Name: Pacific Dunes Ranch and RV Resort
Item: Pacific Dunes Ranch and RV Resort
Rating: 3
Author: Camping Pro

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The previous reviewer nailed the true value that makes this park awesome… immediate access to walk out and explore the dunes. They are a blast for about a week; beyond that they start becoming more of a hassle with sand and the like. We had an amazing time driving my sons Traxxas Slash out in the sand. We toasted 3 motors due to the fine grit sand getting in to the windings but it was well worth the cost! That RC truck blasted all over the dunes and was pure fun and family bonding.

The park itself is overpriced for non-members. We payed just under $800 for a 2 week stay! I later learned that the monthly guests pay $850 per month. When I brought this up to the office staff the woman more or less told me to pound sand. What made the finding worse was that when I called to make the reservation the woman that answered made it seem like the park was full and they were “squeezing” us in. In reality the park, other than the long term guests, was mostly empty our entire stay (End of April in to May).

The staff is otherwise very friendly notably the out and about camphosts. They always had a friendly wave and hello when passing. The other guests were also very pleasant and friendly. The facilities on the other hand are in need of some maintenance. It would take so little to make this place nice, some paint, some time and that is it.

Verizon 4G is available but is a weak 2 bars that was constantly throttled for my 4G plan. At $55 per night the park is way over-priced but with some work as noted above could be a fair value.

The pull thru sites are plenty long but on the upper level not level. The view was spectacular looking out across the dunes.

Overall it is a 3 stars middle of the road for us. if you are a Thousand Trails or Encore member 4-5 stars would be the rating.
9 years ago
B Thomas
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Overall Rating

Ease of Access

Quality of Sites

Customer Service

Reservation Process

Ambiance

Local Area

We really enjoyed our stay here at Pacific Dunes. We had a pull through site on the upper level with views of the dunes and beach access. It’s a “beach” property so the site sizes are as expected. The most amazing part of the place is the dunes access and the ability to hike out on the dunes any time day or night. Dogs are allowed as well. Our kids boogie boarded down the massive sand dunes and were able to walk to the beach (although it is a hike, it’s actually better to drive down to Pier Street and access the beach by car). For 5.00 you can drive right out on the beach and there were all kinds of vehicles out there, not just 4×4’s. We would definitely stay here again. We love the Central California coast.
11 years ago

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Pacific Dunes Ranch and RV Resort in Oceano California is an Encore property offering short and long term rates for RV guests. Located adjacent to the dunes of Oceano State Recreation Area guests can walk to the ocean (about 1 mile due west) or play in the sand and on the dunes. Pacific Dunes Ranch and RV Resort is located in a unique setting. The RV park is accessed by turning off Pacific Coast Highway (CA 1), passing by an industrial area, crossing the railroad tracks and then passing through farm fields.

Pacific Dunes Ranch and RV Resort offers full hookup RV sites with paved roads and sand/ gravel pads. The park shows signs of deferred maintenance and is a little rough around the edges but is located in a scenic area and is the only place to camp, other than on the beach in Oceano Dunes SVRA, with direct access to the dunes. Some guests mistake this access for the SVRA, it is not. If you want to ride dune buggies/ ATVS on the dunes you still need to drive out on to the beach through the normal access point. Guests of the RV park CAN walk out on the dunes but no motorized vehicles are allowed.

Easy access for any size RV with mostly pull thru sites on the interior surrounded by backin sites. The RV sites have a picnic table and easy to access hookups. Some pull thrus can be a bit tight side to side but most are plenty long. The official reservation line is 877-570-2267 but you can also call the RV park direct for reservations.

Day use guests can also access the dunes by paying a small fee. Thousand Trails and Encore members get discounted rates; normal guests can expect to pay about $55 per night.

The main office area has a laundry, restrooms, showers, rec room, game room, and small store. The lower level uses these facilities. the upper level has access to two bath houses with small laundries.

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