If you're heading to the Oceano Dunes for a drive on the sand, on busy event days, you won’t be able to buy a pass at the kiosk anymore; a new presale pass is highly encouraged.
A new system is in place for day passes at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area that will require more than just driving up to the sand.
Colton Simianer works at nearby restaurant Slappy’s. He said that while he supports the new format, he feels it will require more preparation from visitors.
“If you want to be out here doing this kind of stuff, you're definitely going to need to be on top of it," Simianer said.
On certain days, when State Parks is anticipating the dunes to be busy, Oceano Dunes District Superintendent Jon O’Brien said people will have to change the way they buy their tickets.
“Instead of people having to come to the kiosk in the morning and get their day use pass, they actually go on to a program the State Parks has called LAZ and they buy, purchase a day pass in advance," O'Brien said.
Tickets are limited to 1,800 day passes per day, on a first-come, first-served basis. O'Brien said it’s highly encouraged for people to buy tickets in advance.
O’Brien said this system was put in place to help ease traffic congestion on busy days. When State Parks tried out the presale on the Fourth of July, traffic looked a little different than in previous years.
“It was more stable," Simianer said. "I saw the people were coming in, and it wasn't too crowded. It wasn't backed up to the actual highway, which is nice.”
Robert Renteria has lived in Oceano for more than 50 years. He said that as a local who’s bought many annual passes over the years, he’s disappointed that on presale days, annual passes will not be honored.
“What is the purpose of getting a yearly pass if the beaches are already full? They're not going to let you in?" Renteria said.
Overall, O'Brien said reception was positive.
"There are always going to be some, some growing pains when you do something new, but I think generally it was positive," he said. "I think people were excited not to have ... They knew they had a pass to get in, so they didn't feel like they had to get there super early.”
