Gorgeous, pristine, stunning. Arrive early if you'd like a parking spot near the beach, as the…read morelocal fisherpeople rise with the sun. Keep an eye out for the endangered snowy plovers; they are protected within a fenced area half of the year but they can escape and roam free. Super adorable and endangered, give them a wide berth. Great place for long walks by the beach.

Beautiful and unique large dunes beach and shore bird sanctuary. Lots of pelicans hanging out and…read moreflying closely overhead. Not crowded, we went on a Monday late morning. A few folks fishing from shore. It was a windy February day, not great weather but overall a nice trip to see the ocean and check out the scenery.

Very unique beach, insanely hilly and steep till you get near the water. Awesome view.read more

Minuteman Beach is a true gem. When the tide is out, it's spectacular. It's a real beautiful way to…read moreend the day at Vandenberg AFB

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.

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.

Easy walk onto the beach and bathrooms ( really wet but at least there's a restroom). You can…read moredrive on to the beach if so inclined.

Pismo beach is nice, very convenient especially if you live in the Central Valley. Clean, waters…read moreare calm. The pier is walkable . Restrooms located right on the boardwalk. Parking lot nearby , pay to park! Everything is walking distance to restaurants,, bars and hotels.

Absolutely beautiful! We walked along the pathway....stunning view! Very peaceful! If you…read morehaven't been to this side, a must try when in Cambria!

My family loves this beach. The parking lot is small, but we usually are able to find a spot…read more There's a public restroom connected to the parking lot. I've never needed it, but I'm glad it is there. Beach access is down some stairs that can be hard if you have mobility or balance issues. They are sturdy, and if you are able to navigate them slowly, it is worth it. The beach itself has driftwood that has washed up, and other beach-goers have fashioned into makeshift structures that are fun to explore. The sand is soft, and has tons of rocks and pebbles to investigate. As the name suggests, there are moonstones to find, if you have a bit of luck. Several times when I've visited, I've found these transparent clear and purplish/blue velella velella all over the shore. Other wildlife seen at this beach include moon jellyfish, sea lions (off shore), pelicans, seagulls, cormorants, and cottontail bunnies along the cliffs. There is a creek outlet that washes into the sea that can be a bit stinky, and tends to make traversing the beach hard past that point. Also along the water's edge, there can be some unstable sand areas, so tread carefully. This beach tends to have a nice breeze, and is refreshing even on hot days. If you are in the area and you can find parking, check it out!

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.