Pismo Beach Pier

This is great for Surfing.
Crowd is less.

PIER that is not PEERLESS…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do NOT Jump off unless you wish to be EARLESS
NICE Views but FOOD nearby is GREASY & TASTELESS.
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Since I am local (OR LOCO), I avoid this
WAY WAY WAY
Touristy area…
both BEACH & EATS…
but since both my wife’s visitors
& kids seem
to enjoy it
…they go…
I stay home in Shell
Beach & enjoy
the tourist free views :)
The PIER has some nice VIEWS of the
coast…
but I prefer the nearby Avila PIER…
since there is decent but overpriced Seafood at the end of it.
And it’s water is far safer for the kids to splash around in.
Besides the silliness of a PIER review, as another Unilocaler
pointed out. The reviews are more about the immediate
area.
TOURISTs (mostly) — Make a big deal
over this Pier & the area. So
my extremely BIASED point & counter-​points, are as follows:
1+ Views… Sunrise, Sunset, Whales, Fat-​guys in Speedos, Fisherman
with dead fish,& Seagulls.
1– Yep, but there are just as nice, if not far better views, sans tourists all
along this glorious coast (see my beach/​park reviews).
2+ Dog friendly & Fisherman Friendly.
2– Dog friendly… I do not want a slobbering canine bothering me…
I am not a bite toy. I really do NOT want an errant hook in my
back…besides, my Buddhist wife is horrified by all the fish
killing. Since I suck at fishing…& only enjoyed «fishing»
as a kid in beautiful country brooks… I am biased.
3+ Showers, Facilites, & such.
3– The Parking totally sucks & the Bathrooms are unspeakably
disgusting (shame on our city). The City really does not put much
effort, to make this any more, than just a friggin bunch of wood, that
stick out into the sea. The splinters in a kid’s foot is not fun.
4+ Views of Whales.
4– Not likely, UNLESS YOU GET ME TO RUN AROUND IN A SPEEDO…
(but that is too gross to contemplate… even for me :).
5+ Beach.
5– Yes, it is a beach, but I hate TONS of tourists. They ruin the view.
6+ Food.
6– Just like Waikiki, no local ever says… oh, lets go eat near the Pier!
Also refer to below (or my reviews 2 blocks away).
7+ Kids.
7– IMHO, this is not a very kid friendly beach…
especially if you & the kid CANNOT SWIM… & they are unruly.
The wave action, while fun for adults & surfers,
is not for the tiny. Avila Beach is far safer for the kiddies & you will not
have an MI watching them. If they need to go to the bathroom, I would
not dare to use those disgusting city cesspools.
8+ Food & crap.
8– The food is horrid tourist fare. The shops sell
crap like candies with Scorpions in them.
THERE ARE NO LOCAL PISMO BEACH SCORPIONS…
What is with that? Get postcards instead!
9+ The famous CLAMS /​CLAM Festival.
9– They do NOT use local Clams… sorry!
They use CANNED +/​or FROZEN!
10+ Periodic Car Shows.
10– I hate them. I hate the insane traffic & all the crazed tourists.
They block my trips to the stores that I love, like DEBU.
One time I had to walk a mile to get Asian Veges
for my wife. IMHO– The cars are cool to a certain extent, but since you
really do not dare to really use them, nor park them… I do not
comprehend the hype.
11+ Drinks.
11– This is not Waikiki, nor Santa Barbara… there are no great Seaside
Mai Tai’s, nor other UMBRELLA DRINKS, as you watch the Sunset.
…Not that I loved Waikiki,
during my life in Hawaii
…but just saying!
Other Misc. thoughts:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My poor honey almost had heart failure
while taking my
naughty nephew
to beachcomb
next to the Pier.
Since he cannot swim,
he was
TOLD
NOT TO
GO
into the
WATER,
since
HE CANNOT SWIM!
He went in!
If I was there, I would have drag his dumb ass right home…
kids can be such foolish jerks… but then again I thought
I was immortal in my teen years.
The eats right near the PIER,
are an embarrassment to many locals,
it is generally overpriced crap…
I especially HATE the hype of the so-​called
«Great» DEFROSTED Clam Chowder at «SPILLISH»…
HELLO!.. You can buy this FROZEN at KOSTCO
& DEFROST this CRAP, just as well as these
TEEN morons.
THEY DO NOT COOK THIS
CLAM-​STARVED WALL PASTE HERE!
Duh! IMHO crazed lemmings wait in line.
Sorry for the raving.
Anyway,
for decent eats,
you need just need to
walk up 2 – 4 blocks to
Rosa’s (GOOD HOMESTYLE ITALIAN–
A FRESH BAKED HOT LOAF…
–A WHOLE LOAF of BREAD–
COMES WITH ANY MEAL…
even the Homemade (NOT DEFROST)
Clam Chowder…
or some other
places on Price St…
where at least there is some
FREE
parking.
BTW– Pismo Beach used to be a vacation spot
for the rich & Clamming was excellent
.but that
was eons ago.
Clamming is virtually extinct here
(you are limit to digging up a few sad creatures.
so let them be :)
So the Clam Chowder
that is so promoted here,
DO NOT use local CLAMS,
they are all
CANNED IMPORTS
from who knows where… Vietnam?!
Get Manicotti, Pizza, etc… they are
likely to contain local stuff… or at least
stuff grown in CA.
Sadly, I ran out of characters :(

