A driftwood cross is making waves at Pismo Pier. What will happen to it?
About two weeks ago, a driftwood cross appeared in the sand on Pismo Beach — but ahead of Easter, city officials wouldn’t confirm whether it will stay or be removed.
That is, until the holiday had passed and city workers showed up on Monday to take it down.
Since March 22, Central Coast social media pages have been awash with images of the Christian cross in the shadow of the Pismo Pier, picking up a dedicated following.
Mike Bulen, the self-appointed “keeper of the cross,” has posted images to his Facebook page almost every day for the past two weeks, tracking its progress and maintaining it when it’s been damaged by wind.
Over that time, passersby have added their own touches, including seashells, scarves, a crown of thorns, flowers, painted rocks and, most recently, a copy of the Bible.
Additional, smaller crosses have also popped up around the driftwood structure over the past week.
“This has been such a symbol of hope, faith, and love,” commented Beverly Waymire Baker. “God puts His angels just where they need to be.”
While there were rumblings online of a worship service, it wasn’t clear on Friday whether an informal gathering at the cross would happen on Sunday morning.
“To be sure there is no planned event for Easter morning at the Cross,” Bulen wrote on Facebook. “But I have a feeling there’s going to be quite a gathering. If that indeed happens, I think we should all sing ... ‘Amazing Grace.’”
According to a since-deleted screenshot of a voicemail transcript Bulen posted to his Facebook page, he was contacted by the Pismo Beach Police Department, notifying him that an “unpermitted, unsanctioned” structure was placed on the beach and would be removed by the city’s Public Works Department.
Generally speaking, crosses and other forms of religious markers cannot be permanently placed on publicly owned land such as public beaches, as they may constitute a form of preference for a religious belief, though temporary structures don’t always trigger enforcement or removal.
The Tribune reached out to Bulen via Facebook multiple times over the course of the week but did not receive a reply.
However, when The Tribune reached out to the city for clarification, assistant city manager Silas Clarke said there are currently no discussions of removing the cross, though the city would “continue to monitor the situation.”
Clarke also did not reply to The Tribune’s questions on why the Pismo Beach Police Department contacted Bulen about the cross.
“The City of Pismo Beach has been contacted regarding various activity and objects on the beach adjacent to the Pier,” Clarke said in a statement. “The beach is owned by the State of California, and the City of Pismo Beach maintains the beach under a lease agreement.”
“The City will continue to monitor the beach and the environment,” Clarke said. “Preservation of our coastal resources is a joint effort between the City, the community, and its visitors.”
It appeared that the Pismo Beach cross would be here to stay through Easter weekend, and that ended up being the case.
“The city has shown us mercy and we will be thankful for every moment that it remains up,” Bulen wrote Friday on Facebook. “This is our opportunity to show what Jesus would do.”
After workers removed the cross and gathered up the items that had been added to it, the city handed them over to Bulen, who then thanked the city on Facebook.
“And so it ends,” he wrote. “Best Easter Pismo Beach ever had. We can still look forward to next year doing it again.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2026 at 5:28 PM.
