California\u2019s legendary dune-buggy playground is under siege.<\/p>\n
A powerful state agency and environmental groups are waging a years-long legal campaign<\/a> to curb off-roading at Oceano Dunes \u2014 the birthplace of California\u2019s dune-buggy culture \u2014 while furious riders keep fighting to preserve one of the state\u2019s most unusual recreational traditions.<\/p>\n The beach at the center of the dispute is 3,600 acres of spectacular sand along California\u2019s Central Coast<\/a>, where roughly 1.5 million visitors a year come to tear across the open dunes in off-road vehicles.<\/p>\n Off-roaders drive on the sand at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area near Grover Beach, California, on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014. Many people believe vehicles on the dunes exacerbate particulate pollution in the areas adjacent to the dunes complex. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images<\/p>\n The beach at the center of the dispute is 3,600 acres of spectacular sand along California\u2019s Central Coast. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images<\/p>\n And there\u2019s nowhere else quite like it.<\/p>\n Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area remains the only California state park where vehicles can legally drive directly onto the sand and beach.<\/p>\n That distinction has made the spot a mecca for off-road enthusiasts \u2014 and a target for environmentalists who argue the vehicles damage wildlife habitat and worsen air quality.<\/p>\n The California Coastal Commission<\/a> determined in 2019 that off-road vehicles were a net negative and has since pushed to phase out the activity, arguing that it has degraded dune habitats and harmed native species.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the California Morning Report newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCalifornia’s top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area remains the only California state park where vehicles can legally drive directly onto the sand and beach. Getty Images<\/p>\n Friends of Oceano Dunes sued in 2019, arguing the Coastal Commission had exceeded its authority and sidestepped required environmental reviews and public hearings. Getty Images<\/p>\n Environmentalists have also argued that vehicles disturb the dunes, sending wind-blown sand into nearby communities and contributing to air-quality problems.<\/p>\n Friends of Oceano Dunes sued in 2019, arguing the Coastal Commission had exceeded its authority and sidestepped required environmental reviews and public hearings.<\/p>\n The California Supreme Court ultimately declined to hear a petition<\/a> from the commission in July 2025, leaving motorized recreation at Oceano Dunes intact.<\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> The dunes reopened in May after park officials fenced off areas where the birds were nesting. X\/@SteveHiltonx<\/p>\n But the fight was far from over.<\/p>\n This April, the dunes were temporarily shut down after the Center for Biological Diversity won a favorable federal ruling arguing that off-road vehicles threatened native shorebirds<\/a>, including the endangered snowy plover.<\/p>\n The dunes reopened in May after park officials fenced off areas where the birds were nesting.<\/p>\n A vehicle drives at Oceano Dunes, which the Coastal Commission wants closed. X\/@SteveHiltonx<\/p>\n In June, environmental groups and a tribal council filed another lawsuit<\/a> challenging California State Parks\u2019 habitat conservation plan, arguing it \u201cconserves off-roading, not habitat,\u201d according to Jeff Miller of the Center for Biological Diversity.<\/p>\n The latest lawsuit is now just one front in the sprawling battle over who gets to decide what happens on the sand.<\/p>\n The federal government has also launched a review of the Coastal Commission over what it described as \u201cpolicies that delay critical national infrastructure in the name of environmental extremism.\u201d<\/p>\n The renewed fight is now drawing political attention.<\/p>\n Thousands of campers jam the sandy beach at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Area under a thick Labor Day Weekend fog on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, near Pismo Beach, California. Getty Images<\/p>\n Steve Hilton visits Oceano Dunes. X\/@SteveHiltonx<\/p>\n Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton jumped into the fray Friday, blasting the commission and other opponents of off-roading and claiming the activity generates $500 million a year for the local economy.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re JOYLESS bureaucrats who don\u2019t want anyone to have fun!\u201d he said, sharing video of himself visiting the dunes and promising to create an Office of Fun and Freedom if elected governor.<\/p>\n California officials, meanwhile, have defended the Coastal Commission amid the federal review.<\/p>\n \u201cFor decades, coastal states and the federal government have worked together to effectively manage our coastlines, advancing federal and state priorities while giving local communities a critical voice in decision-making. Now, the Trump administration is launching a new attack on that collaborative relationship\u2014just as the federal government is already working to open California\u2019s coast to new offshore drilling,\u201d California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n OCEANO DUNES: Birthplace of the dune buggy, $500 million a year for the local economy\u2026the Coastal Commission wants it CLOSED. <\/p>\n Why? Because they’re JOYLESS bureaucrats who don’t want anyone to have fun!<\/p>\n That\u2019s why we\u2019re creating OFF: The Office of Fun and Freedom. Its only\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/GSwQEdfMmG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) September 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOur $51 billion coastal economy serves as a powerful engine for the state\u2019s prosperity, and the people of our state must keep a seat at the table to protect it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Coastal Commission wants to close the area, which generates $500 million a year for the local economy. X\/@SteveHiltonx<\/p>\n For dune-buggy fans, however, the issue is about more than environmental policy.<\/p>\n Dune buggies themselves have deep California roots. Engineer Bruce Meyers built the prototype for the iconic Meyers Manx in Newport Beach in 1964, helping launch a uniquely California off-road craze<\/a>.<\/p>\n Today, Oceano Dunes is one of the last places where that culture can still be experienced.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t
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