ATV rentals return to Oceano Dunes as park enters its final COVID reopening phase

Editor’s note: This week, The Tribune is publishing a series of stories looking at California’s June 15 reopening and what it means for San Luis Obispo County.

Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area will be back to pre-coronavirus pandemic operating conditions starting Tuesday, according to an announcement from the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

The announcement marks the final stage in the park’s phased reopening.

“State Parks remains committed to protect the natural and cultural resources found in Oceano Dunes for future generations, and to ensure that all Californians have equal access to the park and its diverse recreational opportunities,” the agency wrote to The Tribune in an email.

The popular off-roading park in southern San Luis Obispo County had been closed to vehicle use from since March 2020 to October, when the park opened to 1,000 street-legal cars on the beach per day.

Then, in February, the park further reopened to allow 1,000 off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and 1,000 street-legal cars on the dunes per day. The park also opened 100 overnight camping spots.

Now, the park is expanding camping to 150 spots — to be increased incrementally over time to 500 spots — extending park vehicle hours to 7 a.m. to one hour after sunset, and further opening vehicle access to the park.

Prior to Tuesday, only people who owned their own OHVs were allowed to bring them into the dunes.

Starting Tuesday, local ATV rental shops in Grover Beach can restart operations. The shops have not been allowed to rent out ATVs for use at the Oceano Dunes since March 2020.

How ATV rental shops plan to reopen

Although local shop owners say they’re generally very happy to be allowed to reopen their doors to customers, it’s easier said than done.

“I am basically starting up a whole new business,” said Wayne Foster, owner of BJ’s ATV Rentals in Grover Beach. “First thing I have to do is get employees. Then we have to get the equipment back up and running, which has been sitting around for a year and a half.”

Foster said he hopes he hopes to be fully open by the Fourth of July weekend — one of the park’s busiest holiday weekends — but it will be difficult.

The reopening announcement came with some caveats for the rental shops: State Parks is mandating that the shops only rent out up to 100 OHVs.

Plus, Steve Dayton, owner of Steve’s ATV Rentals in Grover Beach, said that although being allowed to start operations back up is a relief, it comes very late in the season.

“This closure has hurt,” he said. “And we have lost a huge part of the summer. By (February), we would have been ramping up with employees and equipment and reservations. “

The ATV rental shops were given short notice to reopen their shops after they were closed for 16 months.

State Parks sent an email to the local ATV shop owners on the evening of June 11 — just four days before the shops were allowed to start operations back up.

Under the California Coastal Commission’s revised Coastal Development Permit for the Oceano Dunes, the southernmost entrance to the park must close by July 1, 2022.

Dayton said he worries that closing the Pier Avenue entrance will negatively affect his business, which is already hurting from the 16-month-long closure and reduced rental capacity.

That, on top of State Parks’ plan to end its contracts with the local ATV rental shops in April 2022 and the reduced rental capacity, has Dayton wondering whether he wants to keep his business in Grover Beach. Before the COVID-19 closure, the four local ATV rental shops estimated they brought in about $11 million annually through roughly 350,000 ATV rental bookings.

“There’s some tough calls to be made,” he said. “With a reduced capacity, is it a profitable business? And, obviously, if the answer’s no, then why are we here?”

Where you can rent ATVs to ride at Oceano Dunes

There are four local ATV rental shops in Grover Beach and Oceano:

• Arnie’s ATV: located at 311 Pier Ave. in Oceano, or visit their website at pismoatvrentals.com
• BJ’s ATV Rentals: located at 197 West Grand Ave. in Grover Beach, or visit their website at bjsatvrentals.com
• Steve’s ATV Rentals: located at 332 Pier Ave. in Oceano, or visit their website at stevesatvrentals.com
• Sun Buggy Fun Rentals: located at 328 Pier Ave. in Oceano, or visit their website at sunbuggy.com

This story was originally published June 14, 2021 at 1:01 PM.

Mackenzie Shuman

The Tribune

805-781-7844

Mackenzie Shuman primarily writes about SLO County education and the environment for The Tribune. She’s originally from Monument, Colorado, and graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in May 2020. When not writing, Mackenzie spends time outside hiking and rock climbing.