Pismo State Beach is a beach on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. It is approximately 17 miles long and fronts the towns of Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, and Oceano in San Luis Obispo County, California. It is managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.The area includes beach and dunes.Recreational usesThe beach offers many attractions such as camping, hiking, swimming, surfing, fishing, and is home to the famous Pismo clam. It is a popular place to bird watch and is the largest over-wintering colony of monarch butterflies in the U.S.Animal and plant lifeThe beach is home to many forms of marine life, such as abalone, anemones, crabs, kelp, and sea urchins. Several types of birds also live at the beach, such as the brown pelican, great blue heron, ivory gull, and other species.