Californias off-road paradise threatened as dune-buggy fans fight to keep beloved beach open

California’s legendary dune-buggy playground is under siege.A powerful state agency and environmental groups are waging a years-long legal campaign to curb off-roading at Oceano Dunes — the birthplace of California’s dune-buggy culture — while furious riders keep fighting to preserve one of the state’s most unusual recreational traditions.The beach at the center of the dispute is 3,600 acres of spectacular sand along California’s Central Coast, where roughly 1.5 million visitors a year come to tear across the open dunes in off-road vehicles.And there’s nowhere else quite like it.Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area remains the only California state park where vehicles can legally drive directly onto the sand and beach.That distinction has made the spot a mecca for off-road enthusiasts — and a target for environmentalists who argue the vehicles damage wildlife habitat and worsen air quality.The California Coastal Commission determined in 2019 that off-road vehicles were a net negative and has since pushed to phase out the activity, arguing that it has degraded dune habitats and harmed native species.Environmentalists have also argued that vehicles disturb the dunes, sending wind-blown sand into nearby communities and contributing to air-quality problems.Friends of Oceano Dunes sued in 2019, arguing the Coastal Commission had exceeded its authority and sidestepped required environmental reviews and public hearings.The California Supreme Court ultimately declined to hear a petition from the commission in July 2025, leaving motorized recreation at Oceano Dunes intact.But the fight was far from over.This April, the dunes were temporarily shut down after the Center for Biological Diversity won a favorable federal ruling arguing that off-road vehicles threatened native shorebirds, including the endangered snowy plover.The dunes reopened in May after park officials fenced off areas where the birds were nesting.In June, environmental groups and a trib...