Did you know that Oceano Dunes is one of only nine dunes in the state of California that is recognized as a State Vehicular Recreation Area? Just 20-minutes south of San Luis Obispo is a 5.5-mile stretch of pristine seaside sand that is open to the public for vehicle and recreational motor vehicle use with the purchase of a half-day pass, full-day or overnight stay permits.
Don’t have your own ATV or dune buggy? No problem! There are 5 different ATV rental companies that can get you on the dunes with the vehicle of your choice including Arnie’s ATV Rentals, Angello’s ATV Rentals, BJ’s ATV Rentals, Steve’s ATV and Sunbuggie Fun Rentals.
Prepping for our ATV adventure along the Central Coast, my group contacted BJ’s ATV Rentals and reserved our 4 spots for the following day.
Pro tip: As the summer season rolls on, many ATV rental shops get booked far in advance. Save yourself the wait and worry by calling in ahead of time to guarantee your spot!
We arrived at their Grover Beach office to sign out the quads and get geared up with helmets and goggles. As an added bonus, if you have a GoPro, be sure to bring it along for the adventure. All of their helmets have a GoPro helmet mount so you can capture the exhilarating footage and hold onto the memories of flying through the dunes.
When renting a four-wheeler from BJ’s ATV Rentals, you have the option to rent for an hour, two hours or four hours. We opted for the two hours and found that it was the perfect amount of time to adventure through the Oceano Dunes.
Once we were all finished at the office, we headed down to the dunes to find the trailer and manager that would provide each of us with our own ATV. During our 10-minute drive from the office to the trailer, our adrenaline was pumping as we were ready to take on the sand.
The excitement and thrill of whipping through the Oceano Dunes continued to build as we rode through deep dips and massive sand dunes of Oceano SVRA. After two hours of rip-roaring fun, we called it a day. My entire group agreed that it was an adventure experience that is second to none on the Central Coast.
After returning the quads to the trailer, we dropped the tailgate on our truck and wrapped up the day by enjoying a breathtaking sunset – another experience that many locals and visitors deem their favorite.
Whether you’re an ATV-enthusiast or looking for adventure travel, learn more about ATV rentals and rides along the Central Coast and start planning your thrilling SLO adventure today.