Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch

My husband and I decided to come here last minute when we were in town for a wedding. I called in the morning to make a reservation for a 1 hour ride that afternoon and the girl on the phone was very nice. Luckily they had 2 more spots open for the day. We got there and all of the staff was so friendly, and the ride was great! Lots of nice scenery and nice horses. Would come here again.

5 days and 5 phone calls later I still have not had my messages returned to make a reservation for a trail ride. I started calling on Friday and all you get is a voicemail. Completely disappointed. I am not sure how a place, with the lack of customer service, stays in business. I will be taking my business to your competitor.

Fun sandy fun. If you have the time you should check this place out. It’s not cheap but lots of fun.

Our ride was booked for 9:30 we Got there early, which was fun because they have 3 very hilarious dogs that you can play fetch with (German Shepard, border collie and a mix) the guide was fantastic we ended up headed out at around 10am they have a nice ramp so that you can get on the horse from above vs having to swing yourself up over the horse (great for young kids and elders or just first timers) our horses were great they new the trail and never really tried to break the order! Our guide took us a bit closer to the actual beach for my birthday to get some pictures (which the horses where not toooo sure about) be prepared for a very short part of the ride to be spent at the beach it’s 80% in the dunes and forest areas and you never actually get to go in the water which is probably best for the horses but I expected to be able to for some reason! Our guide explained all the historical stories behind the trail it was very interesting!

My boyfriend and I took an hour long horseback ride at Pacific Dunes for my birthday. I had a great time and I would love to come back!
No problem receiving a call back from the staff to make my reservation. Our group was 7 people in total. Our guide had an uncommon name so I already forgot it, but I know it started with an L.
They did not ask any of us if we had ever ridden before, the horses were simply assigned down the list. One woman was a nervous first-​timer but they happened to assign the easiest horse to her even before she spoke up about it. Maybe the guides have a sixth sense about this kind of thing.
They gave me and the bf the biggest stallions in the group. My white steed, Lou, tried to test me right off the bat by stopping to eat every few steps, but I learned to give him a good slap and pull with the reins at the guide’s advice and he mostly behaved himself after a few minutes. Boyfriend got Dakota, a beautiful Clydesdale with a mind of his own. They warned him that his horse is young and would try to wander, sure enough we had to stop a couple of times on the beach for him to get back on track. He was placed right behind the guide for this reason. Luckily bf and I have both ridden horses before (many years ago) so we weren’t nervous.
We rode in a slow single-​file line to the beach, then through the dunes, and finally through a lush forested area. Amazing how the terrain changes so drastically in that area!
One thing I want to comment on is the consistency of information and voice volume from the guide. They quickly went over the reins with all of us but some people still seemed confused. The back half of the group could not hear a word the guide said, so we had to pass along the message every time she said something. The newbies were in the back and they were annoyed that they couldn’t hear. I’m not sure how they could improve that, other than maybe having a microphone on the guide.
The guide was happy to take pictures of everyone on the beach and also when we returned to the ranch.
The experience was great and an hour was just enough time. I want to ride again soon!

What a great, great time! I took my kids and everything was perfect. I would highly recommend Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch. If you are someone who just wants to be out and about riding through the dunes and the beaches, this was the perfect fit. The trail guides were friendly, cool and knowledgeable. The ride was plenty long and I plan on returning. I read some negative reviews, but I think those people who were complaining were people who were advance riders who wanted to run free and wild with the horses. Maybe they own horses or should own their own horses. For someone like me, this was the perfect fit.

Until a couple of days ago, I had not ridden a horse in about fifteen years. Childhood experiences left me unwilling (and pretty terrified) to ride again, so I was a bit hesitant to get back on the horse (no pun intended). Pacific Dunes Ranch was the absolute perfect place for me to move on from my past experiences and conquer my fear of horseback riding. The guides are wonderful, helpful, and understanding, and the horses are lovely and clearly well-​treated. My horse, Buzz, was so gentle and calm; he put my nerves at ease and was all-​in-​all perfect for me. The trail itself is gorgeous, passing through portions of chaparral, beach, sand dunes, and wooded areas. My guide took beautiful photos of each rider/​horse on the beach, perfect for preserving the memories of the wonderful ride. I had such a fun time riding at Pacific Dunes, and I will definitely be back in the future.

What a great place to enjoy the best parts of California! First of all, the guides are amazing and very helpful and made me feel very comfortable with my young daughter (8). I have enjoyed this hour ride 3 times now. It is worth the money and I will be doing it again when out of town company visits. The horses are all well mannered. Even for the inexperienced rider ~ it is a perfect ride. Enjoy your ride!

