woods was nice, the mandate is nose-to-tail walking ONLY, or you get yelled at by stressed out staff and the beach was SO crowded with automobile traffic as to be unpleasant. A total waste of money and time! MAYBE in October on the early morning ride, but NOT in high summer at 1pm. read more

What a beautiful ride! Such a memorable experience. Absolutely beautiful. Carly was our guide and did a wonderful job. We highly recommend.

Great ride on the beach! Lots of territory covered which includes crossing a small stream, sandy beach and a jungle-like trail alongside a stream. Can't beat the price....and believe me an hours ride is long enough. Horses are easy to ride and the Guide was informative. read more

Good for family fun and prices are on point. The ride itself was a typical group trail ride through some costal shrubs and dunes.. it could have been better if the trail ride leader was a little more informative about local history. The horses seemed tired and preprogrammed for the ride. All in all this place is s good bang for the buck. read more

This is a great place for a family horseback trail ride. The scenery is beautiful. You even get to ride on the beach. The guides are very nice and informative. The horses are well trained and very sweet. This is a perfect ride for beginners, too. You have to be over 7 years old to ride and weigh less than 240lbs. I had difficulty reaching this place via phone call, so we stopped by and were able to book a ride for the following day. read more

Friendly people and horses. You ride from the ranch to dunes/beach and back. Only thing wrong was that you couldnt stop and take pictures and the horses had to travel in an orderly form and position because of how they were trained and horses dominance. Points for the 50+ yr old man riding the skateboard and riding the ramp! read more

My husband called on a Monday to make ask if we needed reservations for the following Friday. He spoke with Ken. He said no reservations required. On Friday, as we were checking into the RV park, a man from the stables was in the office getting some ice. We commented that we were looking forward to the 3:00 trail ride. The man did not respond. We walked down to the stables at 2:30 in case there was paper work to fill out. As we approached, the man we had seen earlier got in his truck with a woman and started to drive away. My husband asked if they were closed and she said yes. No apology, no explanation. We were very disappointed because we had been looking forward to riding. Be careful if you plan to ride here as they don't keep their word about when they are open and not. To make matters worse, we saw this man and woman driving around the RV park looking for the puppy that followed us as we walked away from the stables, so it's not like they had an emergency to get to. read more

our trip was awesome! the guides made the trip worthwhile they knew their horses very well and loved them. our guide kate knew the trial very well and kept the horses in line all the guides work really hard! we will definitely come back. don't forget to tip them they deserve it read more

Had a great experience with this place. It was fun to get on a horse (for my first time) and ride around on the dunes. They were very helpful and the horses were great. Didnt feel uncomfortable at all. Myself and my girlfriend were with a father and daughter (about 10). The girl was having a wonderful time. Overall, it was wonderful and I would love to go back and do the longer ride eventually. read more

left several messages with no call back, not pleased at all with their customer service. Messages where left during hours of operation.

Tried for a week before my vacation to book a ride for my birthday. Left messages and no returned calls. Tried all day to call during "open" hours... Very disappointing! read more

I took my granddaughters for their first horse ride and my daughter for her second. It was a wonderful experience for all of us. I would recommend if you're in the Pismo/SLO area. The women who run the place are very friendly and seem like they really enjoy what they do. read more

Wow, a great place to ride! the views are amazing while riding on the beach. The staff/guides are great. the horses are very friendly and docile. If you are expecting to run or gallop this isn't the ride for you. You will get a good hour ride on the beach, through the dunes and through a pretty riparian creek bed. We had a great time. For $50, it is a good deal. Thanks, we had a good time. read more

My boyfriend and I went on the hour trail ride today and it was the best and most entertaining trail ride we have ever been on. Well-trained and happy horses, beautiful and diverse scenery, and a fun and friendly guide. We got lucky and had a "private" ride because we were the only ones booked for our time slot, so or guide allowed us to trot through some of the sandy trails since we've ridden before. I rode Cindy and I could not have asked for a more comfortable and well-trained horse. We were able to stop on the beach for pictures, as well as taking pictures before and after, and our Guide even picked up a couple sand dollars for us from the shore! My boyfriend ended up dropping his phone on the trail and our guide was very helpful and understanding about getting it back for us. She was VERY knowledgeable about the area and we're now full of fun facts about the Oceano dunes. I highly recommend taking the trail ride here, especially in the spring when the landscape is lush and the weather is mild. We WILL be back. The only thing I regret is not bringing more cash for a bigger tip. read more

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We had a horseback ride on 12/30/17. The horses appeared very subdued and sad before we even began the ride. The horse I was on was old, bit the horse in front of it several times, and tripped several times on the one hour ride. I was afraid most of the ride feeling as if I was going to go down when the horse fell. The horse my companion rode was huge and also old and appeared worn down and miserable. Both of us were afraid during the entire ride that we would be injured. The saddle I had on my horse was loose and started slipping early on the ride. The guide from back was riding next to me a few times but never noticed I was in trouble. I kept trying to fix the problem but was worried because the horse kept tripping and I felt was going to fall before we got through the ride. Finally, at the last stretch the front guide in front about 6 horses noticed I was riding on the edge of the saddle and called the rear guide to help me dismount, straighten out the saddle (while the horse was bitting the one in front), and then help me re-mount for the last 100 yards. At the end, I was relieved to have made the trip without being injured, and just expressed my need to get off the horse. I will never go back to this company again. I do not believe they treat their horses right just based on the horses not lifting their feet completely off the ground and the run-down appearance, down-trodden eyes, and overall condition of the animals. read more

I called to make a reservation and the lady that picked up was so rude! Something probably went up her ass. I have never experienced anything like this! She was probably sick since she was coughing non stop and rushing me when she asked for my name and last name. She was so rude. I could've yelled back or gave her an attitude but I was polite. Yup, they just lost a costumer. Was planning on bringing 8 people along. Somebody need to get rid of that woman. read more