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About Elmer Ross Beach in Pismo Beach, California

Elmer Ross Beach is a small but lovely beach with coarse sand made up of pebbles and broken shells. It’s located below a steep bluff between The Inn at the Cove Hotel and Dinosaur Caves Park in the Shell Beach neighborhood of Pismo Beach, California.

Walking paths meander on the bluff above the beach and in front of the hotel. An elevated footbridge crosses over to a gazebo with outstanding views. Another path leads out to a viewpoint with a picnic table and unique natural rock formations. Between these two viewpoints look for a path descends toward the beach and goes under the footbridge. On the left there is a narrow set of steps that drops to a landing with railings where you can gaze down into the water between a gap in the bluff. To get to Elmer Ross Beach, simply keep going down the main path. The last drop to the beach from the protective seawall can be steep and loose so be careful and watch your footing.

Huge boulders placed to slow down erosion of the bluff take up some of the space on the beach but there’s still room for sunbathing (except at high tide). This small cove has an impressive view of the rugged Shell Beach shoreline.

At low tide there are tide pools and caves to explore on the far side of the beach below Dinosaur Park.

This small cove was formerly known as Shelter Cove because it gets some protection by a rocky point to the west and tends to have calm waters most of the time. This area is a superb for sea kayaking as there are so many caves and rocks to investigate. Elmer Ross Beach can be a good place to pull out and rest if you are kayaking in Shell Beach.

Access to Elmer Ross Beach can be found at the hotel where a paved path runs the full length of the waterfront side of the hotel. In the spring the hillsides next to the pathways are covered in colorful flowers that enhance photographs of this beautiful property.

Free parking for accessing Elmer Ross Beach can be found at Dinosaur Caves Park nearby. From there you can walk a sidewalk on Price Street to the hotel where you can find your way down to Elmer Ross Beach. Signs at the hotel discourage public beach parking there and there aren’t many spaces so start your visit from the park. It’s a quarter-mile walk from the park’s parking lot to the beach access at the hotel.

Address
2651 Price St
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Phone
805-556-7397
Park Name
Shelter Cove Park, Dinosaur Caves Park
Other Names
Shelter Cove
Owner
City Beach
Pet Details
Dogs allowed on leash
Fees
Free parking at Dinosaur Caves Park
Activities
Tidepooling, Sightseeing, Walking, Photography
Amenities
Gazebo, Grass Park, Tide Pools, Caves, Hotel, Footbridge, Sculptures, Viewpoints, Walking Paths, Playground, Restrooms (near parking area)
Map of Elmer Ross Beach
Pismo Beach, US
12:48 am, March 19, 2024
temperature icon 53°F
L: 53° H: 68°
Feels like 51.98 °F clear sky
Wind gusts: 0 m/s
UV Index: 0
Precipitation: 0 inch
Visibility: 10 km
Sunrise: 7:06 am
Sunset: 7:13 pm
Humidity 83 %
Pressure1019 mb
Wind 0 m/s

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Dinosaur Caves Park

0.2 miles away

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