Nice and relaxing. Nice restaurant, good parking spaces. People in this area give very good service.
The good part is this pier is close to a lot of hotels. Just really peaceful. Good for a mini vacation away from the city.

I’ve been to the Pismo Beach Pier twice now and both times enjoyed myself. It can get a little too crowded and touristy for my taste, but not to the point were its hard to enjoy it at all.
The first time that I visited the pier during the day, there was some kind of festival going on and so there were loads of people walking on the pier. Towards the start of the pier there was a really good band playing that several people had stopped to watch (myself included). I think families would really enjoy this pier or people who think it’s festive to be part of a crowd.
The second time that I visited during the day there were significantly less people and the main attraction for my friends and I was to look off the side of the pier at surfers in the water. My friend got some really great pictures of both the ocean and the surfers and it really was enjoyable for all of us to stand there and watch them. I preferred the beach on my second visit when there were less people around.
I would definitely come back again, but would be fine if I don’t make it back here for another year. There are so many other places to explore in the meantime.

The beach life!
I miss living near the ocean so much and living in the desert for the last 13 years I appreciate every beach trip so much more now!
The Pismo Pier is lovely with a nice short walk to the edge and so many people fishing off of it and others there just to enjoy the views. This pier is also dog friendly and I loved seeing all the fur babies. The beach below welcomes them as well.
The day I visited the weather was perfection and the sun was shining over me. Just off the pier is a little blvd filled with restaurants, shops and all sorts of other specialty shops like a chocolate shop and glass store with beautiful art pieces.
Pismo is no where near as congested as most coastal cities so I highly recommend it for anyone looking to get away from the large crowds. There’s also free parking all around which was a nice surprise.

Oh man. When I went for a swim, a lot of the surfers were out catching waves. I was dodging them waves in my swimsuit, trying to keep that shit on. Rough waves n big swells made for good exercise. Was refreshing.
I liked that they had water spigots outside in the open and private side area in bathroom, located by parking lot. Well, not that private as there are no doors. Guards needed.
You pay to park in the beach lot so make sure you go to a pay station (and follow a lot of freaking prompts) and slide that ticket on your dash. I paid $ 2 for 2 hours on a Monday. Pay rate is very probably different on weekends.
Peeps in this area are friendly. I usually would have clam chowder at Splash Café after beach time, with added toppings. Mmmm.

Where we live you can come and vacation! As a transplant I can actually appreciate how rad this place is. If you surf it can get blown out, but you’ll probably just end up at shell beach anyway. And here you can grab a piece of beach without having to hustle the hoards in Avila. Busy in the summer but that’s not gonna change anytime soon. Just watch out for the seagulls and homeless guys!

hi-​ya!
The pier is really a great spot to enjoy the beach if you’re not going to play in the water. It’s a nice long walk and it’s not overly busy with people or storefronts hustling their wares.
There are people fishing, taking pictures, playing and even picnic tables to eat on.
The pier is nice and sturdy with these big wooden planks… as opposed to other piers with cement slabs. Going back to the fishing thing… you can rent a pole for under 5 bucks and I saw a lot of fish being caught. Not that I’d want to clean, eat or take any of that home, but it looked like a lot of fun.

This is one of the main attractions along the Central Coast. Here you will see fisherman catching perch, shark, king smelt and once in a while a halibut. Seals are always around. In the month of June the humpback whale moves through the area on their annual migration to Alaska.
There is a bait shop which also sells trinkets. The pier does not sell food but does offer picnic tables and benches.
Some of the best local surfers can be found in the area.

Nice. Wood appears to be sturdy. Some holes make you a little nervous. Water is blue. Looks cold. The no diving rule is probably a good idea. It’s a pier, people.

People who gave this place less than 5 or even 4 starts probaby have not seen the sunset here. The sunset here is just priceless! It makes all the cons worth it!

Hey look! a Pier!.. and water and sand. and a guy wearing an orange speedo that really shouldn’t be wearing a speedo.
The pier is attached to a pretty cool beach city, just bring change /​cash for parking pretty much anywhere near the beach.

