Europe closes roads to motorcyclists, US goes one step further

In Europe, roads are closed to motorcyclists, and in California they go one step further. All areas are closed to all traffic. Just imagine: California has about 5,500 km of coastline. Six kilometers of that entire Pacific coast have come under intense surveillance. Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) in San Luis Obispo County is the only beach in all of California that allows you to drive and camp. Dirt bikes, ATVs and dune buggies are allowed to ride on the dune campus in a designated area. The dunes and beaches are visited by two million people each year and generate about $243 million in revenue.

You can see from historic photos that Pismo Beach and Oceano Dunes have been popular for a long time. As early as 1905, motorists drove along the coast. The beach and dunes are so unique that the Visit California Board of Tourism has featured them prominently in recent advertising to attract even more visitors to the state.

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But this long tradition may now officially come to an end, as the California Coastal Commission (CCC) has voted unanimously to ban all road activity on the coast starting in 2024. The only thing standing in the way of this permanent ban is a streak. Cases of non-profit Friends of Oceano Dunes