Pismo State Beach
|Area||1,050 acres (4.2 km2)|
|Governing body||California Department of Parks and Recreation|
Pismo State Beach is a beach on the Pacific coast of California. It is approximately 17 miles long and fronts the towns of Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, and Oceano in San Luis Obispo County, California. It is managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
The area includes beach and dunes.
The beach offers many attractions such as camping, hiking, swimming, surfing, fishing, and is home to the famous Pismo clam. It is a popular place to bird watch and is the largest over-wintering colony of monarch butterflies in the U.S.
Animal and Plant Life
The 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, ivory gull, and other species.
A large monarch butterfly population winters over at the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove. It is popular to view the monarch migration from October to February. Docents provide guided tours.
Pismo Beach Nature Center
The Pismo Beach Nature Center is located in Oceano Campground at Pismo State Beach. Operated by Central Coast State Parks Association, the Center features exhibits about the park's birds, animals, Monarch butterflies, plants, fresh water lagoon and Chumash culture. Nature education programs are offered for campers, schools and group organizations, and docents lead guided walks. There is also a nature-themed gift shop.