The Oceano Dunes

I would be grateful for some advice from those of you who have

photographed the Oceano Dunes in California. I know they allow

dune buggies to operate there today and that some of the dunes

are also roped-off to protect them requiring visitors to stay on a

wooden path. The question, is, can photos still be made there or

have all these activities made this a tough place to work? Any

suggestions on what the dunes are like today would be

appreciated.

Scott,

 

Thankfully, there are still large areas of the dunes that are off limits to the scourge of dune buggies, motorcycles and other smoke spewing vehicles.

 

Access to these areas varies with the time of year, right now, for instance, is the plover nesting season, so some areas are roped off, and some parts that are open demand a bit more of a hike to reach them.

 

I live within sight of the dunes, and have been there LF photographing as recently as last week. Feel free to mail me with any other questions.

Scott: I was there two weeks ago. It looked to me like the best approach was from the South, there is a road next to some fields which leads to a State (unpersoned pay area booth) preservation area. I noticed on a sign post that a photo excursion was in the works and would leave from this same area. You hike in from there. If you go left (across the bridge over the lagoon/wetlands) that gets you to the beach. Unfortunately, every square inch is marked do not enter to protect the tern and some other bird so you can't climb up on the dunes to take photos. If you go straight instead of going left, then you get out to see the dunes at the edge of the off-road area. The dunes you want to see are fenced off do not enter as well, but if you move over to the right you can photograph them over the fence, obviously with frustrating limitations on your compositions. You have your choice of about 3 dunes from here. If I had to do it again, I think I'd carefully walk into the vehicle area and work the edges where the vehicle try to avoid the fence. I don't know that you're permitted to do that, but that was what I was thinking about. If you're used to wandering the dunes in Death Valley this is a pretty restricted experience.

Here's a link with a bunch of information. The map suggests there may be better ways than the one I took, which down by the lake on the South.

 

http://www.ohv.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=1207

"Thankfully, there are still large areas of the dunes that are off limits to the scourge of dune buggies, motorcycles and other smoke spewing vehicles."

 

Now if they could make the whole place off limits to the scourge of smoke spewing people.

South of the Oceano Dunes area, is a preserve operated by the Nature Conservancy, with trails and Oso Flaco Lake. it's a pretty area. I don't know how much of the access to the dunes is restricted by the snowy plover nesting areas. The link to the conservancy site is www.tnccalifornia.org/our_proj/guadalupe/visit.asp. Phil Phillips

Here's another idea - the Great Sand Dunes National Monument in Colorado. Rimmed by mountains. Really spectacular.

Scott, if you're referring to the dunes at Oceano on the central California coast, I can't add to anything thats already been said,except that there are some interesting dunes at Montana de Oro just South of Morro Bay if you find Oceano not to your liking. I've been there in February and the weather has always been sunny with an occasional rainstorm and I had the dunes almost entirely to myself. Don't go all the way to the camp ground, park on the main road at the turn off to the horse camp, not too far past the gate. Follow the bridle path to the beach and you'll see the dunes which are deserted and in February you should have the run of the place(no nesting plovers or rutting teenagers.) Check with the rangers as my last trip over was a couple of years ago and things could have changed. Cheers!