What’s happening on the pier? Views!
Watch the surfers. See the some of the most amazing sunsets, watch for the occasional sea-​lion or Harbour seal.
The big downside of the Pier is not the lack of things to do it’s the dirty disgusting restrooms at the end of the pier!
I’ve been in there and there was blood soaked TP on the floor. And usually it’s just a filthy mess. PISMO needs to do something to clean this up and keep it clean.
Pismo pier and Pismo is one of my Fav coastal places to go. However when peor can’t behave like civilized humans it’s disgusting.
Simple cleanup and cleanliness people!
Maybe schools need to teach this if children aren’t learning it. Learn how not to be dirty barnyard pigs.
Sorry, I know this is not very nice… And everyone wants nice.
Sooo on a nice note enjoy the beautiful scenery, the Beach, and clean up behind yourself. :)
This has been a public service announcement not sponsored by anyone.

To be honest and frank. There’s not much going on on the Pismo Beach pier.
Like many other reviewers have stated… It’s long, has some great ocean views, some benches for the teens vacationing with their parents to go hook up and make out on and one little store. The store rents fishing poles, boogie boards, sells popcorn, kites and some wind chimes. Not really much.
If you’re here. It’s worth going to the pier. But, it’s really lacking compared to some of the nearby piers in the area.

The pier in Pismo Beach is not very impressive. Not much to do on the pier itself. You do get fantastic views of the ocean, the town, and the beach. So, make sure to bring your camera to capture those memories!
If you are in Pismo Beach, then by all means go to the pier.

PISMO BEACH CLAM FESTIVAL TODAY!
Did I mention the Coast weather is great!!!
All kinds of venders & the band and beer garden are alive! Bring the wallet.
Surfing, mini-​surfcomp happening waves flat,
Huck comp. in the Dunes (luv driving on the beach).
Need your rail…
Litl chowder now!
CIAO BELLA

Pretty spot in Central California. We were actually more impressed by Shell Beach, just north of here for more scenic beauty but the pier is pretty cool for an afternoon. Lots of fisherman trying to make a big catch and a bustling tourist scene on the Main Street, featuring a boatload of shops and bars and snack bars just screaming «no locals would ever be caught here».

The ocean swelled, a wave formed, became top-​heavy, and collapsed with a rolling crash. To watch the waves and observe the sea life, I walked out to the end of the Pismo Pier.
As the sun rose, the rod rental shop opened half-​way down the pier to provide bait and tackle to early morning fishermen. Below me, a raft of sea otters floating on their backs, used rocks to pry open Pismo clams and other shellfish for breakfast.
Throughout the day, I saw California brown pelicans flying in formation low along the horizon, and diving from great heights to fill their throat pouches with fish and seawater. With binoculars, I spotted pods of dolphins with their dark grey backs and triangular dorsal fins gracefully rising and falling in unison beyond the breakers.
In the late afternoon, the surfers put on a show for admiring on-​lookers. Suddenly, a pleasant young man wearing a wet suit and holding a surfboard, appeared next to me on the pier. After we talked for a couple of minutes, he tossed his board over the rail and leapt 30 feet down to join his associates.
As the surfers rode the last darkening waves of the day, and the sun sunk into the sea, I was joined by couples celebrating the end of another romantic day. When the night air became too cold for them to bear, I was left alone under the dark starry sky with the waves rolling beneath my feet at end of the Pismo Pier.

My husband and I went for a stroll after we had some clam chowder at Splash Café, and the sidewalk led us directly to the Pier! I’m sorry but I wasn’t very impressed by this pier, since I’ve seen nicer piers and I’m probably a bit biased since I grew up in the Huntington Beach area, so to me — the beaches in Orange County are just so nice. :)
The Pismo Beach pier doesn’t have much going on besides 1 mini-​pop up store in the middle of the pier (for you to buy small knick-​knacks, kites, etc.) There’s also a visitors info center at the beginning part of the pier. It seems a bit dodgy, and reminds me a whole lot of Ventura Beach Pier just south of Santa Barbara.
The pier is made of all wood posts, and doesn’t seem to extend very long out into the ocean. Lots of surfers in the water on either side of the pier, and the photo opps to the right of the pier seem nicer than that of the left side. You can see some rolling hills off in the distance to the right of the pier.

On a impromptu trip that extended farther than Carmel, found ourselves in Pismo Beach and on the pier. It runs close to ½ mile out into the water I have always wanted to visit due to the publicity articles featured in the AAA Via magazines, and my curiosity surrounding the famous Pismo and Razor clams, have listed it tantamount on my bucket list.
What a visual feast of blues, waves, and overall welcome to a true tourist. I have always vowed to remain up North due to the beauty of the weathered coastline but this Southern respite a gem. The ocean out here was a true blue and the numerous surfers dotting the surface reflective of Santa Cruz.
Small shops on the other side of the beach catering to tourists wave over the knick-​knacks inclined while a pub and candy shop even out as outliers.
Fantastic place for a getaway. And I plan to be back to walk to entire length of this gorgeous space of coastal amazingness.