Absolutely wonderful! I took my son and his girlfriend for his birthday. The ride was wonderful! We went to the beach, on the dunes and through a beautiful wooded area. Our guide was awesome! She was funny and talkative and very informative! The horses are far from being old nags for sure! They were peppy and very well mannered! No kicking, bucking or bitting.
We will definitely be back!
Thank you for a fantastic ride and amazing memories!

Left a message and got a call back in 20 minutes. Had a great ride with my wife. Our guide brook was Profesional and explained things about the areas we rode through. Great ride on the beach and through the dunes.

Regarding some of the bad reviews, I would like to state: I realize that «mom and pop» owned businesses are going to have a different approach to their businesses. Also, I was brought up by a grandfather that raised horses and cattle so I realize that sometimes the personalities of these very hardworking people can seem a bit rough around the edges but with that said, I have nothing but positive reviews for Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch. Sure I had to call three times to actually get a hold of someone, but you know what? That is because they people are WORKING, not like «working.»
Moving on… We secured a 11:15 am trail ride recently with Timora (girl I hope I remembered that correctly, or was it Tamera) and showed up perhaps a little to eagerly at 10:45 am. Check in was a breeze and our guide quickly assigned us to our horses (I got Buzz and my daughter Bullseye). In my opinion this place is BUILT for those that have zero experience with horses, with raised platforms to get on horses, clear instructions on how to «steer» your horses, etc. My grandfather would have died laughing as his only advice to me regarding horses was «Becky never let that horse get your number,» and left the rest up to me (resulting in lovely memories of getting thrown).
Our one hour horse ride took us along a lovely dried stream bed (ugh drought!), through sandy dunes, beach side and then through an ecological preserve. Our guide was still breaking in our lead horse which resulted in some fun times watching her take care of a skittish horse. Each horse has its own personality and mine wanted nothing more than to keep up, so I got to experience a few lovely little trotting episodes. Our guide made sure we had a nice stop on the beach for some photo opps. Side note: I also appreciated the fact that our guide pointed out the history of the Chumash people that live in the area.
I always want my daughter to have some of the memories that made my childhood wonderful and I felt this day accomplished that in a sense. She was so happy with her experience with the horses.
In closing, public service announcement: TIP YOUR FRIGGING GUIDE!!! I think I was the only person to tip our guide and to me that is shameful, these people work hard and just gave you a wonderful experience, throw them some cash people.

Planned this trip for my wife’s birthday. What an experience. We all had a great time and the staff was very attentive. Highly reccomend.

left several messages with no call back, not pleased at all with their customer service. Messages where left during hours of operation.

What a beautiful tour on a horse! Our sweet tour guide, Cait, took my kids and I down to the beach, through the «forest» and past the sand dunes. The horses were so mild-​mannered and our tour guide was absolutely adorable! My kids have never been on a horse for more than the 5 min rides at the fair, and they loved it so much! They’re only 8 and 10, and they did great! It was a 1 ½ hour tour for only $ 50. We will do it again when we are back in the area! Thanks Cait!

The guides were great. They paired the riders up perfectly, based on experience and size. You would think riding on the beach would be the best part, but I thought the best part was coming back through the dunes and wooded areas.

What a great find! We enjoyed a one hour tour through the beach and dunes. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and knew their horses well! Will definitely be back next time my husband and I are in the area!

My husband planned this as a birthday surprise and it was such a blast. There was four of us in total and each one of us loved it. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly, the horses were a pleasure to ride. This is a must do when in Pismo.

Great experience. First time riding a horse in a very long time. Our guide was extremely nice and informative about the dunes and their history. Whenever we come back to pismo we will definitely be back to ride the horses. Definitely recommend! Don’t leave pismo without doing this attraction!

We recently came back from our vacation to California Central Coast, and we are so happy we chose to go horseback riding at the Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch, it was one of our highlights from the vacation. I’ve ridden several trails, and this was the best one I’ve been on. The trail took us along the beach, through sand dunes, and through a forestry area with lots of trees and greenery… simply beautiful. It was my husband’s first time riding, and he loved it as well. Our guide, Kate, was helpful in providing instruction, making sure everyone was doing fine n enjoying themselves, and giving us a little history of the area. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in riding in the area, and plan to come again the next time we visit the central coast.

While on vacation to the Central Coast, we decided to go horseback riding and fortunately we found Pacific Dunes through the internet and they offered rides on the beach which caught our attention. Our guides were wonderful as we rode through the dunes, on a road and on the beach.
I would have given them 5 stars but one; they didn’t allow the three of us to ride together in the line… Two other small groups had the same issue… And two, we couldn’t stop on the beach to take pictures, otherwise our adventure was fantastic and we plan on coming again!