Pismo Beach, CA, is a great spot to stop and explore if you’re road-tripping the PCH with kids. From their famous shoreline to their tasty foods. The beach town has a lot to do within a short drive of its main touristy area.
What We Said In Our Pismo Beach Video
If it’s your first visit, you might want to check out Pier Plaza. Completed in 2020, the pier’s refreshed area is a welcoming spot for visitors. There, you’ll find a great picture opportunity with the city’s large namesake sign and a small whale-inspired playground off to one side of the boardwalk before it continues into the ocean.
If you head under the pier, you’ll walk by some of the finest sand we’ve experienced on the coast, which stretches on for quite a distance at low tide before it touches the ocean.
Monarch Grove
If you’re visiting between November to February. We also recommend driving south to Monarch Butterfly Grove. Which is home to one of the world’s largest monarch butterfly overwinter colonies.
In the past, millions of monarchs would stop to cluster and wait out colder temperatures. Unfortunately, climate changes have decimated the butterflies population in the past 20 years, with only an estimated 15% around today. Even with that number, it was amazing to see some of the trees there covered in butterflies. Making it hard to imagine what the grove looked like back in the day.
Great Food Around Pismo Beach
Food-wise, Pismo has plenty of good options to try while you’re there. For Lunch or Dinner, one of the city’s most famous dishes has got to be the Clam Chowder bowl from Splash Cafe. Which has a reputation that keeps a line snaking around its building throughout the day. We grab a bowl every time we’re in Pismo, and it’s never let us down.
For breakfast, we really like the biscuits & gravy from Beachin’ Biscuits. The hearty dish is a winner in our book, but it’s a heavy meal for sure. And if you manage to have any room left over after either of the two eateries we mentioned, grab a warm cinnamon roll from Old West Cinnamon Rolls. It’s a gooey, baked masterpiece worth a taste if you’re into sugary sweets.
Scenic Views With Kids
Hike-wise, Shell Beach Bluff Trail is a very easy trail you can do with kids. The scenic cliffside trail is only a mile out and back and is paved the entire way. It’s a beautiful walk with great views of Pirates Cove and Pismo to the south, but the lack of shade can start to cook you, so bring an umbrella and sunblock.
If you’re looking for something scenic without a walk, check out Dinosaur Caves Park on the city’s northern tip. It has an excellent playground for the kids, with many unique structures to play on. With a cliffside view back to Pismo Beach and the Pacific Dunes that we reviewed in an earlier video that we loved. It’s our absolute favorite thing to do in the area and is free to enjoy. Or you can check out our San Luis Obispo County playlist here. See you soon with more fun options for families around California.
Similar Options That Might Interest You
Here are some similar options you might enjoy.
https://www.experiencepismobeach.com/ (Pismo Beach’s Tourism Website)
Pacific Dunes Ranch WIth Kids (YouTube Video)
See you again with more around California with kids.
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